Miloš Forman’s Oscar-nominated film, which remains to this day one of the most popular works of the Czechoslovak New Wave, had a truly huge impact on the cinematic world: it was adored in the West, but banned in the director’s homeland. In the story, inspired by Forman’s own experiences, the members of a village fire department organize a ball in honour of their retired commander, to be spiced up with a raffle and a beauty contest. The event descends into tragicomedy as first the food and drinks start to disappear before it emerges that applicants for the beauty contest have to be dragged in to participate. Even this isn’t enough for one over-zealous father, who attempts to convince the jury of his ugly daughter’s charms by buying them drinks. Not long after a house catches fire in the village, but the drunken company are unable to overcome the flames. Finally they attempt to salvage the situation by offering the tombola prizes to help the victim of the fire, but it turns out that the party-goers have made off with everything. The Fireman’s Ball was Miloš Forman’s first film in colour, but also the last he completed before emigration to the United States. The film was made as a co-production, however the Italian producer Carlo Ponti unexpectedly withdrew financial support, and only the magnanimous intervention of two prominent figures of the French New Wave, Truffaut and Godard, saved Forman from being dragged into court on a charge of “economic damage to the state.” Forman happened to be visiting Paris in 1968 when the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia began, and it was then that he decided not to return to his homeland. Our visitors are kindly informed that this film will be screened in Hungarian. No admission fee. Presented by: Palace of Arts

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