24/02/2005 - Inspired by a real story which occurred in the beginning of the 90’s, Jiri Svoboda’s new film, a thriller entitled The New Breed, is among the top fifteen of the box office in the Czech Republic.

Jiri Svoboda’s new film, a thriller entitled The New Breed ("Sametovi Vrazi"), has had great success since its release in the Czech Republic. The film was inspired by a real story which occurred in the beginning of the 90’s and is referred to as ‘the Orlik murders’, from the name of a lake in Bohemia where the bodies were then found. The movie has already generated a 450 000-dollar benefit in four weeks, and it is still in the top three films of the Czech box-office, unchallenged by American blockbusters.

The New Breed shows the experience of its director (13 feature films and 24 TV movies). As far as distribution is concerned, 20 copies were released on the 27th of January ; the distributor, Bontonfilm, later decided to circulate 5 more. The film, starring Michal Dlouhy, Jan Dolansky, Richard Krajco, Alice Vesela, Lucie Benesova, and Dusan Urban, recounts the story of three businessmen led to committing four crimes for money reasons. The crime is seen from their point of view ; thus, Jiri Svoboda manages to convey the fascinating as well as the deeply shocking aspects of his characters’ violence, of their cruelty, and their lack of morals. The New Breed, produced by Hana Bílá for Ceská Televize, will be sold in foreign countries by internationales CT-Telexport.

Besides this film, other national productions are present in the Top 15 of the Czech box-office. Thus, the third episode of the comedy, Kamenak, by Zdenek Troska, distributed by Prospero, is in the sixth position with a 620 000-dollar benefit after six weeks on the screen. Karel Janák’s great success Snowboarders (distribution Falcon), finishes nicely its pretty carrier on the national screens (over 2,5 dollars after 16 weeks). Finally, Lovers and Murderers by Viktor Polesny (distribution Bontonfilm) got 356 000 dollars benefits in 11 weeks.

(Translated from French)