April 14, 2025: Czech movie Vlny (Waves) at the Belmont film festival

The acclaimed and award-winning Czech film Vlny (Waves), directed by Jiří Mádl, is coming to the Belmont Film Festival! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience a powerful story of courage, freedom, and resistance on the big screen.

Monday, April 14, 2025, 7:30 – 9:30 PM

Apple Cinemas,
168 Alewife Brook Parkway
Cambridge, MA 02138

Set against the backdrop of the 1968 Prague Spring, Waves (2024), directed by Jiří Mádl, follows Tomáš, a young radio technician entangled in a dangerous fight between rebellious journalists and the oppressive secret police. As Soviet tanks roll into Czechoslovakia, he must choose between protecting his brother and standing for press freedom.

The film captures a pivotal moment in the history of Czechoslovakia when reformist leader Alexander Dubček attempted to democratize the communist regime, only for the movement to be crushed by the Warsaw Pact invasion. Through the lens of underground radio broadcasts, Waves highlights the crucial role of free media in resisting totalitarian control.

Guest speaker: Igor Lukes, University Professor and professor of international relations & history at Boston University.