A Case for the Defence Attorney (Případ pro obhájce / Prípad pre obhajcu)
| Program section: | Czechoslovak Noir |
|---|---|
| Directed by: | Martin Hollý ml. |
| Year: | 1964 |
| Country: | Czechoslovakia |
| Length: | 90 min. |
| Cast: | Karol Machata, Štefan Kvietik, Július Pántik, Alena Vránová, Rudolf Deyl ml. |
Screening:
- 24. 8. 2023 | 18:15 - Cinema Sokol Český Šternberk
In 2022, we screened a TV film by screenwriter Tibor Vichta and director Martin Hollý, Jr., The Ballad of the Seven Hanged (1968). Their first feature-length collaboration was the psychological drama from a court environment, The Case for the Defence Counsel, which was released in Czechoslovak cinemas on 25 December 1964. At the time, Hollý had several short documentary films under his belt, in addition to his feature drama The Raven’s Journey (1962), and experience as Ladislav Helge’s assistant director. A Case for the Defence Attorney focuses on the investigation of the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl, of which the juvenile Macejka is accused. For his defense lawyer Kolár, this is the first major case that has not been decided in advance. More important than the investigative level in this psychological film is the reflection on the changing conditions in the Slovak judiciary and how the individual figures behave in liminal situations and approach their past and present actions.
Veronika Zýková
