New Hyperion or Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood

Colour, 35 mm
Czech Republic, 1992, 207 min
Section: Tribute to Karel Vachek

Synopsis

Twenty years on, Vachek tapped into his Elective Affinities (Spřízněni volbou) to capture the period before the first democratic elections of 1990 – a time of euphoria, uncertainty and bizarre events, when chaos gave rise to a new political order. Vachek’s film is also a reflection on the theme of utopia and its contradictions. Poet Ivan Jirous says in the film: "Liberty, equality, brotherhood. This motto is nonsense, since people aren’t born equal. God created everyone in a different way. But that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t all have the same rights.” The film begins with quotations from his collection Credo quia absurdum – "I believe because it is absurd”. Vachek is a quirky philosopher of the Hašek mould, relaying news of attempts to create a better and freer society, who was, however – according to utopian criteria – condemned to failure. But the uniqueness of the moment pointed to a new perspective on man and politics. This monumental film collage weaves together events, dialogues and action through a highly inventive feat of editing that succeeds in linking the seemingly incompatible. Shots of politicians, meetings, demonstrations and various activists, set in amongst official and trivial scenes, introduce and gloss each other. Alongside Havel, Dubček and some of Czech history’s neglected figures, the camera also focuses on left-wing philosopher Ivan Sviták, whose political prognoses were fulfilled with chilling accuracy years later.