A country road lined with magnificent, full-grown trees, a golden canopy of meadow grass shimmering in the setting sun, the velvety surface of a lake, fine thistledown swaying in the breeze, villagers working in the fields, then having a siesta outside the village pub – these are the scenes that flash by as two friends take a drive through the summer landscape with no particular destination in mind. Svěrák’s direction is both intuitive and emotive, and his images combine to create the lyrical line of the film, evoking a mood of warm sunny days which simply call for idleness, daft boyish pranks and little adventures. Stopping for a hitchhiker looks like a good way to liven up the proceedings, but the girl isn’t as childishly innocent as she initially seems. Attempts to elude a jealous lover lead to tragedy and the glimmering, convivial atmosphere at once tips over into darkness. The director entirely avoids anything explicit, all the same, we sense that Radek and Franta now realise that insouciance is meant only for dreams, which disperse as soon as we wake up.