Film Archive

On the Roof

Czech Films 2018–2019 2019 / Na střeše / Czech Republic, Slovak Republic 2019

A grumpy old man happens upon a young Vietnamese lad on the roof of his Prague apartment block and offers him a temporary home in his flat. The two very different individuals initially find it difficult to get along; however, they gradually discover that they need one another. Actor Jiří Mádl demonstrates his talent as a director in this small-scale piece interwoven with gentle humour.

Synopsis

Ageing professor Rypar discovers a Vietnamese boy called Song on the roof of his Prague apartment building. The lad is about to jump – he’s in a state because he hasn’t got any papers and the police caught him during a raid. Initially, Rypar doesn’t trust the wan-looking Song but then he offers him the job of cleaning his flat in order to ease his own solitary routine. He helps him to improve his Czech and also starts losing at chess, a game at which Song excels. This small-scale piece about an unlikely pair is supported by masterful performances, in particular from Alois Švehlík in the role of Rypar, who combines sarcasm with vulnerability. After his resourceful directorial debut To See the Sea, actor Jiří Mádl tells a universally comprehensible story about the simple fact that we all need somebody.

Jan Škoda

About the film

100 min / Color, DCP

Director Jiří Mádl / Screenplay Jiří Mádl / Dir. of Photography Martin Žiaran / Music René Rypar / Editor Jakub Vansa / Art Director Adam Pitra / Producer Monika Kristl / Production Dawson Films s.r.o. / Coproduction Hitchhiker Cinema s.r.o., Rozhlas a televizia Slovenska, Investito s.r.o., Česká televize, Barrandov Studio a.s., Innogy Česká republika a.s. / Cast Alois Švehlík, Duy Anh Tran, Vojtěch Dyk, Mária Bartalos, Adrian Jastraban / Contact Dawson Productions / Distributor Falcon a.s.