Smetana [North American Premiere]

Smetana / directed by Marek Najbrt / historical drama / 2024 / Czech with English subtitles / 101 minutes

The evening will begin with a pre-talk with musicologist Michael Beckerman on the topic of Czech Music as a historical and contemporary phenomenon.

Smetana portrays the life of the renowned Czech composer, focusing on his search for love and artistic inspiration despite the devastating loss of his hearing. This tragedy, while profoundly altering his life, also sparked his greatest creative achievements. The film follows Smetana's quest for his muse, ultimately finding it in the young writer and librettist Eliška Krásnohorská. Spanning from 1868 to 1883, it explores his ambitions to establish himself as a world-class composer while navigating personal and professional challenges, including societal pressures and the founding of the National Theatre in Prague.

Host or Publisher Czech Center New York