The Cassandra Cat //Eastern Bloc Party IV

dir. Vojtěch Jasný // 1963 // 1 hr 43 min

Vojtěch Jasný's sumptuous, surreal satire is one of the most lavish and uninhibited films of the entire Czechoslovak New Wave.

A travelling circus and its magical feline mascot arrive in a provincial Czech town, and expose the virtues, vices and desires of its unruly inhabitants.

Part modern fairy tale, part colourful political metaphor, The Cassandra Cat (also known as When the Cat Comes) is a unique, glorious comic drama. Banned after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the film was regarded as an unacceptable and subversive critique of Communist society.

EASTERN BLOC PARTY is an ongoing series looking at how genre cinema behind the Iron Curtain reflects the fraught politcal climate, and today's current one.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Stray Cat Film Center