CEN2-06. Waves

Czech Republic, Feature Film, 2024, 131 min

The Czech Republic’s entry for Best International Feature Film for the 2025 Academy Awards

Waves is a thriller about a team of journalists’ relentless pursuit of the truth in the months before the 1968 Prague Spring and the days of the Soviet Union’s invasion. The film follows the story of two brothers, Tomas and Paja. Tomas gets a job at the international office at Czechoslovak Radio, led by editor Milan Weiner, whose commitment to honest journalism and the truth puts the organization in the crosshairs of the secret police. As the situation worsens, the brothers’ decisions can lead to honesty or deceit, loyalty or betrayal, life or death. The film, based on the true story of Czechoslovak Radio, uses archival footage of Czech protests and tanks barreling into Prague, ultimately telling a story about why protecting this kind of principled reporting will be necessary in the future. Subtitled.

Directed by Jiří Mádl

Colorado Premiere