We Have Never Been Modern (film)

We Have Never Been Modern
Directed by	Matěj Chlupáček
Written by	Miro Šifra
Produced by	Matěj Chlupáček
Starring	Eliška Křenková
Cinematography	Martin Douba
Edited by	Pavel Hrdlička
Music by	Simon Goff
Distributed by	Bontonfilm
Release dates	1 July 2023 (2023-07-01) (Karlovy Vary) 5 October 2023 (2023-10-05) (Czech Republic)
Running time	117 minutes
Countries	Czech Republic Slovakia
Language	Czech
Budget	90 million CZK[1]
Box office	7,783,801 CZK[2]

We Have Never Been Modern (Czech: Úsvit literally Dawn) is a 2023 Czech and Slovak crime drama film directed by Matěj Chlupáček and written Miro Šifra. We Have Never Been Modern is Chlupaček's second feature film, defined by him as "a detective story with a female protagonist who is not a police officer or an investigator, but while everyone else draws conclusions according to what suits them, she is the only one who wants to find out the truth". The film title quotes the eponymous book by French philosopher Bruno Latour.[3]

Plot

The film is set in 1937. A married couple, a pregnant former medical student and a factory director, arrive in the town of Svit in the Spiš Region of Slovakia. Together with other Bata employees, they are to build a new town modeled on Zlín. However, the plan is thwarted by a mysterious discovery on the factory premises. Helena Hauptová, the former medical student, is the only person who is interested in uncovering the truth, while the others come to terms with the story of suspected sabotage by Communist elements in the factory.[4]

Among other things, the film focuses on the themes of intersexuality, especially the topic of hermaphroditism, relatively unexplored at the time. The film also deals more generally with the topic of otherness and exclusion, as Helena Hauptová finds herself as a woman in a purely male and male-dominated environment.[5]

Cast

• Eliška Křenková as Helena Hauptová; Alois's wife
• Miloslav König [cs] as Alois Haupt; Helena's husband
• Richard Langdon as Alexander "Saša" Matula
• Milan Ondrík as investigator Robert
• Marián Mitaš as investigator n. 2
• Luboš Veselý [cs] as doctor
• Martha Issová as Svit employee
• Ladislav Hampl [cs] as Jan Antonín Baťa

Production

Filming began in May 2022 in Lysá nad Labem in the period scenery of the Art Deco Benies villa. Filming ended in September 2022, the film was initially set to enter theatres on November 16, 2023.[6] It premiered on 1 July 2023 during Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with theatrical premiere on 5 October 2023.[7][8]

Image Gallery

• 
  Still from the film with Eliška Křenková in a leading role
• 
  Still from the film with Eliška Křenková in a leading role
• 
  Still from the film, night scene
• 
  Still from the film, industrial buildings in Zlín
• 
  Still from the film with Eliška Křenková in a leading role
• 
  Still from the film, High Tatras

References

1. Hermanová, Milena (25 May 2023). "První záběry z dobového filmu Úsvit. Rozpočet se vyšplhal na 90 milionů korun". Aplausin.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
2. "Úsvit - Tržby a návštěvnost". KINOMANIAK (in Czech). Retrieved 3 January 2024.
3. Lodge, Guy (2023-07-04). "'We Have Never Been Modern' Review: Intersex Awareness Brings Unexpected Urgency to a Handsome Czech Period Drama". Variety. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
4. Dvořák, Stanislav. "Eliška Křenková točí tajemné detektivní drama inspirované 30. léty". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
5. "8. říjen - Interview ČT24". Česká televize (in Czech). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
6. "Tajemné detektivní drama Úsvit v režii Matěje Chlupáčka s Eliškou Křenkovou je dotočeno". 2media.cz. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
7. "Úsvit představuje oficiální trailer, ve Varech zkusí získat Křišťálový globus". Totalfilm. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
8. "České želízko v ohni Hlavní soutěže, Úsvit měl premiéru ve Varech". Totalfilm.cz (in Czech). 2 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.

External links

• We Have Never Been Modern at IMDb
• We Have Never Been Modern at CSFD.cz (in Czech)