A group of friends enjoying an idyllic day in the country are accosted by mysterious figures who compel them to join an unexplained lavish banquet in the woods. A barbed satire of authoritarianism and conformity unfolds, as each new guest finds their place amongst the revellers, succumbing to the will of their menacing hosts.
Jan Němec’s surreal and sinister fable was considered one of the most politically dangerous films of its era. Made during the short flowering of the Czechoslovak New Wave in the 1960s, it was subsequently ‘banned forever’ by the authorities.
Presented from the Czech National Archives new 4K restoration, The Party and the Guests makes it's world premiere on Blu-ray.
This edition from Second Run also contains Jiří Trnka's renowned animated short film The Hand (1965), another surreal and savage indictment of totalitarianism (again banned by Czech authorities), making its world premiere on Blu-ray. Additionally, our region-free Blu-ray Special Edition also features two audio commentaries on The Party and the Guests, an appreciation of the film by Czechoslovak cinema specialist Peter Hames and a booklet featuring an expansive essay by Michael Brooke.
