In November and December, our special series is dedicated to Final Cut: remarkable endings in the broadest sense of the word.
A peculiar yet beloved classic of the Czechoslovak New Wave, starring a sunglasses-wearing cat.
When the Cat Comes (1963) is, on the surface, a simple fairy tale about a dictatorial schoolmaster who suppresses the creativity of his students—and the resistance against him by an imaginative teacher. The lead role is played by a cat with the mysterious ability to reveal the true nature of people. Its arrival in the village causes quite a stir: while the adults watch anxiously, the children are mesmerized. And, as in all fairy tales, only one force can ultimately triumph…
As a hallmark of the New Wave, Vojtěch Jasný employs in this cult classic an entirely innovative form of storytelling. Beneath the playful, imaginative, and experimental visual style lies a deeper layer of protest. When the Cat Comes (1963) is an intelligent political satire that creatively lampoons the hypocrisy and absurdity of societal norms.