The Joke

Ludvík returns to his hometown to meet Helena. He had suffered from Helena’s husband, Pavel Zemánek. The two were close friends who joined the Czechoslovakia Communist Student Union when they were college students. One summer, Ludvík, who wanted to spend his vacation with Markéta, his lover at the time, sends her a postcard with a joke saying, "Long live Trotsky!" when she chose to get training in the Communist Party instead of spending time with him. The problem is that Pavel used this incident as an excuse to kick Ludvík out of both the party and the college. Ludvík is even later drafted into a labor force. But his plan to seduce Helena and pay Pavel back is ridiculously twisted. [The 23rd Jeonju International Film Festival]