Vera Chytilová‘s ‘Daisies’ (1966) screening

The grotesque moral Daisies (1966) is a highlight of Czech filmmaker Vera Chytilová‘s filmography and widely considered a breakthrough in feminist filmmaking. On Saturday November 15, the Institute of Modern Art will host a screening to complement the current exhibition, Confronting Femininity, curated by Sal Edwards and Robert Leonard.

The surrealistic narrative follows a pair of young women who decide to be as corrupt as the world around them. The film is timeless in its biting account of conformity, petty-bourgeois narrow-mindedness and the limits of light-heartedness.

Daisies marked the beginning of Chytilová‘s collaboration with Ester Krumbachová, who contributed to the eccentric costumes and script. The collage-like visual component then gave a lot of space for experimentation to the cinematographer Jaroslav Kucera. It is still an original gem of Czech cinema of the 1960s, which infuriated the communist officials of the time.

Seats are limited and bookings highly recommended.