O necem jinem

This debut from Věra Chytilová (1929-2014), one of the great innovators of Czechoslovakian cinema, is a blend of documentary and fiction about the lives of two women who at first sight appear to have little in common.
Věra is a bored housewife with a defiant son and an unappreciative husband. She seeks an escape from the frustrations of her everyday life in an extramarital affair. The non-fiction storyline follows the successful and headstrong gymnast Eva Bosáková, who's in training for the 1962 World Championship in Prague. Her lack of motivation prompts her coach to take a tough line with her.
With humor and empathy, the black-and-white film shows the women operating in a male-dominated culture that curtails their freedom. The refined editing, which runs one storyline into the other at unexpected moments, lends deeper significance to apparently trivial events and creates strong dynamics.