Summary
Based on a true story – the tragic death of a 16-year-old girl following the crushing of a workers’ strike in the town of Svárov in March 1870 – chronicled in a novel by Alfred Technik and adapted for the screen in 1974. The bloodily suppressed Svárov strike was one of the first mass workers’ protests of its kind. This socially-conscious drama from distinguished director Karel Kachyňa conforms to the ideological viewpoint of the era of its release. Nonetheless it also presents a degree of stylised poeticism, a hallmark of the work of Kachyňa. Efforts at authenticity are bolstered by the fact that Pavlínka (Pauline) was filmed in the same locations in which the real historical drama occurred, namely in Svárov, its surroundings, and Tanvald. Tragic heroine Pavlína Bernerová is portrayed by Slovak actress Brigita Hausnerová. The role of the young girl’s caring grandmother goes to Marie Brožová.
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