Summary
Helena Šmahelová’s novel Velké trápení (Great Torments) was first published in 1959. It then served as popular reading material for several generations of young girls. In 1974, Jiří Hanibal adapted the work for the big screen, adding to his filmography of stories dealing with the joys and woes of adolescents. The script for this psychological drama was written by blacklisted writer František Pavlíček; his work was concealed in the titles by attributing the credit to colleagues Otto and Bohumila Zelenka instead. The film tells the story of 13-year-old Jana (Renata Mašková), who finds herself in a children’s home following the divorce of her parents. Set to spend the summer holidays with her father (Eduard Cupák), disappointment beckons as he fails to provide a secure environment for the sensitive teenager. Jana sets off to find her mother instead, thinking back to her recent past. Jana Štěpánková offers a strong performance as the understanding head of the children’s home.
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