Summary
The main character in the film, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, is a mermaid who yearns to be closer to her beloved prince, deciding to transform herself into an earthly girl to do so with the help of a witch. However, the prince falls victim to an accidental mix-up and chooses a princess from a neighbouring kingdom instead, a girl who merely resembles our heroine. And so the mermaid must accept her fate: she can only return home as sea foam… Karel Kachyňa's film is an exceptional project for its time, not least because of its sombre tone, which contrasts sharply with the prevailing optimism of works for children and young people from that era. Its poetic stylization, working imaginatively with the visual form of the underwater kingdom, is also remarkable. Cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera and costume designer Ester Krumbachová both contribute to the film's artistic qualities, while Kachyňa entrusts the title role to Miroslava Šafránková, and that of her rival from the neighbouring kingdom to the actress's more famous sister, Libuše. The music, combining orchestral and electronic pieces, is the work of Zdeněk Liška.
