Summary
The manual on how to cook a soup from an axe to feed a dumb rich man might be said to belong to the genre of humorous folk tales about cunning peasants rather than to the fairytale world. Such is the case with the narrative of this film, based on the tradition of Wallachian story telling. Released as a 1981 family comedy, Pohádka svatojánské noci (A Midsummer Night’s Story) – the sole feature film directed by Zdeněk Zydroň – relates the story of clever military veteran Martin. While journeying home, Martin teaches a lesson to a stingy mayor who is oppressing the residents of a small village. In his duel with the fiendishly clever foreigner, the skinflint will not prevail even by banning the traditional Midsummer Night’s fires… Václav Postránecký, Karel Vochoč, Pavel Zedníček and Julius Satinský are among those with roles in what is an unjustifiably forgotten motion picture. The Wallachian costumes, songs and dances play equally important parts.
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