Career

The books of Jiří Švejda were the inspiration for three films of the 1980s that explored ethical dilemmas that faced workers during the reality of socialism. The psychological drama Kariéra (Career, 1984) was preceded by Požáry a spáleniště (Fires and Burnt Out Places, 1980) and followed by Havárie (Accident, 1985). The main character of Kariéra, directed by Július Matula and inspired by Švejda’s 1973 book Dva tisíce světelných let (Two Thousand Light Years), is chemistry drop-out Tomáš, returning home to northern Bohemia following the completion of his military service. He successfully applies for a job in a local chemical factory that he is neither qualified nor skilled enough to perform. He progressively clashes with his parents and his wife before finally realising that life requires a more solid foundation than excessive self-confidence… The environs of a northern Bohemian chemical plant unwittingly depict the gloomy reality of the time; it was a location also used six years later by Tomáš Vorel in his generational musical (or “rhythmical” picture) Kouř (Smoke, 1990). The film has an appealingly talented cast, led by Martin Stropnický and Kateřina Lojdová.