Rules of the Circle

Miroslav Balajka was chiefly devoted to television work, but in 1987 he took the director's chair for his feature-film debut Pravidla kruhu (Rules of the Circle). It is one of several motion pictures that dared to criticise the social realities of Czechoslovakia in the late 1980s. Demobbed conscript Petr serves as the film's lead character, as he seeks an identity back on civvy street. Balajka and co-screenwriter Dušan Kukal present a prototypical man who is striving to anchor himself in a reality that keeps slipping from his hands. Petr returns to his previous job at a bakery and also perseveres with his sports career in a wrestling team. As a wrestler, he finds success, even on the international stage. However, the demands of simultaneously attending to his relationship with girlfriend Jitka and pursuing his sport appear to be more than Petr can handle. In order to rediscover security in life, he must return to the beginning… Balajka cast two Slovak actors in the two main roles: Igor Krempaský as Petr and Roman Luknár as his adversary Vašek.