Perhaps Life is Nice Somewhere...

For many people in Czechoslovakia, the tragically murdered musician and activist John Lennon became a symbol of freedom; Prague’s “Lennon Wall”, where people have over the years inscribed John Lennon-inspired graffiti, became a place of frequent unauthorised gatherings. The protagonist of Někde je možná hezky (Perhaps Life is Nice Somewhere..., 1991) attends one such meeting, which results in his persecution by the police. Airport mechanic Martin (Juraj Šimko) reminisces about his past and his lifelong admiration of The Beatles’ music. Despite his romantic failures, the Velvet Revolution finally offers Martin a chance to live a free life. After his directorial debut, Dynamit (Dynamite, 1989), director Milan Cieslar tried his hand at this psychological drama, adapted from a screenplay by Martin Bezouška. Interestingly, the film managed to obtain the support of Omniscope, an American production company. That made it possible to shoot part of the footage in New York, and provided access to music rights.