The Idiot

The film begins and ends behind the curtain of the Estates Theatre, in a feverish dream of mortal friends and rivals Mishkin and Rogojin. After the prologue, we enter the stage in the midst of preparations of the birthday party for Nastasya Philippovna. Next comes a true crash of completely different worlds when prince Mishkin visits the rather crazy Yepanchin family.

When the rehearsals for The Idiot were interrupted for the third time, the NT Drama directoress Daniela Špinar decided to revive the play in a different format and make it into a film. All the actors reveal the everyday experience of the Covid times, and the tragicomic undertones of the lockdown are reflected in the film. It is also an open homage to the Estates Theatre, originally intended as a backdrop but ultimately turned into the actual setting for the story of Lev Nikolaevich Mishkin, a man full of endless hope and love even on screen.

Starring Patrik Děrgel, Tereza Vilišová, and Igor Orozovič.

Official photos: Martin Špelda

The film's media partner is Radio 1.