Czech retro musical film ‘Rebels‘ to hit Manila

Musical comedy “Rebels” (2001) is the next film to be part of the yearlong film festival, Czech Movie Gems. Set in 1968 Czechoslovakia, during the year of the so-called Prague Spring, which sparked the hopes of the end of the Communist regime, but ended with the Soviet invasion, the film tells the story of star-crossed lovers, Tereza, a student on a break who just came back to town and Šimon, a military deserter seeking freedom beyond the frontiers of then Socialist Czechoslovakia.

Though set on the backdrop of dramatic historical period, Rebels is mainly a feast of music and dance featuring the most popular songs of the 1960s. Not only does the film feature original compositions, but also Czech versions of some of the global hits, such as Petula Clark´s “Down Town“ and Nancy Sinatra´s “Sugar Town.“ It also has a dozen elaborate dance performances made in the 1960s style, each of them being a distinctive video clip. The retro-musical cleverly evokes the nostalgia and the euphoric atmosphere of the time with the first Czech television clips, its period costumes and production design, the astounding choreography and performances.