The perfect grouch has met his match. A five-year-old boy named Kolya... Louka, a middle-aged Czech cellist is a skirt-chasing bachelor who enjoys a lifestyle free of responsibilities. When he finds himself strapped for cash, he agrees to a marriage of convenience. But after his new bride skips town, Louka is left to father her five-year-old Russian son, Kolya. Neither could be more unhappy with their predicament, especially since they don't even speak the same language! It'll take time and patience for the cultural barrier between this unlikely father-son duo to fall, but when it does, an unbreakable bond forms in its place. Acclaimed by critics worldwide for its poignant story and outstanding cast, Kolya shines with heartwarming comedy you'll long remember. Winner of the 1997 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Directed by
Jan Sverák
Written by
Pavel Taussig (story); Zdenek Sverák (screenplay).
Starring
Zdenek Sverák (Frantisek Louka); Andrei Chalimon (Kolja); Libuse Safránková (Klára); Ondrej Vetchý (Broz); Stella Zázvorková (Mother); Ladislav Smoljak (Houdek); Silvia Suvadova (Blanka); Liliya Malkina (Tamara (as Lilian Malkina)); Karel Hermánek (Musil); Petra Spalková (Pasa); Irina Livanova (Nadezda); Magda Sebestová (Zuzana); Nella Boudová (Brozová); René Pribil (Pokorný); Miroslav Táborský (Novotný). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
Important: the following essays and comments are authored by Soul Food Cinema readers. Whilst the Editor prays for the spiritual integrity of all content of this site, it should be noted that these represent personal opinions and carry no official endorsement. If you consider any content to be a misrepresentation of Catholic teaching, please contact SFC. May God bless you and enlighten you in your reading.
-
Articles, Essays and Reviews
-
Please contact SFC if you are interested in submitting an essay on this film.
-
Readers' Comments and Opinions
-
Click the link to comment on this film. You may like to copy the film title and year (as given above) to your clipboard now for pasting into the following form.
-
Never too old to learn a few life lessons
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Kolja is in a similar mode to Central do Brasil. Both films feature first-class acting that can't help but have been influenced by the actors' own histories as they have experienced life's ups and downs throughout their years. And it is this life experience that gives the acting its nuances which in turn gives added depth to the films that no production budget could ever purchase. Kolja also provides a fine testament to the fact that human nature transcends age, cultural and language barriers, by showing that at heart people have an innate desire to care for one another and an innate desire to connect with one another. A young boy's desire to be taught and enlightened can be no less suppressed than can the older man's desire to be the teacher and the one that enlightens - especially with respect to the awe-inspiring natural world around us. Kolja tells the contemporary story of a bond of friendship the like of which is truly timeless. The film is well-deserving of its best foreign film Oscar.
