The Cassandra Cat

Vojtěch Jasný's sumptuous, surreal satire is one of the most lavish and uninhibited films of the entire Czechoslovak New Wave. A travelling circus and its magical feline mascot arrive in a provincial Czech town, and expose the virtues, vices and desires of its unruly inhabitants. Part modern fairy tale, part colourful political metaphor, The Cassandra Cat (also known as When the Cat Comes) is a unique, glorious comic drama. Banned after the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the film was regarded as an unacceptable and subversive critique of Communist society. (Second Run)