Czechia through the lens: Plzeň talks, free Plzeň talks...

The adventurous and hitherto unknown story of the Pilsen Uprising and the liberation of the city by General G. S. Patton's 3rd U.S. Army is presented in a new documentary film by screenwriter and director Pavel Jirásek. Under the title Hovoří Hovoří Plzeň, svobodná Plzeň hovoří..., ČT2 will broadcast the film on Tuesday 6 May 2025 at 20:55, before which the authors will preview it during the Celebration of Freedom as part of the Czech Television Cinema Café on Sunday 4 May in the Small Hall of the Town Hall.

The year 2025 marks the round anniversary of the end of World War II. The occupation and liberation of Pilsen by the Americans hides stories that were kept silent under communism. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, there was an increased interest in this topic and a gradual “whitewashing” of forgotten history. Moreover, the creators of the new documentary, which was made by the creative production group of Patrick Diviš in a Brno studio, realised that while several films had already been made about the Prague Uprising, virtually none had been made about the events in smaller towns at the end of the war.

"I chose the almost forgotten story of Dr. Karel Šindler, a resistance fighter and former radio operator, who with his group occupied a German radio station, where he held out despite German attacks and from where he broadcast throughout the Pilsen uprising, as the axis of the nearly hour-long film about the situation in Pilsen. Not only did he pass on information, but he also complicated the situation for the occupiers by sending out disinformation, especially regarding the number of insurgents and their weapons. He himself said after the war that he had probably saved the lives of several thousand Pilseners by this broadcasting. I was very excited about this, as a person connected with the media. It shows that the struggle for liberation was not just about guns and shooting," reflects the film's writer and director Pavel Jirásek.

The film was made over two years. The film crew visited Pilsen during the Freedom Festival at the beginning of May, when military history societies come to the city with high-quality military equipment. In the film, viewers will see not only a military column, but also, for example, an American M4 Sherman tank in the middle of the city.

"It is surprising that the topic of the Pilsen uprising and the liberation of the city by the American army has not been treated yet. It was an even greater creative challenge for us to grasp this topic in an interesting way. The story presents unknown heroes, Czech resistance fighters and American liberators. At the same time, it presents previously unpublished and unique archive footage, of which we have managed to collect a remarkably large number. We combine all this with fiction scenes,“ says the film's dramaturg Martin Polák. ”Fiction scenes always bring different information than period documentaries. They are more narrative because they often tell hidden things that are necessary for the development of the film," says director Pavel Jirásek, adding: "For example, the story of Dr. Karel Šindler, from whom we had only a few photographs and archival sound recordings, we were able to use them to make present all the emotions that are connected to that tense time. The character of Karel Šindler in our film was portrayed by actor and Pilsen native Petr Šmíd."

The film does not end with liberation, but it does hint at the immediate post-war development and how the six months of American presence affected the following years. A specific West Bohemian protest culture emerged here, which was and is so distinctive that it has persisted to this day, with the entire region defining itself through such generous events as the Freedom Festival. "We have tried to be as objective as possible and bring an account of what happened in Pilsen at the end of the war. That not only among the American soldiers but also among the citizens of Pilsen there were many heroes who should not be forgotten," adds director Pavel Jirásek.

The film was made with the financial and organisational support of the Pilsen Region and the City of Pilsen.

The reprise of the film will be shown by ČT2 on Wednesday 7 May 2025 in the early evening.

Screenplay and director Pavel Jirásek / main camera Marek Jícha / dramaturg Martin Polák / editor Jiří Kubík / production manager Kateřina Zavadilová / executive producer Diana Tuyet-Lan Kosinová / creative producer Patrick Diviš

Author Petr Brodecký