Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

File under Bizarro-Czech Surrealism Cinema...

Directed by Jires Jaromil

Perhaps the last film directed by Jires that can be considered indicative of the Czech New Wave was Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1969), a surreal tale about a 13-year-old girl who loses her innocence in a world of vampires and wicked grandmothers. Strange imagery that can only be interpreted as allegorical dominates the film's visual style, aligning it with New Wave aesthetics.

The story draws on the traditions of children's fairy tales, making it appear apolitical on the surface, which may account for why it was overlooked by the authorities. Jires has claimed that the film explores "the connections between reality and dream, horror and humor." Yet, when considered against a historical backdrop in which Czechoslovakia was the victim of a foreign aggressor, a political interpretation can be drawn from the film's repeated images of corrupted innocence, rape, and the betrayal of youth by its protectors. ( via Facets)