BD 103 Long Live the Republic

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andyli · #1 Post by **andyli** » Wed Jan 21, 2026 1:22 pm

The thread hasn't been made yet, but Long Live the Republic! (Ať žije republika) is up for pre-order on their website.

ryannichols7 · #2 Post by **ryannichols7** » Wed Jan 21, 2026 4:02 pm

andyli wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 1:22 pm The thread hasn't been made yet, but Long Live the Republic! (Ať žije republika) is up for pre-order on their website.

major shoutout to Swo who I know wanted this released. has a Jan Nemec short in the extras!

#3 Post by **swo17** » Wed Jan 21, 2026 4:17 pm

Yes, I support this

MichaelB · #4 Post by **MichaelB** » Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:01 pm

Czechs regard this as one of their better-kept secrets; it's always had a towering reputation back home, but international distributors were so fixated on the younger generation (Chytilová/Forman/Menzel et al) that they tended to blank the slightly older filmmakers like Karel Kachyňa and František Vláčil (who was all but unknown internationally until he was already dead).

Anyway, here are the specs:

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC!
(Ať žije republika)
A film by Karel Kachyňa

Blu-ray Special Edition out 16 March 2026

From Karel Kachyňa, director of Coach to Vienna and The Ear, this landmark film views the end of WWII through the eyes of 12-year-old Olda as he witnesses the retreat of the German Army and the arrival of Soviet liberation forces in 1945 rural Czechoslovakia.
Combining poetic and dreamlike evocations of the boys’ inner fantasy world with the harsh reality of the war’s final days, his brutal home life, rivalries with other boys, and the grim realities to come under Soviet rule, Kachyňa's lyrical film established his reputation as one of Czech cinema's most formidable talents.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Long Live the Republic! (Ať žije republika, 1965) presented from a new HD transfer of best existing materials by the Czech National Film Archive.
• The City Cinematheque Interview with Karel Kachyňa (1998): The director in conversation about Long Live the Republic! with host Jerry Carlson.
• A Memory for the Present (Paměť našeho dne, 1963): Jan Němec's acclaimed short film reflecting on the memory and legacy of WWII.
• Booklet with new writing on the film by author and Czech cinema expert Peter Hames.
• New English subtitle translation.
• World premiere on Blu-ray.
• Region Free (A/B/C) Blu-ray.

Pre-order at our webstore: https://tinyurl.com/vtd6tm7u
and at
Amazon UK: https://tinyurl.com/4kur4293
HMV: https://tinyurl.com/4uxxupja
Zavvi: https://tinyurl.com/49wp9wtc
Rarewaves: https://tinyurl.com/3pbvckw2
Diabolik: https://diabolikdvd.com/

Yakushima · #5 Post by **Yakushima** » Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:38 pm

MichaelB wrote: Wed Jan 21, 2026 5:01 pm Czechs regard this as one of their better-kept secrets; it's always had a towering reputation back home, but international distributors were so fixated on the younger generation (Chytilová/Forman/Menzel et al) that they tended to blank the slightly older filmmakers like Karel Kachyňa and František Vláčil (who was all but unknown internationally until he was already dead).

Anyway, here are the specs:

LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC!
(Ať žije republika)
A film by Karel Kachyňa

Blu-ray Special Edition out 16 March 2026

Thank you for the heads-up, Michael! Looking forward to this.

Bikey · #6 Post by **Bikey** » Sat Mar 07, 2026 3:47 pm

"A pivotal early work in the Czechoslovak New Wave [...] A commendable and essential release for this undervalued gem of the Czechoslovak New Wave... Absolutely recommended."
Beaver

Bikey · #7 Post by **Bikey** » Wed Mar 18, 2026 4:13 pm

"Exuberant and lyrical, cruel and packed with extraordinary dreamlike images. The film feels like a lost classic that is every bit as impressive as early Tarkovsky or Paradjanov." 5 Stars at Close-Up Film

What A Disgrace · #8 Post by **What A Disgrace** » Wed Mar 18, 2026 4:37 pm

I think this is the first time I've received a Second Run release before it was fully unveiled on the site. I can't wait to finally see it.

filmyfan · #9 Post by **filmyfan** » Wed Mar 18, 2026 9:32 pm

Saw this many years back at NFT , think it may have been part of Mark Cousins season of films about children. Looking forward to seeing again.

Bikey · #10 Post by **Bikey** » Thu Apr 02, 2026 1:01 pm

"The result is closer to a Czech Fellini, an audacious jumble of dreams and memories with a killer punch underneath the whimsy."
The Geek Show

Bikey · #11 Post by **Bikey** » Thu Apr 16, 2026 3:22 pm

Sight and Sound

olmo · #12 Post by **olmo** » Mon Apr 20, 2026 9:22 am

filmyfan wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2026 9:32 pm Saw this many years back at NFT , think it may have been part of Mark Cousins season of films about children. Looking forward to seeing again.

For me, it deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Kes, 400 Blows, Closely Observed Trains, Come & See (in which it was surely an influence?) & Pialat's L'Enfance Nue.

Bikey · #13 Post by **Bikey** » Wed Apr 29, 2026 9:37 am

"Highly recommended, and if you haven’t already picked this up and are planning to do so, remember that Second Run’s Blu-ray releases of Coach to Vienna and The Ear are still available and should also be considered essential purchases."
Cine Outsider

Bikey · #14 Post by **Bikey** » Tue May 12, 2026 10:02 am

"Filmed in monochrome CinemaScope, it still looks extraordinary [...] with surely one of the greatest ever screen performances by a child actor...
a visually beautiful, emotionally rich epic"
5-star review of Kachyňa’s LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC! at The Arts Desk

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