A film that makes history: Jiří Mádl’s drama Vlny (Waves) has thrilled audiences in the Czech Republic and broken records. With around 900,000 cinema-goers and a possible Oscar nomination, the film is one of the highlights of 2024.
The most-viewed film in Czech cinemas last year was Vlny by Jiří Mádl. The drama tells the story of a group of Czech radio journalists who fight for independent reporting in 1968, despite the occupation by Warsaw Pact troops. Since its premiere on 15 August 2024, the film has been seen by 886,000 people.
Vlny recently received the most nominations—14 in total—for this year’s Czech Film Award, Český lev. Two prizes were traditionally awarded at the press conference to mark the nominations. One of them, the Audience Award, went to Vlny, which received an above-average rating of 88 percent on the ČSFD portal. The award was accepted by actor Vojtěch Vodochodský, who is also nominated in the “Best Leading Actor” category. “The whole Vlny team is very happy about this award. Audience awards are the most important thing for us,” said Vodochodský.
The film is also in the running for a prestigious award at the 97th Academy Awards, set to take place on 2 March 2025. The Oscar nominations will be announced on 23 January 2025.
Second place went to the American animated film V hlavě 2 (Inside Out 2), which reached over 883,000 viewers last year. In third place, with 645,576 admissions, is another animated film, Já, padouch 4 (Despicable Me 4).
According to UFD (Unie filmových distributorů) statistics, 13.04 million viewers attended Czech cinemas last year—a decline of two percent compared to the previous year.
Mádl, who worked on Vlny (Waves) for over ten years, interweaves themes such as the fight for freedom, the importance of family, and the dangerous world of espionage in his most ambitious work to date. In addition to Vojtěch Vodochodský in the leading role, Stanislav Majer, Martin Hofmann, and Táňa Pauhofová are also part of the high-caliber cast.
Director Jiří Mádl is no stranger to the Czech film world. His directorial debut Pojedeme k moři (Off to the Sea!) won several awards, and his second film Na střeše (On the Roof) also won international prizes. As an actor, he gained attention in the 2004 film Snowboarďáci (Snowboarders) and was honored with the Český lev for his role in Modelář (The Modeller).
