The films include Czech New Wave classics like Všichni dobří rodáci (All My Good Compatriots) and Intimní osvětlení (Intimate Lighting), along with beloved comedies like Vrchní prchni! (Waiter, Scamper!) and S tebou mě baví svět (I Enjoy the World with You).
Also coming to Netflix will be post-1990s films like the popular Tankový prapor (The Tank Battalion) along with titles from the past few years, like the 2019 comedy Poslední aristokratka (The Last Aristocrat) and the 2015 drama Domácí péče (Home Care).
A full 70 Czech features from the Bontonfilm archive are headed to Netflix in about two weeks; further titles have yet to be revealed, but will be available on the streaming platform from the second half of June.
Best of all for non-Czech speakers: like previous Czech films imported into Netflix, the distributor has confirmed that all these new titles will come with English subtitles.
Important note: these titles, and other Czech features on Netflix, are available only on the localized Czech version of Netflix, meaning viewers in other countries will not have access to these titles.
“Arranging and creating such an extensive package of films is a bit of alchemy, as Netflix requires a great variety of genres and films for different audiences,” Bontonfilm director Martin Palán said in a press release.
“However, our library of films is very extensive, so we can send fairy tales, dramas, comedies, and classics by Karel Zeman from the 1950s to Netflix, as well as films that were released in cinemas last year.”
These 70 films are just an initial package; after rolling them out in June, Bontonfilm will begin putting together more packages of Czech features for streaming on Netflix.
Bontonfilm’s agreement with Netflix runs through the end of 2020, meaning you’ll have more than six months to catch up on your Czech cinema.
If you don’t have Netflix, Bontonfilm is also working with other video-on-demand options including GooglePlay and iTunes to bring their library of Czech films to additional streaming services.