Czech Film 'Waves' selected as Oscar contender for Best International Feature

Jiří Mádl’s historical drama Waves (Vlny) has been selected as the Czech Republic’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. The nomination, announced by the Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA), was chosen from 13 submitted films.

Waves, which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and won the Audience Award, takes viewers back to 1968 Czechoslovakia and the Soviet-led invasion that ended the Prague Spring.

Inspired by true events, Waves tells the story of a group of journalists from the International Life Editorial Office of Czechoslovak Radio, who risked everything to deliver independent news during the Warsaw Pact invasion.

"Radio was an influential medium, listened to by everyone," Mádl said. "Although the power of surveillance was pervasive, a group of people showed the courage to confront and stand up to the army during one of the most iconic moments in our modern history."

The film focuses on Tomáš, a young technician who joins the newsroom just as the State Security (StB) begins to monitor the station. Tomáš faces a moral dilemma involving a secret recording that could change history, set against the backdrop of his struggle to care for his teenage brother after the death of their parents.

Mádl, known for his previous films To See the Sea (Pojedeme k moři) and On the Roof (Na Střeše), both of which garnered Czech Lion nominations, said he was driven by the real-life bravery of the journalists. As an actor, Madl won the Czech Lion award for his role in the film Droneman (2020) by Petr Zelenka.

The film skillfully integrates archival footage from the era with newly shot scenes, using artificial intelligence to enhance authenticity. Mádl was influenced by films like Argo and Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old. Waves also features a score by Grammy-winning composer Simon Goff, known for his work on Joker and Chernobyl. The cast includes Vojtěch Vodochodský, Stanislav Majer, Táňa Pauhofová, and others.

Producer Monika Kristl highlighted the film’s realism: "The moment in Waves when the story connects with the real events of the Russian invasion is so suspenseful that I was making sure which were ours after the scene. I was wrong, too, about which ones we shot and what was archival."

The Oscar nomination marks a significant milestone for Mádl and Czech cinema. The Academy’s shortlist of 15 international films will be announced on Dec. 17, followed by the final nominations on Jan. 17, 2025. The 97th Academy Awards will take place on March 2, 2025.

The Czech Republic has a notable history at the Oscars, with only three wins—The Shop on Main Street (1965), Closely Watched Trains (1967), and Kolya (1996). Other films like The Painted Bird (2019) and The Charlatan (2021) have made the shortlist in recent years, signaling a resurgence in Czech cinema’s global presence. Last year, Czechia was represented by the film The Brothers.

Founded in 1995, the ČFTA supports Czech cinema at home and abroad. The organization is responsible for selecting the Czech entry for the Oscars and awarding the Czech Lion, the country’s most prestigious film honor.