[Daisies/Sedmikrásky ] CSSR 1966, R: Vera Chytilová mit Jitka Certhová, Ivana Karbonová, Julius Albert, 75 Min, OmU

Am Anfang waren zwei Mädchen: Marie 1 und Marie 2 hocken in einem Schwimmbad. Wenn sie ihre Arme und Beine bewegen, quietscht es als öffne der Prinz die seit 100 Jahren verschlossene Tür zum Zimmer Dornröschens. Beide sind sich einig: Die Welt ist verdorben. Also beschließen sie, ab jetzt eben auch verdorben zu sein.

“In seiner ausdrucksstarken Bildsprache sowie der unbändig über dich hereinbrechenden Wucht aus diversen Filtern und Montagen fühlst du dich, als befändest du dich inmitten eines Hurrikans, der dich mit sich hinfortfegt.“ (moviepilot.de, 2018)
„Ein diebisch-anarchisches Vergnügen, das sich ohne weiteres als “60s Proto-Punk” bezeichnen und sich auch heute noch mit sub- und popkulturellen Bewegungen zwischen Riot Grrl und queerem Postfeminismus hervorragend in Verbindung bringen lässt.“ (moviepilot.de, 2010)

Trailer:

EN:
One of the most celebrated films of the 1960s Czechoslovak New Wave, Sedmikrásky (Daisies, 1966) is director Věra Chytilová’s second feature film. Made when Chytilová was 37-years-old, this timeless, vibrant classic continues to inspire new generations of viewers.
A provocative film, it tells the story of two young women who decide to mirror the decadent, hedonistic world in which they live. Removed from the political reality of the time in which it was made, Daisies are nonetheless a quintessential representation of the mid-sixties aesthetic.
Two young girls - Marie I and Marie II - are convinced that "everything in this world is spoilt for them" and so they decide that as well will be depraved. They adopt the principle that "nothing matters, just so long as it's a joke".
They look for jokes at home, in a swimming-pool and in night-clubs. Marie I starts a relationship with an older man and at dinner pretends that she is modest and chaste. But then Marie II appears, takes a seat at the table and shamelessly orders various delicacies at the man's expense. Finally the girls escort the surprised man to the station, put him on a train and wave him goodbye.
They repeat this trick several times, they steal from a cloakroom attendant and play a game with a young man who claims to be passionately in love with one of the Maries. None of this is enough for them, however. They want to be even more depraved, but they are also aware that people don't notice them…
Marie I and Marie II have no qualms with traditional morality and social norms, carelessly bamboozling the men attracted to their carefree exuberance – mostly older men. The protagonists of Daisies – playfully embodied by non-professional actresses Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová – primarily serve as a demonstration of female liberation in accordance with the feminist trends of the times. At the same time, the two Maries stand for – albeit in extreme form – Chytilová’s representation of female characters battling to make it in a man’s world. What makes Daisies so unique in terms of both form and meaning is its showcasing of the close collaboration between Chytilová, costume designer, set designer and co-writer Ester Krumbachová, and cinematographer Jaroslav Kučera. The film’s “dangerous” nature only emerged once it was edited together.