Cosy Dens is a Czech film released in 1999, directed by Jan Hřebejk and written by Petr Jarchovský. The movie is set in the 1960s during the period of the Prague Spring, a time of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia. The story revolves around two families, the Sebkovi and Krausovi, who are living in one apartment building trying to lead a normal life amid the political turmoil.
The plot focuses on the generational gap between parents and their teenage children. The kids think that their fathers are outdated and have nothing useful to contribute, while the fathers think their children are rebellious and ungrateful. The teenage daughter of the Sebkovi family, Máša is a fierce supporter of the new liberal ideas, while her mother, Anna, and father, Bohuš, have conservative views and find her rebelliousness disruptive. Similarly, the Krausovi's teenage son, Michal, is questioning the country's communist regime and grows tired of his father's constant lectures and judgments.
The story takes a dramatic turn when a rumor surfaces that a doctor has committed suicide in the building. The neighbors are distraught and share memories of the doctor, portraying him as a compassionate and loving person. However, their actions also reveal an ugly truth about the past, which further widens the rifts between the two families.
Cosy Dens is a poignant and insightful film that captures the mood of the Czech people during the turbulent times before the Velvet Revolution. It is a story about family relationships, political dissent, and generational clashes that speak to a universal human experience. The movie was a critical and commercial success, earning several accolades and becoming an iconic film in Czech cinema history.