As Czechs mark the 56th anniversary of the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, a new film recounts the dramatic events through the eyes of journalists working at Czechoslovak Radio.
On August 20-21, 1968, around 250,000 troops led by the Soviet Union and thousands of tanks swept into the country to stamp out what Moscow saw as the new Czech communist government’s political liberalization.
Intended to restore a more authoritarian order, one of the first targets was state broadcaster Czechoslovak Radio, which beamed out uncensored information about the invasion and called on the public for help in resisting the foreign troops.
In what became known as the Battle for Czechoslovak Radio, the bloody and violent clashes that erupted after Soviet troops tried to break into the radio station saw 17 civilians killed and dozens of others wounded while trying to defend the building.
The conflict became a symbol of the resistance of the Czech people against the invasion. As the Soviets took control of the Communist party, the government, newspapers and television, within the first three days of the invasion the radio broadcaster remained the country’s only source of unbiased information.
It remained so until September 13, 1968, when full censorship was reinstated.
Inspired by the real journalists involved at the time, in his new film Waves (Vlny), director Jiří Mádl has interwoven never-before-seen archive footage with dramatization to retell the events that led up to the invasion and the role of the radio’s editorial team.
Mádl said: “Radio was an influential medium, listened to by everyone. It was the Facebook or Instagram of its time.
“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, leading to a memorable broadcast at a time when tanks were rolling through Prague.
“Personal meetings with the original editorial staff members were crucial in my decision to embark on [the film].”
Intended to restore a more authoritarian order, one of the first targets was state broadcaster Czechoslovak Radio, which beamed out uncensored information about the invasion and called on the public for help in resisting the foreign troops.
In what became known as the Battle for Czechoslovak Radio, the bloody and violent clashes that erupted after Soviet troops tried to break into the radio station saw 17 civilians killed and dozens of others wounded while trying to defend the building.
The conflict became a symbol of the resistance of the Czech people against the invasion. As the Soviets took control of the Communist party, the government, newspapers and television, within the first three days of the invasion the radio broadcaster remained the country’s only source of unbiased information.
It remained so until September 13, 1968, when full censorship was reinstated.
Inspired by the real journalists involved at the time, in his new film Waves (Vlny), director Jiří Mádl has interwoven never-before-seen archive footage with dramatization to retell the events that led up to the invasion and the role of the radio’s editorial team.
Mádl said: “Radio was an influential medium, listened to by everyone. It was the Facebook or Instagram of its time.
“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, leading to a memorable broadcast at a time when tanks were rolling through Prague.
“Personal meetings with the original editorial staff members were crucial in my decision to embark on [the film].”
Source: expat.cz/english.radio.cz/TVP World
