Boston, MA-NH (1888PressRelease)
October 08, 2007 - The Institute of Contemporary Art presents the Boston premiere of Czech Dream (2004, 87 minutes, 35mm), a film by Vit Klusak and Filip Remunda that documents the largest consumer hoax in the Czech Republic, presented in association with Balagan Film Series. The Oct. 26 screening will be introduced by Jonathan Bolton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Slavic Languages at Harvard University. Screenings Friday Oct. 26 at 7 pm and Saturday Oct. 27 at 3:30 pm. Tickets are $9 general admission; $7 members, students, and seniors, and can be purchased at icaboston.org, from the ICA box office, by phone at (617) 478-3103 during regular museum hours, or at the box office one hour before program.
Two of Eastern Europe's most promising young documentary filmmakers set out to explore the psychological powers of rampant consumerism by perpetuating an ad campaign for a non-existent hypermarket. They teamed up with a renowned advertising agency, and created an aggressive marketing program, including ads on television, billboards, flyers plus print advertising, a website and a jingle. "Don't Go, Don't Rush, Don't Spend," proclaimed the ads for the fake hypermarket, which saturated Prague for two weeks. On "opening day," over 4000 people turned up at an open field, where instead of finding the hypermarket, they find just a façade. Czech Dream is a funny and provocative look at capitalism in a post-communist society. The film provoked extreme reactions in Czech people and media, and was even discussed in Czech parliament.
Note: Digital images are available. Screeners may be available as well.
About ICA/Boston
The Institute of Contemporary Art, located at 100 Northern Avenue, is open Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am - 5 pm; Thursday and Friday, 10 am - 9 pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm. Admission is $12 adults, $10 college students and seniors, and free for members and children 17 and under. For more information, call (617) 478-3100, or visit www.icaboston.org.
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