Muzika (2008)

A film about the tragicomic life of a young musician in Czechoslovakia at the turn of the 1970s
and 1980s. The film is set in a small Slovak town in the late 1970s and early 1980s and tells the story of young Martin, who loves music, especially jazz. His in-laws are irritated by his practice sessions on the saxophone: jazz leaves them cold. Even Martin's colleagues from the water purification plant where he works as a service engineer are unresponsive to his playing and, in their sneaky reports about him, they describe him as someone who only appreciates Western music. Martin starts earning a bit on the side in a local band which performs mostly middle-of-the-road stuff. Surprisingly, he finds his interest in more discriminating forms of self-expression is shared by the liberal Anca, who enchants him to the extent that he is even willing to sacrifice his family to be with her. Juraj Nvota's film is another adaptation of a prose work by Peter Pistanek (e.g. Rivers of Babylon, 1998, dir. Vlado Balco). More than simply a tale about the pursuit of a musical career, the film offers an intimate account of a man to whom music offers the chance to find personal freedom.
Juraj Nvota is a 55-year old Slovakian actor, and director. Juraj Nvota was born on Monday, March 1st, 1954, in Bratislava, Slovakia. His zodiac sign is Pisces, and in Chinese astrology, his sign is that of the Horse. As an actor, Juraj Nvota has performed in movies such as "Vsetko co mam rad", released in 1992, in which he portrayed Tomás, "Ruzové sny"(1976), and "Modré z nebe"(1997). Juraj Nvota is also a movie director and has worked on "Muzika", released in 2006, this film is winner of 9 national film awards and the biggest local hit in Slovak cinemas since 2000.