Ark of Fools (1990)

The setting for this adaptation of
Anton Chekhov’s short story “Ward
Number Six” is a rural hospital, where
various bizarre beings come together.
This allegory about totalitarianism
also remained uncompleted. The fa-
mous Czech artist Ester Krumba-
chová contributed to this black-and-
white mosaic that oscillates between
a naturalistic description of human
wretchedness and a desire for free-
dom. The film, which only received
its final form after the fall of Commu-
nism, had its cinematic premiere in
November 1990.