Czechosloavkia, 1965
Length / Feature: 89 minutes
Length / Special features: 42 minutes
2.0 Dual Mono LPCM (48k/16-bit)
Black and white
Original aspect ratio:
1:37:1
Language: Slovak, Czech, German.
Subtitles: English
Blu-Ray: BD50 / 1080p
Region ABC (Region Free)
Blu-Ray RRP: £19.99
Release Date: 14 June 2021
Second Run BD041
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One winter’s night in a Slovak mountain resort, customers gather in a nightclub seeking laughter, flirtation and fun. As the alcohol flows the evening unfolds in unpredictable ways, revealed through snatches of conversation and often absurd encounters.
Using improvisation and multi-camera shooting, the film achieves a remarkable intimacy. But under its charming surface, it offers a sharp critique of life under communism, as the characters gradually reveal their unfulfilled dreams, insecurities and disappointments. Long suppressed, Before Tonight is Over is now regarded as one of the undiscovered gems of Slovak cinema.
Presented from a new 2K restoration, our world premiere, region-free Blu-ray edition also features a new and exclusive documentary on director Peter Solan, the film and its legacy, produced by the Slovak Film Institute; two short films reflecting the setting and milieu of the film: Operation BL (Akcia BL, 1959) and High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry, 1966); and a 20-page booklet with new writing on the film by author Peter Hames.
• Presented from an HD transfer of the new 2K restoration created by the Slovak Film Institute.
• A Conversation About Peter Solan and His Film ‘Before Tonight is Over’ (2020):
a new filmed appreciation of the film with Martin Kaňuch and Rastislav Steranka.
• Two short films reflecting the locale and milieu of the film:
- Operation BL (Akcia BL, 1959)
- High Tatras (Vysoké Tatry, 1966)
• Booklet with new writing on the film by author Peter Hames.
• New and improved English subtitle translation.
• World premiere on Blu-ray.
• Region free Blu-ray (A/B/C).
Directed by Peter Solan
Story and Screenplay - Tibor Vichta, Peter Solan
Cinematography – Vincent Rosinec
Editor – Maximilián Remeň
Music -
Sound - Jaroslav Plavec
Set design - Ivan Vaníček
Main cast
Stanislav (Stano) Dančiak – Kvetinka
Marián Labuda – Miloš
Jana Gýrová – Olga
Jitka Zelenohorská - Mira
Július Pántik – Baláž
Valentína Thielová – Betka, barmaid
Vladimír Durdík st - Holub
Erna Suchánová – Mrs Holub
Many other classics of Slovak and Czech cinema
are also availble on Second Run
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“A remarkably fluid, free-flowing affair, revelling in the caprices of its liquored-up characters... it’s a joyous discovery and essential catch-up viewing for anyone already bitten by the Czechoslovakian New Wave bug.”
Cerise Howard, Senses of Cinema
“A tiny capsule, uniquely preserved from a very brief time in history, yet it still rings perfectly true... a beautifully innovative cinematic experience, and a true hidden gem of a film that deserves greater attention.” Bonjour Tristesse
“Within the context of Slovak cinema, Solan’s experiment was something totally unusual. It broke with conventional narrative, traditional approaches to visual storytelling, and character motivation.” Peter Hames
“The great trump card of the film is Vichta's screenplay, a kind of libretto, the main framework facilitating maximal involvement of the director, cinematographer and actors, even enabling improvisation, which in and of itself is very remarkable in the context of Slovak cinema.”
Milan Polák, Pravda, 1966
“Resembling graphic art, [the film] evokes emotions achieved by documentary methods and creates a rich atmosphere.”
Pavol Branko, 'Slovak Cinema in the Year 1965', Pravda, 1966
