Private Universe

“Private Universe” is an epic 37-year story of a singular Czech family and an extraordinary country. In 1974, Jana and Petr gave birth to their first child, Honza, inspiring Petr to start keeping exhaustive journals in film and writing, documenting the family’s life together and the changing political and social climate in Czechoslovakia. It was the cheerless era of socialism and a totalitarian regime.

The family lived with the two grandmothers in a one-room flat. Soon enough, they found a house outside of Prague and their family grew. Turbulent times in their family were mirrored by unrest in the country as protests against the Communist leadership popped up, resulting in the Velvet Revolution and the switch to democracy. Meanwhile, Honza drops out of school, smokes pot and the family struggles to keep the peace. Narrated by present-day Petr and Jana, “Private Universe” is a fascinating vision of a much-changed society.