Waves by Jiří Mádl wasn’t only the most successful Czech film at the box office in 2024: the movie, which centres on events at Czechoslovak Radio at the time of the Soviet invasion, is also one of the biggest cinema hits the country has seen in the modern era. Now Waves is also aiming for international glory, having made the shortlist of 15 pictures in contention for the Best International Oscar, with the actual nominations set to be announced in mid-January. Just after the shortlist was announced, I spoke with writer-director Mádl, who first found fame as an actor and had made two previous films before coming out with a gripping story set in one of the most tumultuous moments of Czechia’s modern history.
Ian Willoughby