Leaving

2011, Václav Havel, 94 minutes, Czech with French and Chinese subtitles

Based on the play of the same name, Václav Havel’s debut movie is a bittersweet comedy that follows a senior chancellor stepping down after years of service to his country. With just two days left in his palatial villa before he is evicted, Dr. Vilem Rieger’s situation goes from bad to worse as his advisors, friends, and family all turn against him when they realize that they too are losing their power and privilege.

Václav Havel (b. 1936, Prague) is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident, and politician. He grew up in a well-known, wealthy, entrepreneurial, and intellectual family. His first full-length play performed in public, besides various vaudeville collaborations, was The Garden Party (1963). It was quickly followed by The Memorandum, one of his best known plays, and The Increased Difficulty of Concentration, all at Prague’s famous Theatre on the Balustrade. He wrote more than 20 plays as well as numerous non-fiction works.