Close-Up presents a screening of the Czech Christmas classic Three Wishes for Cinderella – a much-loved version of the Cinderella fairytale, re-worked through the lens of socialist feminism.

Three Wishes for Cinderella
Václav Vorlíček
1973 | 84 min | Colour | Digital

One of the most beloved films in all Eastern European cinema, Václav Vorlíček's reworking of the classic Cinderella tale is both delightful and unconventional. Deviating from the original story, yet retaining an air of real magic and beauty, Three Wishes for Cinderella takes the familiar fairytale and invests it with a feisty and rebellious Cinderella who – far from being some passive beauty – rides a horse, knows how to hunt and actively pursues her handsome Prince. Shot on location in the famous Švihov castle and the surrounding forests of Bohemia, the film grounds the familiar fairytale in a realistic setting with down-to-earth characters, and a remarkable central performance by the young Libuše Šafránková.  

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Presented in a digital restoration from original materials, supervised by the Czech National Film Archive