Empties

Czech literature teacher Tkaloun unwillingly goes into retirement. Instead of a peaceful family life he chooses a part-time job in a supermarket at the bottle-return counter. The exciting new world that he creates there however leaves less and less room for his wife, Eliska, and she of course has no intention of getting used to it. This love story in old age dramatises the formidable moments in life, but its humour avoids sentiment in the style of a bitter-sweet Czech comedy. Empties is the last in a trilogy from director Jan Sverak and his father screenwriter/actor Zdenek Sverak. The trilogy began with the Academy Award-nominated Elementary School (1992), exploring childhood, continued into adulthood with Academy Award-winning Kolya, and now comes to completion with Empties, a comic love story about a man facing old age.