The Firemen's Ball

The Firemen's Ball

196773 min
7.0/10
Comedy

Plot Summary

The firemen of a provincial Czechoslovakian town throw a ball in honor of the old chief's retirement. There will be music and dancing, a beauty pageant and a raffle. The whole town will be in attendance. However, the proceedings are dogged by difficulty at every step. Workplace injuries, stolen prizes, a shortage of pretty girls... and fire.

▶️Watch Now

Official trailer from TMDB

👥Cast (37)

Jan Vostrčil

Jan Vostrčil

Head of Committee

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Josef Šebánek

Committee Member

František Debelka

František Debelka

Committee Member

Josef Valnoha

Josef Valnoha

Committee Member

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Ladislav Adam

Committee Member

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Vratislav Čermák

Committee Member

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Václav Novotný

Committee Member

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František Paska

Committee Member

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František Reinstein

Committee Member

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Josef Řehořek

Committee Member

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J. Řeháček

Commitee Member

Josef Kolb

Josef Kolb

Josef

🎬Crew

Director

Miloš Forman

Writers

Ivan Passer, Miloš Forman, Jaroslav Papoušek

Producers

Carlo Ponti, Rudolf Hájek

🖼️Gallery (10 images)

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🏷️Keywords

small towndark comedyczechoslovakiapolitical satireczech new wavecommunist erajoyful

💬Reviews (1)

D

deepkino

9/26/2025

Miloš Forman's final film in the Czech language is a pure critique of bureaucracy. Set entirely at a banquet honoring a dying, 86-year-old former fire chief, it masterfully depicts the event's descent into fiasco. The film exposes the decay of Czechoslovak society and its so-called socialism, making the audience smile and even laugh, all without ever compromising its sharp comedic edge. It is a rare work that brilliantly critiques authority through humor.

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Production Companies

Filmové studio Barrandov