Kolya

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

Set just before the Velvet Revolution, lascivious Frantisek Louka (Sverak), a once-respected cellist in the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, struggles to make ends meet after being ejected from the orchestra for offending Communist officials. He has resorted to playing at funerals and painting headstones. When a gravedigger offers him a nice sum to marry his Russian niece so she can obtain Czech papers, Louka reluctantly agrees. After all, the marriage would require no commitment — until the woman skips town and leaves Louka in charge of her 6-year-old son, Kolya (Chalimon). A bachelor who takes pride in his freedom and philandering, Louka has a hard time adjusting to the responsibilities of parenting. But Kolya is irresistible and slowly wins Louka's heart. Though it sounds cloying, Kolya is a sophisticated charmer.