The Social Image of the Czech Housing Estate in Selected Films from the Socialist Era

Abstract

The article concerns the representation of the space of Czech housing estates in selected films from the socialist era: Domy z panelů [Prefabricated Houses] (Jiří Menzel, 1959), Moderní byt [Modern House] (Jan Moravec, 1971) and Panelstory [Prefab Story] (Věra Chytilová, 1979). The films are analysed taking into account the tools of the semiotics of the artistic text, the sociology of habitation (with a particular emphasis on the issue of comfort) and the concept of using space, described by Michel de Certeau. The point of departure of the study are the realities of Czech housing construction in the years 1956–1989. The article aims is to show how the directors used cinematic techniques to create an image of life in a socialist housing estate.