When you hear the words “new wave,” you may immediately associate the term with French cinema. But France wasn’t the only country to radically revitalize its film culture during the 1960s and ’70s. In fact, one of the most important new wave movements actually developed in the nation of Czechoslovakia. This nation, though it was broken into two distinct polities (the Czech Republic and Slovakia) in 1993, was a moviemaking powerhouse from the early 60s to the late 70s. Thanks to a string of acclaimed and highly artistic film productions from Czechoslovak auteurs, it rose to prominence as a site of cultural output and innovation.

Beginning in 1962 with the release of Štefan Uher’s The Sun in a Net (today the name of an award program in Slovakia), directors who would come to be associated with the Czech New Wave began making eclectic film art unbound by generic or formal constraints. Despite being under Soviet rule during this period, Czechoslovakia produced cinema that was at once revolutionary and internationally renowned (per Czech Center). Let’s explore some of the best pictures from this important period.

6 Beauty and the Beast (1979)

     Ústřední Půjčovna Filmů

This gem of an adaptation has never been as well known as Jean Cocteau’s 1946 version or Disney’s 1991 animated classic. It tells the original Beauty and the Beast story, but does so in a uniquely and darkly romantic style. Directed by notable Czech New Wave trailblazer Juraj Herz, it brings beautiful set design, costuming, and music together under one gloriously gothic fairy tale umbrella. Though its Beast is feathery rather than furry, it’s a faithful retelling of the legendary story and a striking example of Czech New Wave artistry.

5 The Cremator (1969)

     Central Office of Film Distribution

Another film by Juraj Herz, The Cremator begins as a semi-comical look into the life of Karel Kopfrkingl, an eccentric employee of a crematorium who loves quoting from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. As the film progresses, however, it becomes a shockingly dark look into the rise of Nazism during their World War II-era occupation of Czechoslovakia. An exemplary work of black comedy, The Cremator is a sardonic commentary on the political fanaticism that led to the Holocaust. It’s also a visual treat, and one of the best looking black-and-white movies to come out of the Czech New Wave.

4 Loves of a Blonde (1965)

     CBK

Loves of a Blonde is an excellent romantic comedy from the most famous Czech director of all time, Miloš Forman. Forman would later win global acclaim for his direction of the esteemed Mozart biopic, Amadeus, per The New York Times. With this earlier, Czech language film, his scope is much smaller, focusing on the life of teenager Andula as she navigates the ups and downs of young love. For its rich comedy and heartwarming depiction of youth culture in Czechoslovakia, Loves of a Blonde was nominated for the Academy Award for best foreign language film in 1966.

3 The Sun in a Net (1963)

     Slovak Film Institute

This restrained coming-of-age tale is the most famous Slovak-language film to come out of the Czechoslovakian New Wave. It’s a quiet drama that tells of both rural and urban life as experienced by the nation’s youth. At the same time, it’s a teenage love story chronicling the challenges of relationships between people that are always being driven apart. Perhaps most notable are the film’s visuals, which are at times staggeringly beautiful. Today, The Sun in a Net’s reputation has been immortalized by the creation of Slovakian film awards that share its name.

2 The Valley of the Bees (1968)

The Valley of the Bees might best be described as Dark Age poetry. This grim, black-and-white treatment of medieval violence is the darkest film on this list, thanks to its shadowy visuals and sporadic, shocking violence. Directed by Czech master František Vláčil, it tells the story of Ondrej, a young man who joins an order of knights after being cast out by his father. When Ondrej later returns home to find his father dead, the film explodes into bloody theatrics. With gorgeous cinematography and a deeply unsettling atmosphere, this is one of the best works of medieval cinema and a shining example of what Czech New Wave directors were capable of (despite working with highly restrictive budgets).

1 Marketa Lazarova (1967)

Again directed by František Vláčil, Marketa Lazarova is a medieval period drama on a much larger scale than The Valley of the Bees. Considered by many to be the greatest Czech film of all time, it’s a stellar adaptation of a 1931 novel by the same name, told in two parts. Upon its release in 1967, it was a major success in the Czecholslovakian market, earning praise from critics and general audiences alike for its visuals and score. Marketa Lazarova solidified director František Vláčil’s position as one of the preeminent members of the Czech New Wave milieu. Today, it’s an international classic taught in university classes and screened at arthouse theaters — not surprising considering its reputation as the best Czech New Wave film of all time.