Iluminace 2015, 27(1):43-61
"If not for their Artistic Merit then their Capacity to Connect with People". Czechoslovak Communists, Late Cold War Cultural Policy, and Youth-oriented American Films
In their essay, the authors examine Czechoslovak film in the late Cold War period and its policy of importing American youth films, such as Rebel Without a Cause, Saturday Night Fever, or Dirty Dancing. Based on an analysis of the sources, the authors argue that the selection of Ústřední půjčovna filmů is framed by four historical contexts reflecting changes in the cultural policies of the Czechoslovak Communist Party: blaming parents for student unrests, demonizing American capitalism and democracy, undermining subversive local subcultures, and proposals to liberalize the cultural sphere.
Keywords: youth film, influence of film on youth, communism and film, import of films, Cold War and film, propaganda and film
Published: March 1, 2015 Show citation
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