Shredding conservative filmmaking into pieces, “Daisies” was banned in Czechoslovakia upon its release – ostensibly because of food wastage, but more likely because it puts on the war paint, and attacks conformist sensibilities without mercy.
Plunging into a series of chaotic pranks – from stringing along older suitors to rioting at a lavish banquet – Ivana Karbanová and Jitka Cerhová perform as two teenage girls, who decide the world is spoiled and declare that they should be spoiled as well.
Widely considered a breakthrough in feminist filmmaking, this whirlwind Czechoslovak classic still ranks high on international charts. And, 56 years later, Vera Chytilová’s anarchic masterpiece only continues to grow in reputation and power – its appeal clearer than ever in this new restoration.
