I don’t rent movies all that often but when I do I like to experiment a bit.  I picked up Czech Dream last weekend and was pleasantly surprised. This is not a new film but well worth the few bucks to rent.

The premise comes from two ambitious Czech film students that set out to undertake one of the biggest hoaxes ever attempted.  Their country is now being inundated with Wal-Mart-like retailers and fantastic promises of savings.  They decide to make up their own “hypermarket” grand opening, complete with overhyped advertising.

The whole thing is quite brilliant.  They pull off their prank and get hundreds of  Prague's citizens to show up at a large empty lot with a giant “building” in the distance.  There is a stage, music, free key chains and other trinkets, and the promise of getting something for next to nothing.  When they open the gate, the crowd walks the distance to the new market – only to see that it is just a façade! 

The reactions are quite priceless and become a commentary on the country’s then-upcoming vote to join the EU.  I made some different observations though that I found quite remarkable.  First, there were hundreds of people that were lied to and there was no violence as a result!  Second, when they showed the crowds leaving the area was remarkably clean!  A large portion of the would-be shoppers were carrying empty bottles and trash with them.  I’m not pointing any fingers but I can bet this peaceful end to disappointment would not happen everywhere in the world.  The filmmakers even talked to the angry crowd and were only yelled at a bit.

Overall, it is a very interesting film with many hidden “lessons” and interpretations.  The version I watched was in the native language with English subtitles and very easy to follow.