Gardening: the Deserter - DVD

The GARDEN STORE film trilogy consists of three separate films set against the backdrop of the most dramatic periods of the last century, chronologically preceding the popular film Cosy Dens (Pelíšky). It tells the story of three families: the family of an air radio operator, the family of a hair salon owner, and the family of a garden centre owner. It spans 20 years in the lives of characters who had to live through the best years of their lives during these turbulent times.

The second chapter of the family chronicle is set against the backdrop of the momentous events of 1947–1953. The main character is Otto Bock (Jiří Macháček), the owner of the elegant Valentino hair salon in the centre of Prague, and his family, whom he employs there. The business is the meaning and fulfilment of his life; after all the hardships of the war, he returns as a respected boss with his wife Ela (Gabriela Míčová) and her sisters Bedřiška (Klára Melíšková) and Vilma (Aňa Geislerová). The sisters survived the war and the German occupation together, caring for the young children of their husbands, who were arrested for their anti-Nazi resistance activities. Now, they are all working with tremendous effort to make their dream a reality, but the communist coup in February brings a turning point. Otto's company is expropriated by the state, and his world falls apart for the second time. This time, however, the consequences of the shock are fatal for both him and his family.