Nemec belongs to the metaphorical filmmakers of the Czech New Wave, set apart from the realistic trend: a touch of the surrealistic and fierce, unexpected elements distinguish his career. Report on the Party and the Guests is a labyrinth-like parable within the framework of an apparently innocent country picnic. A satirical, cruel tale, it abounds with symbols, where the Kafkaesque absurd is mixed with the poetic influence of Czech surrealism. The message: in order to survive in a world which is not easy to cope with, one must learn to play the game, or at least learn to fake it. It's a mistake to search beyond ourselves for the reasons for human capitulation before evil; they exist within ourselves, in our everyday capitulations. Evocative not only of Kafka but sometimes of Dostoyevsky too, Nemec shows in his staccato syle how easily people can be led, how gladly they settle for the easy way through life, and how the non-conformist is hounded. He concentrates on the characters, hindered in their progress by dreams or aberrations, tormented to death or overwhelmed by frustration. Their fate gives a tone of tragic reticence to Nemec's world, but the imperative, probing style ensures that in the harsh reality, human values still exist and might yet prevaill. -Yvette Biro