简介：Thetitleofthefilmreferstooneofthemostimportantnamesin20thcenturyCzechmodernart,theartistandpainterwhowentbythemysteriouspseudonymofToyen.DirectorJanNěmec,however,doesnotreconstructherlife(1902–1980)asdocumentaryfacts;itwouldbefarmoreaccuratetocharacterisethisworkasanidiosyncraticvisiononthethemeofToyenandherdestiny.Němecisguidedbytheintuitionandempathyofapoet,linkingupfragmentsanddetailsinsuchawaythat,viaassociation,hebeginstorevealwhatfiredherimagination.HetakesacloselookroundherbizarresmallflatinŽižkovwhereshehidpoetJindřichHeislerduringthewar,hefindstracesoftheiruneasycoexistenceandcapturesfragmentsoftheirconversations.Hiscameralensnoticesfadedphotographs,smallparticularsofeverydaylife,structuresofdifferenttypesofmaterials,viewsfromthewindow,theplayoflightonthewallsoftheroomatvariousperiodsoftheday...Atnotimedoesthefilmevokeanimpressionofconnection;theimagecontinuallydisintegrates,itsshapesmergeandspillover,anditstransparentcompositionassumesaghostlyquality.EvenToyenherself(playedbyZuzanaStivínová)onlyflickersacrossthescreen,eclipsedbywhatlooklikehalftangible,halfabstractfigures.Wesensethattheconstantagitationoftheartist’screativespirit,evenkindledbytheslightestofimpulses,attemptsitselftodeterminetheshapeandrhythmofthefilm.Thisworkalsosuggeststhat,yearslater,onlynebulouscontourshaveremainedofToyen’sandHeisler’slives.Countertotheirelusivenessstandstheterrifyingphysicalpresenceoftwototalitarianregimes,herebroughttomindinperioddocumentaryfootage.Thelanguageofthesedocumentsisinexorableandevokesthebrutalforcewhichintrudedupontheirlivesandagainstwhich,likeeveryindividual,theyweredefenceless.…