Dagmar Šimková was a political prisoner during the communist repression. She suffered a long prison sentence and was able to pursue her education and help others in the prison system later in life. Šimková’s ordeals during her time as a political prisoner were shaped both by her femininity turned against her and her bonds with fellow prisoners that kept them together. Her most courageous acts involved hunger strikes in protest against the treatment of her fellow prisoners.
Cinema Under Communism: The Czech New Wave
The Czech New Wave was an important film movement led by daring, rebellious film directors in the sixties. Since the nationalization of the film industry in 1945, cinema had gone stale. In the fifties, each film adhered so tightly to the standards set by the communist government that moviegoers found themselves bored in the theatres. Plot threads were entirely predictable and dogmatic, an aspect that would be criticized extensively during the movement (Kehr 2008).