Cockroach (Švábi), an independently-financed feature-length debut from Luboš Kučera, premieres in Czech cinemas later this month. The darkly comedic and absurdist film follows a urologist whose life unravels after losing his practice over a poorly timed joke and discovering a domestic video that suggests infidelity.
Produced without public funding, the film premiered earlier this year at the Summer Film School in Uherské Hradiště, where it drew an enthusiastic audience response. Cockroach will premiere in Prague cinemas from Nov. 20 courtesy distributor Artcam Films.
A low-budget endeavor realized by a team of former FAMU classmates, Kučera’s debut combines elements of comedy, horror, and pulp storytelling. “I didn’t want to make a film about a specific problem, but about our way of being and the absurd ease with which we view the world and ourselves,” the director stated, noting that the film represents a deliberate exploration of human behavior and absurdity.
A darkly comic story of misfortune and absurdity
Cockroach follows Miloš (Rudolf Skopec), whose career and personal life collapse in a series of bizarre events. After a careless joke costs him his urology practice, he discovers a home video implicating his wife (Gregorec Sedláček) in a sexual scenario. From there, his world descends into a chaotic mixture of domestic chaos, criminal misadventures, and absurd neighborly interference.
The narrative explores themes of embarrassment, miscommunication, and social absurdity, balancing dark humor with elements of horror and slapstick. Police are largely preoccupied with minor infractions, highlighting the film’s satirical take on institutional indifference.
While the film’s situations can verge on grotesque, Kučera frames them with precise comedic timing and situational gags that create a rhythm reminiscent of pulp storytelling. The 63-minute film challenges conventional genre boundaries, merging horror, comedy, and absurdism in a way that is distinctly Czech in tone.
Independent filmmaking in Prague
Cockroach was produced by Actress Films and is distributed by Artcam Films, and emerges almost entirely from the dedication of a small creative team. The project relied on the collaboration of long-time friends: cinematographer Tomáš Pavelek, editor Michal Böhm, sound engineer František Šec, and composer Jakub Roll.
Kučera describes Cockroach as proof that low-budget filmmaking can be both free and joyful. “Even without money, you can make films freely and with pleasure,” he said, reflecting on the creative autonomy that defined the project.
The film’s reception at the Summer Film School earlier this year garnered praise for its unique blend of horror, comedy, and social satire. Cockroach premieres in Czech theaters on Nov. 20, and offers audiences a glimpse of Czech independent cinema pushing boundaries both narratively and aesthetically.
