Vladimír Pokorný

A day before Christmas Eve, a young, inexperienced doctor starts his first night shift on his own. All of his more skilled colleagues have left to spend some time with their families. There are no signs which would indicate that this calm night will change into a struggle for not only a child's life, but also a professional and personal credentialing.

In 1913, Czech skiing champion Bohumil Hanč perseveres alone in a fierce snowstorm during a race, collapses from exhaustion and exposure, and is found by his friend Emerich Rath, who risks his own life in a desperate rescue attempt. Tragically, Hanč succumbs to the elements, and shortly after his friend Václav Vrbata, who lent Hanč his coat, also perishes in the blizzard.

The band Tataturk was one of the best and most progressive Czech rock bands of the 1990s. Everyone knew hits such as Černej písek (Black Sand) and Vánoce na poušti (Christmas in the Desert). They sold out Strahov Stadium, played with U2, and even performed at Václav Havel's birthday party. They were also popular in Turkmenistan, where their hits became a symbol of the "Turkmen Spring." Where might they be today if a bomb hadn't exploded at the airport when they were flying to Turkmenistan for a tour...