Milena

1991 2h 19m EN

💀

4.3

SKIP

★4.3TMDB · 3

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Prague, 1920. Milena's father wants her to follow in his footsteps and be one of the first female doctors in Czechoslovakia, but she is determined to be a writer. She elopes to Vienna with the Jewish music critic Ernst Pollak, and starts a correspondence with Franz Kafka. She leaves Pollak and returns to Prague with her father, where she befriends and translates Kafka. As a journalist, Milena covers the 1923 Ruhr worker's strike and meets the communist architect Jaromir.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Valérie Kaprisky
Milena Jesenská
Stacy Keach
Jesenski
Gudrun Landgrebe
Olga
Nick Mancuso
Jaromir
Peter Gallagher
Pollak
Yves Jacques
Max Brod
Jacques Penot
Simon Foreman
Jeanne Marine
Lisa

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Véra Belmont
Writers: Louis Garfinkle, Marie-Geneviève Ripeau, Véra Belmont
Languages: French
Countries: Canada, France, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Canada, France, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Véra Belmont, shot by Dietrich Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jean-Marie Sénia. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barbara Zittwitz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Valérie Kaprisky and Stacy Keach and Gudrun Landgrebe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0102444 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Véra Belmont directs. Dietrich Lohmann behind the camera. Jean-Marie Sénia scores. Barbara Zittwitz cuts. Produced in Canada, France, Germany. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

135 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 3 countries: Canada, France, Germany.
3Directed by Véra Belmont, shot by Dietrich Lohmann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jean-Marie Sénia. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Barbara Zittwitz shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Valérie Kaprisky and Stacy Keach and Gudrun Landgrebe carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0102444 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.