In a quiet train station in occupied Czechoslovakia, time flows to the sound of the railway tracks creaking and the rumble of steam trains. This Czech New Wave classic, directed by Jiří Menzel, centers on the daily struggles of a young train dispatcher trainee coming of age in the shadow of war. Amid the station’s routine operations, the young man—striving to forge the intimacy he longs for—remains oblivious to the great historical resistance unfolding around him. Blending comedy and drama along a fine line, this film brings together eroticism and absurdity on the same track within the stifling atmosphere of provincial life.

Won 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 6 nominations total