CZECH DREAM aka CESKY SEN

Year: 2004
UK: Soda Pictures
Cast: Residents Of The Czech Republic
Directors: Vit Klusak, Filip Remunda
Country: Czech Republic
Language: Czech (English subtitles)
UK: 87 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains infrequent strong language
UK Release Date: 24 June 2005 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

CZECH DREAM documents the largest consumer hoax the Czech Republic has ever seen. Filip Remunda and Vit Klusak, two if Eastern Europe's most promising young documentary filmmakers, set out to explore the psychological and manipulative powers of consumerism by creating an ad campaign for something that didn't exist.

CZECH DREAM - the Hypermarket for a better life!

The campaign (designed by a renowned advertising agency) involved television and radio spots, 400 illuminated billboards, 200 000 flyers promoting CZECH DREAM brand products, an advertising song, a website and advertisements in newspapers and magazines.

For two weeks the streets of Prague were saturated with fake advertising for the fake hypermarket. Attracting over 4000 people to turn up for the opening day on the 31 May 2003, they arrived at a green field where, instead of a hypermarket, they found just the dream hypermarket's facade (10m high by 100m wide).

CZECH DREAM is a funny and provocative look at the effects of rampant consumerism on a post-communist society. It also caused some controversy, provoking extreme reactions in the general populace, media and was even discussed in the Czech Parliament.