The weather is unusually cold for June but Abbé Roch and Major Hugo still go to visit their friend, master Důra, at his river resort, and to philosophize. On the road a circus trailer car is travelling towards the small town. In the evening, Důra, the major, abbé and Důra's wife Kateřina go to the show performed by the tightrope walker and magician Arnoštek. The three middle-aged men all lust after Arnoštek's beautiful assistant Anna, and Mrs Kateřina is keen on Arnoštek. During the three consecutive nights, all three men try their luck with Anna but it seems that none will be so successful as they would like to be.

Jiří Menzel

He studied at FAMU and, together with other fellow-students, helped to bring international recognition to Czechoslovak cinematography during the 1960s. He gave his successful debut with an adaptation of Hrabal´s Closely Watched Trains which won him an Oscar. He continued to focus chiefly on humorous adaptations of literary works, in particular, Bohumil Hrabal and Vladislav Vančura, and lightly stylised comedies, of which his most celebrated is My Sweet Little Village.