Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Waleria i tydzień cudów

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

A vampiric coming-of-age fairy tale and one of the most extraordinary classics of Czechoslovak cinema, newly restored

As Valerie comes of age, she uncovers her family’s secrets in a world where those closest to her prove to be just as dangerous as the vampires. Jaromil Jireš’s cult, hypnotic fairy tale blends Gothic horror with a surreal coming-of-age story. FILM PRESENTED IN A NEWLY RESTORED VERSION.

Thirteen-year-old Valerie lives with her strict grandmother in a small town. When a mysterious vampire appears, Valerie begins to uncover the secrets of her family. Before long, she realizes that danger can also come from the very adults who are supposed to protect her. Jaromil Jireš’s “Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” is a cult coming-of-age fairy tale that blends Gothic horror with surreal fantasy. Dream and reality blur together, while idyllic landscapes become the backdrop for disturbing events. Luminous cinematography and hypnotic music lend the film an uncanny beauty, where wonder and terror are inseparable.

“Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” combines Gothic horror, surreal fantasy, and a coming-of-age story. It is a film capable of unsettling you in broad daylight: white lace, flowers, and idyllic landscapes sit alongside vampire fangs, crypts, and religious rituals. Scenes unfold with the logic of a dream, identities shift, and beauty offers no protection from danger. Jireš moves with remarkable ease from enchantment to horror, from tenderness to the grotesque. Beneath its fantastical imagery lies the story of a young girl discovering her independence in a world of adults determined to control her. Hypnotic cinematography and music draw us deep into this strange, dreamlike reality, even when it resists any rational explanation.

Made in 1970, Jireš’s film is a late work of the Czechoslovak New Wave. Adapted from Vítězslav Nezval’s novel, the screenplay was written by Jireš and Ester Krumbachová, who also helped shape the film’s extraordinary visual style. Newcomer Jaroslava Schallerová plays the title role, with cinematography by Jan Čuřík and music by Luboš Fišer. Over the decades, “Valerie and Her Week of Wonders” has attracted a devoted following among fans of horror, avant-garde cinema, and fairy tales. Its influence has reached beyond film, inspiring musicians including The Valerie Project, who created an alternative soundtrack for the film. Its return to the Venice Classics programme in a newly restored version in 2026 is a testament to the enduring spell of this remarkable film.