This film truly would not exist without Jarcovjakova. The images consist entirely of her photos, assembled collage-like to accompany her story, as recounted from her diaries, which she herself reads. However, the film still reflects Tasovska’s filmmaker sensibilities, especially in the selection of photos, which sometimes looks eerily allegorical rather than on-the-nose illustrative. Of course, there are also plenty of candid and even journalistic photos, especially those capturing the Soviet invasion of 1968, crushing the brief liberalization of the Prague Spring.
Although she never says so straight out, it is clear coming to terms with her perhaps evolving sexuality was a decades-long process for Jarcovjakova. Regardless, she immediately felt at home at the T-Club, which she extensively captured in photos until the police confiscated her latest batch, ostensibly as part of the investigation into the murder of a club regular. Obviously, she quickly realized how those photos might endanger her many friends.
Jarcovjakova discovered T-Club through a colleague who also taught Czech to Vietnamese immigrants. Lured by false propaganda, the immigrants believed their Communist “allies” would welcome them warmly with waiting factory job, but they were instead greeted with nativist hostility. Such work was one of the few jobs open to Jarcovjakova, given her background as the daughter of non-conformist artists.
