Synopsis

Set in Czechoslovakia in 1989, aging cellist Franta Louka agrees to a marriage of convenience with a Russian woman seeking Czech citizenship. When she leaves for West Germany, Louka is unexpectedly left caring for her five-year-old son, Kolya. Their uneasy arrangement gradually develops into a deep bond as political upheaval and official scrutiny complicate their lives.

Factoids & Trivia

• The screenplay was written by Zdenek Sverak, who also plays Louka. His son, Jan Sverak, directed the film, making Kolya a notable father-and-son collaboration.

• Andrey Khalimon, who plays Kolya, was cast only three weeks before filming began.

• The film was the Czech Republic's official submission for the 1997 Academy Awards and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

• Kolya also won the 1997 Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and received the Grand Prix and Best Screenplay awards at the 1996 Tokyo International Film Festival.

• At the Czech Lion Awards, the film won six prizes, including Best Film, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor for Khalimon, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing.

• The film was produced with the participation of Czech Television and became one of the broadcaster's most successful film productions.

• More than 1.34 million people saw Kolya in Czech theaters, making it one of the country's most successful films.

• The child actor's name is sometimes rendered as Andrey Khalimon and sometimes as Andrej Chalimon in international credits.

• The DVD release of Kolya was reportedly the first officially published movie DVD in Region 2.

• Magda Vasaryova reportedly turned down the role of Klara, which was ultimately played by Libuse Safrankova.