We found a large luxurious club right in the center of Prague that was willing to host our Prague premiere for free and we started getting the word out. Without a penny for publicity, we relied on e-mails and word-of-mouth and were hoping to at least fill the club’s 150-seats.
We wanted a nice discussion after this Prague premiere and invited one the most famous Czech actresses/moderators, Ester Kočičková, to host the debate. She has done a lot of similar work for Czech TV and radio, and seems to have a fascination with the far corners of human fantasy. This project was right up her alley and she decided to grace us with her presence.
The premiere ended up attracting an over-flow audience – with dozens of people forced to stand in the halls and stairs for the duration of the film – and the screening was followed by huge applause. The subsequent debate, which was meant to last about 45 minutes, ended up lasting an hour and a half and remains one of the trippiest discussions we’ve ever witnessed.
The reviews which followed have all been positive – quite a nice surprise! While we were ready to swallow some criticism and protest, COMING SOON has emerged as the most critically acclaimed Czech film of the year with only positive reviews across the board – from the mainstream to the underground and everyone in between – all of whom have praised the film‘s originality, thoughtfulness and humor. While some negative reactions are certain to emerge with time, this first wave has proven that we’ve managed to explore some of the most controversial material imaginable without sliding into superficial sensationalism.