Name: Leaving [closing screening: Havel 90 Festival]
Start: 2026-10-04T20:30:00-04:00
End: 2026-10-04T22:10:00-04:00
Location: Bohemian National Hall

Leaving [closing screening: Havel 90 Festival]

The Czech Center New York actively promotes Czechia by showcasing Czech culture, innovations and creativity in the US. Our program includes concerts, screenings, exhibitions, panel discussions, and other events dedicated to a vast range of areas from visual and performing arts, film, literature, and music to architecture, design, fashion, and innovations. In addition to hosting our own events, we support and collaborate with other groups dedicated to intercultural initiatives in New York and beyond.The Event organizer has the right to refuse the attendees entrance to the venue despite previous registration due to capacity and security measures. Participants must arrive on time, in case of late arrival, the organizer cannot guarantee that your registration will still be valid.

Czech Center New York

Václav Havel’s only feature film turns a former leader’s reluctant departure into an absurdist comedy of power, vanity, and reinvention.

Bohemian National Hall

This closing screening concludes the Havel 90 Festival Film Marathon, a three-day exploration of Havel’s relationship with cinema within a four-day celebration of his life, art, and legacy.Leaving (Odcházení) / dir. Václav Havel / 2011 / comedy, drama / Czechia / Czech with English subtitles / 97 min.

After years in office, former chancellor Vilém Rieger must surrender not only his political authority but also the government villa he has come to regard as home. Surrounded by family, advisers, journalists, and opportunists, he struggles to preserve his dignity as loyalties shift and his successor prepares to take possession.Adapting his own play, Havel transforms the loss of power into a surreal tragicomedy about identity, attachment, and the distance between professed principles and actual behavior. Echoes of Shakespeare’s King Lear and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard mingle with political doublespeak, theatrical interruptions, and mischievous humor.Starring Josef Abrhám and Dagmar Havlová, Leaving fulfilled Havel’s longstanding ambition to direct a film. It brings the marathon to a fitting conclusion: with Havel behind the camera, returning to the absurdities of power on his own artistic terms.Havel 90 Festival is organized by the Czech Center New York and the Vaclav Havel Center, with support from the Bohemian Benevolent &amp; Literary Association.

DISCLAIMERTickets and Admission: Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. All ticket sales are final. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the screening begins; latecomers may be refused admission.Media Recording Notice: By attending this event hosted by the Czech Center New York, you consent to being photographed and recorded. The Czech Center New York and its partners may use these images and recordings for promotional purposes.Health and Safety: By attending this event at the Czech Center New York, you acknowledge and accept that participation is voluntary and at your own risk. The Czech Center New York is not responsible for any illness, injury, or other health-related issues that may arise before, during, or after the event. We encourage all guests to follow current health guidelines and act responsibly for their own safety and that of others.

Leaving [closing screening: Havel 90 Festival]

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Leaving [closing screening: Havel 90 Festival]

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Bohemian National Hall

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