In this spy thriller, Marie (Tána Pauhofová) and her husband Victor (Martin Myšicka) return from exile to Czechoslovakia on the cusp of the Velvet Revolution — but when the couple gets in a car accident, Marie wakes up from a coma to find her husband mysteriously gone.
The pair are joining Tatiana Pauhofová (Burning Bush) in the six-part drama, which was previously known as Oblivious. The series, which is set in 1980s Prague, was filmed in the Czech capital with additional filming in London.
The Sleepers (Bez Vedomi) was written by newcomer Ondřej Gabriel, who studied political science at Prague’s Charles University before becoming a playwright, and directed by Ivan Zacharias, the Czech filmmaker behind HBO Europe’s Wasteland.
Directed by Ivan Zachariáš and Ondřej Gabrie, the miniseries tells the story of a Czech dissident couple, Marie and Victor (played by Tatiana Pauhofová and Martin Myšička), who decide to return to their homeland after spending a decade in political exile in London.
Zacharias recalled the turbulent events of a year that swept away the decades-long reign of a one-party rule in Czechoslovakia. “That was a big year. It was a huge change when the communist system finally broke down,” he said.
Like the award-winning Chernobyl, also produced by HBO, the producers have managed to get many of the small details spot on. From the decor in Prague’s apartments to the clothes worn by Czechoslovaks, there is an authenticity to the series that was until recently sadly lacking in productions set in communist-era emerging Europe.
“The Sleepers” is the latest Czech series from HBO Europe, following Agnieszka Holland’s political drama “Burning Bush” and Zacharias’ “Wasteland”.
HBO Europe’s The Sleepers is currently streaming on HBO Go.
