Writer-director Jirí Menzel helms this bittersweet fable of Jan Dite (Ivan Barnev), an opportunistic young waiter in pre-World War II Czechoslovakia. Shrewdly attaching himself to the rich and famous, Dite dreams of one day owning his own hotel. When a tragedy unexpectedly delivers his wish, Dite discovers that hanging on to his dream is even harder than achieving it. Julia Jentsch and Martin Huba co-star.