Welcome to the Chicago Cinephile Czechophile blog! My name is Emily, and I’ve been taking Czech language classes for over 7 years. I don’t live in Czechia and I work full time, so I’m constantly trying to find little ways to immerse myself in the language as much as my time allows. I’ve made some minor attempts at doing a social media account for Czech studies, but I’m finding social media to be more of a distraction than a way to connect to others these days. I worried about it taking away from my actual language practice, which defeats the purpose of doing a project like that.

Lately, I’ve found myself wondering, “why am I trying so hard to speak to people in another language, when I don’t even like speaking to people in my own language?” Although I’ve always been introverted, I used to be a much more social person. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and then some medical issues happened, so I rarely spoke to anyone in person for two – three years. Since that period, I’ve struggled to say or write what I’m thinking. I feel like pushing outside my comfort zone with English is important to also help me push outside my comfort zone with speaking Czech.

I was a film lover before I began learning Czech, so watching Czech movies became a natural tool in my study kit. With repertory screenings and the rise of boutique labels, Czech and Czechoslovak film is more accessible than ever before. I’m very excited to see so many movies getting a new lease on life with Blu-ray and UHD releases, bringing new scholarship and interest with them. However, sometimes I notice things in Czechoslovak movies that interest me, but aren’t mentioned in film criticism because of unfamiliarity with the culture and language, or just because the focus tends to be more on the formal aspects of film rather than on culture. I find learning about Czech and Slovak culture deepens my understanding and appreciation of movies, which in turn deepens my understanding of the language. I wanted to have a place where I can explore the intersection between film and culture.

Ultimately, this blog is for myself, and it will be a mix of topics related to language study, culture, and travel. I am not personally selling or monetizing anything. This is my hobby, je můj koníček. I just really love Czech language and culture, and I’m thrilled when I get to share that with others.