Citizen Havel

It's hard to imagine a more intimate portrait of a sitting international leader than 'Citizen Havel'. Granted full access to President Václav Havel from his accession as first leader of the newly separated Czech Republic in 1993 to his retirement from politics a decade later, filmmaker Koutecky presents an extraordinarily honest depiction of this respected statesman through good times– meetings with sax-playing Bill Clinton and the Rolling Stones, signing the NATO pact– and bad, such as the death of his first wife Olga and constant struggles with political opponents. Playing like a real-life version of 'The West Wing', and just as gripping, 'Citizen Havel' is a fascinating insight into the reality of politics, and a stirring tribute to a man who honestly tried– with varying levels of success– to improve the fortunes of a nation.