THE
GOOD
DRIVER
SMETANA

The Good Driver Smetana
Year: 2013
77 min

Vít Klusák and Filip Remunda’s feature-length documentary about the Olomouc bus driver Roman Smetana, who took on injustice, corruption, and Czech politics’ bad taste armed with a permanent marker. On election posters, Smetana drew antennae on politicians’ heads and wrote that they were liars, thieves, and corruptionists. One of his colleagues turned him in. The judge who tried him was the wife of one of the defaced politicians. After all, he damaged private property! Smetana paid his 15,000-crown fine, but refused to do community service. There is nothing to reform, he said before the court. He got 100 days of imprisonment. President Klaus refused to pardon him. The filmmakers could not just film his story – they bought spray paint and headed out into the streets. A film about the conflict between law and justice. Does freedom of speech trump property damage? When does the point come when we must go against social norms? Can a bus driver question a prime minister?