Little Otik cover art

Little Otik Details

2000 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 763 members

Jan Svankmajer's fourth feature is the story of a thirtysomething couple who, despite their infertility, yearn to have a baby. When Karel (Jan Hartl), the husband, digs up a stump that resembles a newborn, he varnishes it and presents it to his wife, Bozena (Veronika Zilkova), hoping to comfort her and fill the void in their .. Read more

Starring Veronika Zilkova, Jan Hartl, Kristina Adamcova, Pavel Novy
Director Jan Svankmajer
Genres Drama

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Little Otik

Jan Svankmajer's fourth feature is the story of a thirtysomething couple who, despite their infertility, yearn to have a baby. When Karel (Jan Hartl), the husband, digs up a stump that resembles a newborn, he varnishes it and presents it to his wife, Bozena (Veronika Zilkova), hoping to comfort her and fill the void in their lives. To his astonishment, Bozena immediately begins treating the stump like a real child, and the two dub the stump Otik. Karel's astonishment grows when Bozena manages to nurse Otik into a mewling, living baby, a newborn with a wooden body and a voracious appetite. It isn't long before Otik devours the family cat and the postman, forcing the couple into a quandary. However, Alzbetka, their precocious pre-adolescent neighbor, has discovered the couple's secret by reading a Czech folk tale that parallels the strange occurrences next door, giving the young girl an idea of her own for Otik.
As in Svankmajer's superb 1996 film CONSPIRATORS OF PLEASURE, the director uses his trademark stop-motion animation sparingly and focuses on his characters' desires, invariably making them seem perverse (food is always particularly grotesque in Svankmajer's universe). Brilliant, funny, and frightening, LITTLE OTIK is a wonderfully entertaining and disturbing film.

Starring Veronika Zilkova, Jan Hartl, Kristina Adamcova, Pavel Novy, Jaroslava Kretschmerova
Director Jan Svankmajer
Studio CINEMA CLUB
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 6 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language DVD: Czech
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: not available
Production year: 2000
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (6) of Little Otik

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    Employing less animation than in previous features such as Faust and Alice, veteran Czech surrealist Jan Svankmajer makes another foray into the world of dissatisfaction and decay in this deliriously macabre comedy. Unable to have children of their own, Prague couple Veronica Zilkova and Jan Hartl fashion a baby out of a tree stump, only for it to evolve into a flesh-eating monster. In giving a traditional fable a bitingly modern makeover, Svankmajer not only succeeds in satirising contemporary Czech society, but also in conveying an ecology-conscious subtext about the dangers of tinkering with the natural order. Uncompromising and provocative, this is an urban horror film of chilling simplicity and intelligence.

    • Radio Times
  • "...With the boldly bizarre, darkly funny but poignant LITTLE OTIK prodigious Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer once again creates his unique blend of live-action and animation..."

    • Los Angeles Times
  • Most helpful member's review of Little Otik

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  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Quite possibly the weirdest film I have ever seen, but arguably one of the best. The image of Otik eating the social worker - priceless!

      • gomerpyl3#1 from MORPETH
  • Most recent members' review of Little Otik

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  • 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars

    Quite possibly the weirdest film I have ever seen, but arguably one of the best. The image of Otik eating the social worker - priceless!

      • gomerpyl3#1 from MORPETH
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763 Member ratings
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    • Little Otik
      Jan Svankmajer's fourth feature is the story of a thirtysomething couple who, despite their infertility, yearn to have a baby. When Karel (Jan Hartl), the husband, digs up a stump that resembles a newborn, he varnishes it and presents it to his wife, Bozena (Veronika Zilkova), hoping to comfort her ...