Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders or Valerie A Týden Divů is a cult-erotic-fantasy-horror made in Czechoslovakia in 1969 (released in '70). Valerie, played by Jaroslava 'Jarka' Schallerova, is a young girl whose entrance into womanhood (after her magic earrings of innocence are stolen) is accompanied by surreality, eccentric carnivals and mystical rituals along with scary vampires and witches. At the time of its release, the film created a lot of controversy, especially with its daring sexuality (Jaroslava was only 14, then). Fortunately, unlike so many other great Czech films, this one is available on DVD even in America (with English subtitles). You can find it on Amazon or eBay.
Little bit of trivia: Petr Kopriva plays Orlik (Czech for Eagle), the young man who steals Valerie's earrings. Petr would eventually become Jarka's husband in real life. Despite their age difference when they met (he was 22, 8 years older than her), they became friends during filming, started dating later on and then married when Jarka was 20 in 1976. They are still together and have two sons.
The following are some promotional photos Jarka took while filming this European cult classic.
