Kinoautomat

Kinoautomat presents a playful, meta comedy that turns the moviegoing experience into part of the show. The story follows Pan Novak, an affable, talkative everyman, as he moves through a series of everyday situations that mix social satire with light farce. At key moments the action freezes and an onstage moderator asks the audience to pick which of two scenes should follow, and the film proceeds with the chosen option. Rather than building to a single secret twist, the picture tests how choices change tone and consequence, using courtroom-style interruptions, staged commentary, and shifting outcomes to keep viewers guessing without revealing a final surprise.

Conceived by Radúz Činčera for the Czechoslovak Pavilion at Expo '67, Kinoautomat was directed by Ján Roháč, Radúz Činčera, and Vladimír Svitáček. Writers include Pavel Juráček and actor Miroslav Horníček, who also stars as Pan Novak. It premiered in the late 1960s and saw a film release in 1971 after its Expo debut.

Box office figures for Kinoautomat are not well documented. The film had an unusual exhibition history, often shown in festival settings, museum screenings, and special events tied to its interactive format rather than wide mainstream release, so traditional commercial tallies are scarce.

Kinoautomat left a clear mark as an early experiment in audience participation, often cited when people talk about interactive cinema and live cinematic events. Its format influenced later attempts to let viewers vote or choose narrative direction, and the image of a moderator asking a crowd to decide a scene has been referenced in film and media discussions about collective authorship.

Critical response to Kinoautomat has generally been positive among those who encounter it, reflected in a modest user rating of 7.3 out of 10. Reviewers and scholars tend to highlight its playful interrogation of spectator power, its theatrical framing, and its satirical eye on social norms. The film balances comedy with an intellectual wink, asking what it means to be an audience with a voice, while keeping a light tone throughout.