Little Otik

On a quiet Czech hillside, a childless couple confronts the ache of wanting a child they cannot have. The husband, trying to ease his wife's pain, finds a root in the garden and carves it into the shape of an infant. He and his wife begin to treat the carved figure as if it were a real child, feeding it and dressing it in miniature clothes. The house settles into a strange rhythm as the figure becomes part of daily life, and what starts as a private remedy grows into something unsettled and dangerous. A creeping sense of wrongness lingers in the rooms where the couple used to share their hopes, as fantasy and reality begin to blur in unsettling ways. The film quietly probes the price of longing.

Directed by Jan Svankmajer, Little Otik draws on a Czech folk tale attributed to Karel Jaromír Erben. The film blends live action with stop motion and puppetry, showcasing Svankmajer's distinctive tactile approach to surreal storytelling. The production emphasizes texture and practical effects that give the rooted figure an eerie, tactile presence.

Box office revenue on release was modest, totaling about 116 thousand dollars worldwide. The film found a niche audience within the art house circuit and among fans of Svankmajer's offbeat, experimental cinema.

Little Otik is remembered as a rare blend of fairy tale and horror seen through hand crafted puppets. Its unsettling imagery and open ended questions have influenced later surreal works and inspired artists who explore the line between domesticity and dread. It remains a cult favorite.

Critics have noted the film's deliberate pacing and its meditation on parenthood, desire, and the fragile boundary between living and inanimate. The story uses a dry wit to offset horror, prompting questions about what a family owes to its members and to itself. Its final image lingers as a reminder that longing can distort reality.