A black comedy about little everyday people who trustingly bargain with fate at the end of this, so bizarre 20th century. A film about spitting on trains, about bad weather, about the atom bomb, about shooting human sperm into the Andromeda Constellation, but also about infidelity and about people who happened to have killed other people. The kaleidoscope of eccentric characters makes up a picture of an oddly cruel world where everything comes in connection with everything else, time seems to be replayed and black humour is present everywhere. The six stories, five of which take place during the night of August 6th, 1995 and the first on August 6th, 1945, are linked up into one story through the specific atmosphere and manner of recounting. Although each of the stories gives the impression of a separate and closed tale, that is so only until you find out in the next story that the truth might actually lie elsewhere.

PETR ZELENKA (b. 1967) studied script-writing at the Prague Film School FAMU 1984-1991. During his studies he began co-operating on documentary films as director. Between June 1990 and March 1991 he worked as script editor at the Barrandov Film Studios and also during that period he worked for BBC-London on the programme „Czech-Mate". In addition to script-writing, he is also translating from the English language (e.g. Michael Frayne's plays) and of course directing films. His feature debut as director HAPPY END won an award at the Cottbus Film Festival in 1996. THE BUTTONERS is his second feature film.