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Riders of the Sky
Gripping portrayal of wartime aviation drawn from the real-life experiences of Czech RAF gunner Richard Husmann.
Director: Jindrich Polák
Overview
A legendary film adaptation of Filip Jánský’s novel. Drawn from his real-life experiences as Czech RAF gunner Richard Husmann and inspired by František Truhlář, a No. 311 Squadron gunner who later became a fighter pilot—the film offers a gripping and deeply personal portrayal of wartime aviation.
Shot in stark black and white, Riders of the Sky depicts true historical events through the eyes of a fictional multinational bomber crew from the RAF’s No. 276 Squadron: a Slovak captain, Pavel; an English co-pilot and navigator; a Canadian radioman; and two Czech gunners, nicknamed Student and Shorty. Air strikes on German territory become a daily yet perilous routine, and it is during an attack on Nuremberg that Student is grievously injured. Featuring authentic aerial footage and a haunting score, including Ghost Riders in the Sky, the film is both a thrilling war drama and a poignant homage to the unsung heroes who risked everything in the fight against tyranny. Banned in Czechoslovakia after the 1968 Soviet invasion, Riders of the Sky remains one of the most compelling and authentic cinematic portrayals of RAF pilots and their remarkable legacy. Due to lack of English subtitles it has not been accessible to foreign audiences until now.
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