As with Closely Watched Trains (1966, Belles mécaniques) and Larks on a string (1969, Struggles under control), Jirí Menzel once again adapted a novel by Bohumil Hrabal (The Sacrificial Hair, 1974) for the big screen. Here again, Hrabal co-wrote the screenplay for the film entitled Cutting it short (1981). This collaboration was well established, fruitful and always effective, since it resulted in Menzel receiving a special mention at the Venice Film Festival in 1981.
