Prague in the 1940s. Karel Kopfrkingl, a sentimental crematorium worker, believes that cremation is his sacred mission and, inspired by Buddhism, argues that death is the ultimate release from human suffering. Infected with anti-Semitic ideas, Kopfrkingl fanatically identifies with his supposed German origins and sets out to realise his own ambitious vision of a better future. Juraj Herz is a contemporary of Miloš Forman and Jiri Menzel, but a lesser-known Czechoslovak New Wave director. "The Lava Burner was made right after the suppression of the Prague Spring and was immediately banned, but the director still managed to exercise complete creative freedom. The result is a satire with a much darker humour than Kubrick's Doctor Strangelove and a shocking study in the banality of evil. N-16 In Czech and Hebrew with Lithuanian subtitles. In Czech and Hebrew with Lithuanian subtitles. Since 2014, the Skalvija Cinema Centre has been screening world cinema classics in Vilnius and other cities. All screenings are accompanied by presentations by film critics.