I can't believe no one has reviewed this. It is very hard to find and was probably never released in the USA but there are English subtitles available. It is a slice of life of a Prague family living during Soviet control times. The young boy is literally a hostage since his parents escaped to Austria and the government will not let him join them without papers. The boy stays with grandparents and much of the film is from the boy's perspective. The IMDB summary describes the film succinctly. It is a very touching film and reminds us of our childhood no matter where we were brought up. In that way it is reminiscent of Stephen King's Stand By Me. The grandfather is one that everyone would love to have. I can't recommend this film enough if you can find it. I think Amazon has it, at least they did because that's how it came to my attention. Can't believe this didn't get an Oscar nomination although the Academy may only consider films released in the US.