For his directorial debut, Raymond Depardon traveled to Prague to document the funeral of Czechoslovak student Jan Palach, who died after setting himself on fire in protest against the Soviet occupation and the suppression of the Prague Spring. Filmed on 25 January 1969, the documentary records the massive public procession that followed, as hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered despite official efforts to discourage public participation. (Note: This film is distinct from the anonymous short "The Funeral of Jan Palach" (1969), which circulated separately as an uncredited protest document.)

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