Czech culture this week: A taste of France and hits from Karlovy Vary

The group show Plantas de Pucallpa marks a century of diplomatic relations between Peru and what is now the Czech Republic. The opening takes place July 13 at 7 p.m. at Beseder Gallery in Prague 9. The show runs until Sept. 3.

Bílkova vila, designed by sculptor František Bílek, has reopened after a renovation. The building itself is meant to represent sheaves of grain. An exhibit of works by František Bílek and Otokar Březina will be at the venue until the end of 2023. The museum is part of the  Prague City Gallery (GHMP).

If you missed out on the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, you still have a chance to see some of the best films. Šary Vary offers over two dozen titles from July 11 to 17 at three Prague cinemas: Světozor, Aero, and Přítomnost. Most screenings are English-friendly.

The latest comic franchise film Thor: Love and Thunder is at Edison Film Hub on July 11 followed by a Q&A with resident Marvel geek, Liam Axe as part of the ongoing Movie Barf series.

Nicolas Cage stars in the 2005 thriller Lord of War, a fictionalized account of an international arms merchant who takes advantage of the collapse of the Soviet Union. The deal goes down at Kasárna Karlín on July 14 at 9:30 p.m. The screening is in cooperation with the American Center.  

The Zero Point (Nultý bod) festival presents provocative theater pieces. Most of this year's shows are in Invalidovna, but the opening is as Divadlo X10. It runs from July 11 to 14.

Velvet Comedy presents Monday Open Mic with stand-up comedy in English. Catch a rising star at Ty kávo on July 11.

The Za dveřmi festival of mostly physical theater and music will be at Old Town Square, Mariánské náměstí, and Výstaviště from July 14 to 19.

The student program Prague Summer Nights presents two operas by Mozart at the Estates Theatre. Le Nozze di Figaro is on July 14 and 16, and Don Giovanni is on July 15 and 17. Both productions use famous costumes by Theodor Pištěk and a set by Josef Svoboda, from the theater’s archive.

The improv troupe Blood, Love and Rhetoric stirs up their BLR Improv Comedy Brew at A Maze in Tchaiovna on July 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Taste a bit of haute cuisine or just pick up some fromage at the French Market. You can rendez-vous with other Francophiles at Kampa park on July 12 to 17. Aside from food and wine, there is a music program and program for kids. The market coincides with Bastille Day, which falls on July 14.

A new truck joins the ranks at Food Truck Point in the Prague Market in Holešovice. Bella Italia will serve up pizza, pasta, and similar delicacies. For the opening on July 13 from 3 p.m. to midnight there will be Italian music for dancing and a screening of the film “Goodfellas.” 

This month's full moon on July 13 is the largest and brightest of the year since the moon will be at its closest point to the earth. You can see the buck moon, as this one is called until 3:55 a.m., when it sets before sunrise, or after 9:38 p.m. when it rises at night.

Guitarist Jeff Beck will have Johnny Depp as a special guest at his concert on July 11 at O2 universum. Beck and Depp will be releasing a collaborative album titled “18” on July 15.

This year's edition of Bohemia Jazz Fest takes place at Old Town Square on July 11 and 12, with acts Julian Lage Trio headlining on the first night and Lorenzo De Finti Quartet on the second.

British indie rocker Michael Kiwanuka will be at Forum Karlín on July 12. His third and most recent album, "Kiwanuka" from 2019, won the Mercury Prize.

One of the biggest music festivals in the Czech Republic, Colours of Ostrava runs from July 13 to 16 in Dolní Vítkovice, a former industrial area in Ostrava. The Killers and Twenty One Pilots are the headliners.

You asked for the best, you got the best. Kiss returns on their End of the Road World Tour, though they have said goodbye before. The seemingly final Prague show for Gene Simmons as the Demon and Paul Stanley a Starchild is at O2 Arena on July 13.  

Former One Direction frontman Harry Styles is now taking his show Love on Tour 2022 across the globe, and stopping at O2 Arena on July 15. Fans can expect to hear mostly material from his three solo albums, with just one or two One Direction hits.