Some fairy tales have castles and dragons. This one has a mill, a pond, a lazy devil and a jealous water sprite, and for a whole generation of Czech viewers it simply means home. And now there is a reason to celebrate: as of September 16, The Princess from the Mill newly arrives on Blu-ray.
The Princess from the Mill (Princezna ze mlejna, 1994) was directed by Zdeněk Troška, the great storyteller of South Bohemia, who set the tale among the silver ponds and dark forests of his beloved home region. Young Jindřich sets out into the world determined to free an enchanted princess. His journey brings him to a haunted mill, where the miller lives with his beautiful daughter Eliška. She likes the young man so much that she tells him a princess is enchanted in the pond, just to make him stay. 
Radek Valenta plays the earnest Jindřich and Andrea Černá is a charming Eliška, but the film belongs just as much to its supernatural troublemakers: the devil and the water sprite who both have their eyes on the miller's daughter and try every trick and spell to drive the newcomer away. Yvetta Blanarovičová and Jakub Zindulka shine in the ensemble, singer Lucie Bílá makes a memorable appearance, and the story is narrated by the velvet voice of Eduard Cupák. 
It is gentle, funny, romantic and completely unhurried, a fairy tale where the biggest battle is fought over a cup of milk and a place at the table. Perhaps that is why Czech families return to it again and again, thirty years later. 
The new Blu-ray edition lets the ponds and forests of South Bohemia shine like never before. Please note it comes with Czech audio and Czech subtitles, so it is a perfect treat for Czech speaking families and for anyone teaching their children the language of their grandparents. The classic DVD edition stays available too.
🎬 Get The Princess from the Mill newly on Blu-ray here
👉 Want to know how the story continues? The sequel The Princess from the Mill 2 is also available on DVD.
😈 More devils, anyone? Try the classic Give the Devil His Due on remastered Blu-ray with English subtitles. And for Troška's comedy side, read our article about Sun, Hay, Strawberries.
