Forman recounted this memory to fellow film enthusiasts and colleagues Ivan Passer and Jaroslav Papoušek and asked them if it might be the basis for a good film. "Maybe", replied Passer, "but it still needs one more thing – a billiards table." The trio had a passion for billiards and felt that they could make a success of even the weakest idea if they had ready access to a table. Having found a good one at Dobříš Castle, the three, along with Václav Šašek, wrote a screenplay that fleshed out Forman's encounter with the young woman from Varnsdorf.