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Director: Tomáš Elšík
Editor: Mariana Kozáková
Producer: Jitka Kotrlová
We are a reflection of the world we have been building for generations; of our culture, religion, family, and towns. Since we stopped relying on our instincts, our senses have adapted to perceiving the world in a way which we are able to grasp mentally. Nevertheless, we are now faced with the consequences of climate change: woods disappearing, springs drying up and species dying out. As the environment loses its diversity before our eyes, the situation weighs down on us. Pavel and Klara see the position of humankind in a larger context. Pavel has been taking care of spring meadows his whole life, cutting the grass with a scythe and helping preserve rare plant species on this planet. Klára hasn’t come to terms with human ruthlessness and together with her canine companions, Viky and Irbis, she hunts for deadly bait traps.
Produced by: Frame Films
Director: David Čálek
Editor: Ema Adamove
Producer: Jan Macola
Tomáš, a top psychiatrist and father, fears his children will one day need antidepressants as so many others, driving his search for alternative treatments. He explores the Amazon jungle, where he investigates the potential of psychedelics. It is symbolic to the roots of our once healthy minds. The Hunikui tribe, guardians of ancestral natural medicine for centuries, welcomes the scientists, seeing it as protecting their lands from government threats. The scientists realize where the limits of Western science end, Indigenous teachings begin. The tribe shares wisdom on nurturing mental health and addressing human selfishness causing destruction. Despite contrasting backgrounds, Tomáš and the chief forge a profound friendship. The tribe's ancestral knowledge integrates with scientific exploration, offering hope for improved mental health care rooted in nature's gifts.
Produced by: Mimesis Film s.r.o.
Director: Patricia Drati
Editor: Aurora Sulli
Producer: Sidsel Siersted
Producer: Maria Helga Stürup
Set in Slovakia, Becoming Ema follows a young woman's journey as she defies her parents' wishes and societal pressures to 'become someone.' Ema and her husband Tomas invest their savings in a rural plot of land, embracing a minimalist lifestyle and the transformative power of motherhood. Her decision to prioritize family over career leads to a rift with her father, who cannot accept her choice. As Ema and Tomas strive to build a life close to nature, they face financial challenges and unresolved generational trauma. Through therapy and self-reflection, Ema learns that the recognition she seeks from her parents must come from within. Becoming Ema is an exploration of belonging, self-acceptance, and the beauty of motherhood in all its nuances.
Produced by: Good Company Pictures
Director and editor: Pauliina Punkki
Producer: Veronika Janatková
Producer: Essi Haukkamaa
Woman named Pauliina chronicles the remarkable journey of Pauliina, navigating the complexities of life from childhood to late middle age. Set against the backdrop of a society intent on defining them by their physical form, Pauliina's story is one of resilience and self-discovery. The film uniquely spotlights how women are often relegated to side roles, even in their own lives, and challenges this narrative by offering a perspective focused entirely on female experience. As they confront relentless pressures through their chosen sport, professional bodybuilding, the film reveals their unwavering determination to carve out their own identity. This poignant narrative explores themes of autonomy, societal norms, and the enduring quest for self-acceptance, offering a deeply moving portrayal of an individual's struggle to be seen, for more than their body, for who they truly are.
Produced by: Pandistan s.r.o.
Director: Jan Strejcovský
Editor: Michal Böhm
Producer: Jakub Wagner
What is the price of a clean conscience? Mosaic of bizarre stories tracks the machinery of art collectors, businessmen and artists within the art market’s pyramid. The film captures artists feeding the market with their work. It maps their relationship with gallerists, who sell art whatever the price. It outlines the efforts of the nouveaux riche to rise above money- obsessed world by purchasing art. The film observes stories of individual art pieces, which the participants are trying to valorize using various means. Despite the critical charge of the movie, each story between creator and gallerist or collector paints yet another part of the picture with new situations, powerful creative gestures and unexpected connections. The ambivalence between free artistic expression and the power of money is omnipresent.
Produced by: GPO Platform s.r.o.
Director: Ondřej Vavrečka
Editor: Sebastián Kučkovský
Producer: Vít Janeček
The playful fiction/documentary 1+1+1 deals with the idea of progress. Progress is an increasingly pressing issue in these times of crisis after crisis, marked by leaps in the technologization of life, growing inequalities, and various tensions. The film is based on interviews with intellectuals and experts on the subject. These interviews are linked by the story of the three main characters. One character is in favor of progress, another fears it, and the third alternates between the two viewpoints. The characters walk through the world, observe it, and each reacts to it in their own way. They ask questions about whether, how, and in which direction to move forward. The philosophical theme is interwoven with songs that lighten the mood and express what cannot be said in words.
Produced by: D1film Ltd.
Director: Zuzana Piussi
Editor: Sebastián Kučkovský
Producer: Vít Janeček
Among the law enforcement methods highly relevant in some ex-communist states' evidentiary proceedings is the 'scent trail.' This method, using a dog to convict perpetrators, originated in the former GDR, initially employed secretly against political dissent. Over time, it became an accepted evidentiary method in some democratic states of the Eastern Bloc. In the Czech Republic, a 'scent trail' result alone can convict someone, even for serious crimes. However, there is growing scientific resistance against the uncritical use of this method, with potentially hundreds of innocent individuals serving prison sentences based on it.
Produced by: D1film Ltd.
Director: Denis Dobrovoda
Editor: Tereza Kozáková
Producer: Silvia Panáková
The Consequences of Truth tells the story of Alfréd Wetzler, who, together with Rudolf Vrba, was the first person to write a detailed report on the Nazi atrocities in the Auschwitz extermination camp. Wetzler and Vrba's Report created international pressure by figures such as Franklin Roosevelt and Pius XII and contributed to Hungary's leader Miklós Horthy's halting of the mass deportations, which helped to save up to 200,000 lives. After the war Wetzler remained in Czechoslovakia and dedicated his post-war life to the struggle for historical and social justice. But instead of being hailed a hero, he was erased from history by the communist regime and died a forgotten man in 1988. Using never before seen video and voice recordings our film will explore the legacy of Wetzler's extraordinary and tragic life.
Produced by: ARINAFILM s.r.o.
Director: Hana Nováková
Producer: Kateřina Traburová
Our times; the era of the sixth mass extinction of species, but several people in different countries have changed their way of perceiving nature after they have encountered the Moose. Can a single specie change the overall sensitivity about nature and twist the current of future we are heading?
Produced by: LaDamplinque s.r.o.
