SECTION: THE FEMALE GAZE: New Czech films by female directors

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Eight programs present a colorful, genre- and thematically diverse selection of recent Czech productions by talented female filmmakers. A unique portrayal of a famous photographer, an animated trip to Kabul, a glimpse into a retrofuturistic world, an intimate portrayal of loss, a witty mockumentary, and a marital crisis seen through the eyes of a little girl—this program offers all that and much more. Those strong female voices are worth keeping an eye on.

The series is supported by the german-czech future fund.

HER BODY

Její tělo

Natálie Císařovská
CZ, SK / 2023 / 107 min

Body cult between sports and porn industry: Andrea is an ambitious and successful high diver, dedicating all her energy to preparing for the Atlanta Olympics. However, her dreams are abruptly shattered by a career-ending injury. From a promising ...

I AM NOT EVERYTHING I WANT TO BE

Ještě nejsem, kým chci být

Klára Tasovská
CZ, SK, AT / 2024 / 90 min

A portrait of world-renowned photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková, often called the "Nan Goldin of Czechoslovakia," tells the story of an exceptional life and the endless search for freedom. Klára Tasovská's unique documentary consists solely of ...

MY SUNNY MAAD

MOJE SLUNCE MAD

Michaela Pavlátová
CZ, FR / 2021 / 79 min

Role swap: When the czech woman Helena falls in love with her classmate Nazir, she decides to move with him to Kabul and marry him. With a new name, Herra, she becomes part of an unknown family in a world governed by different rules and traditions. ...

ORDINARY FAILURES

BĚŽNÁ SELHÁNÍ

Cristina Groșan
CZ, HU, IT, SK / 2022 / 84 min

When mysterious explosions begin to rock the city, the lives of three women of different ages intertwine as they face their inner struggles. Retrofuturistic reflection about the question, what matters most when the apocalypse is just around the ...

TINY LIGHTS

SVĚTÝLKA

Beata Parkanová
CZ, SK / 2024 / 76 min

Six-year-old Amálka spends her summer holidays playing with her beloved cat and immersing herself in her imaginary world deep within the garden. But today feels different. Her parents are hiding something from her, and things are about to change, ...

YEAR OF THE WIDOW

ROK VDOVY

Veronika Lišková
CZ, SK, HR / 2024 / 109 min

Interpreter Petra receives a call one day that changes her life—her husband has suddenly died, leaving her a widow in her early forties. This sensitive psychological drama about loss takes us through the stages of grief, set against the lyrical ...

LIMITS OF EUROPE

Hranice Evropy

Apolena Rychlíková
CZ, FR, SK / 2024 / 98 min

Saša Uhlová, an acclaimed journalist with a strong social conscience, goes undercover, equipped with hidden cameras, leaving her family behind to expose the harsh conditions faced by economic migrants in Europe. And she asks key questions: What are ...

SEA SALT

Leila Basma
CZ, LB / 2023 / 19 min

Nayla is a 17-year-old spending her summer working and enjoying time with her friends and boyfriend. However, this seemingly carefree time is filled with doubts and dilemmas that many young people in Lebanon often face – is there a future for them ...

ELECTRA

Daria Kascheeva
CZ, FR, SK / 2023 / 27 min

What is reality, and what is fiction? Is it worth diving deep to uncover the truth? Inspired by the myth of Electra and psychoanalytic methods, the film takes us on a journey into the protagonist's past, shaped by the unreliable nature of memories. ...

WEEDS

Plevel

Pola Kazak
CZ / 2024 / 14 min

Surrounded by wild fields, there is a beautiful garden, carefully tended by its Gardener. But one day, wild winds bring seeds of weeds, and chaos begins to take over. Part of the short film programme THE FEMALE GAZE. #short #coming of age ...

3 MWh

Marie-Magdalena Kochová
CZ / 2024 / 12 min

A nuclear power plant worker sets a personal limit on the electricity he can consume throughout his life. But how will he cope when that limit is almost reached? This experimental film poem, shot on 16mm, makes a bold statement about the relationship ...

BUZZ OF THE EARTH

Bzukot Země

Greta Stocklassa
CZ / 2024 / 28 min

The European Space Agency forms a group of scientists whose task is far from simple—they are to compile a comprehensive report on humanity to be sent to alien civilizations. Unconventional mockumentary about the unwillingness to listen to ...