23 July 2024
The 81st Venice International Film Festival will feature three notable Czech projects. Two works will premiere in the parallel competition sections Orizzonti and Orizzonti Extra, which spotlight films representing the latest aesthetic and expressive trends, and one in Venice Immersive, featuring 360-degree videos and extended reality works, including installations and virtual worlds. Vojtěch Strakatý makes his debut in Orizzonti Extra with After Party, a feature-length film about the personal and financial turmoil of young adults. Peter Kerekes returns to Orizzonti with Wishing on a Star, exploring human desires through astrology; his previous film, 107 Mothers, won the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay. Ondřej Moravec, like Kerekes, is a repeat visitor to Venice, this year premiering his latest mixed-reality work, Fragile Home, codirected with Victoria Lopukhina, in the Venice Immersive section, where his Darkening premiered in 2022. Rounding out the Czech presence at this year’s Venice film festival will be Thomas Vinterberg’s Families Like Ours, the largest series by Danish production company Zentropa; partially shot in the Czech Republic, the dystopian family saga will be unveiled in the Out of Competition section.
by Martin Kudláč for CZECH FILM / Fall 2024
Newcomer Vojtěch Strakatý, an emerging voice in Czech independent cinema, will introduce his feature-length debut, After Party, at the Venice Film Festival. This marks a significant step in Strakatý's nascent career. Drawing on his personal experience with a debt-ridden father, Strakatý created a fiction grounded in reality rather than a straightforward autobiography.
After Party centers on Jindřiška, a 23-year-old woman whose life begins to unravel when she discovers her father's crippling debts, which threaten their family home. Following a night of partying, Jindřiška faces a tumultuous 24 hours as she grapples with the imminent seizure of their possessions. She must navigate saving what remains, evading loan sharks searching for her missing father, and reconciling with the jeopardy the situation poses to her plans, including studying in England. Jindřiška is supported by her best friend, the free-spirited Karolína, who unexpectedly becomes the voice of reason amidst the chaos. Karolína's guidance helps Jindřiška confront their existential crisis and the precariousness of their situation.
Contrary to expectations given the subject matter, After Party is not a social realist drama. Jindřiška’s family resides in a high-end house with a pool and extensive grounds, a sign of upper middle class, making the father’s financial recklessness even more startling. The film unfolds over a single day, intensifying the pressure on Jindřiška as she confronts difficult decisions. Her father’s insistence on using her as a guarantor for further loans—both legal and illicit—propels the film into thriller territory, despite its framing as a coming-of-age drama. Strakatý seamlessly blends and bends various genre conventions, incorporating elements of family drama, summer romance, and buddy movie.
Lensed by Stanislav Adam, known for his work on Greta Stocklassa’s documentary Blix Not Bombs and the Slovak series epic The Slavs, and edited by Filip de Pina (Suppressed), After Party embraces a civic realism enhanced by summer tones and minimalist, stylized aesthetics. The approach sets Strakatý’s debut apart from the typical gloom of social dramas.
After Party is produced by young producer Marek Novák of Xova Film, who was selected for the prestigious Berlinale Talents program with Strakatý’s project. The project was also presented at Czech Film Springboard industry program organized by the Czech Film Center at the Finále Plzeň Festival in 2019. While this is Strakatý’s debut at Venice, Novák returns to Lido after his previous project, Ordinary Failures directed by Cristina Grosan, premiered in the Venice Film Festival’s sidebar Giornate degli Autori. In addition, After Party is co-produced by i/o post, Studio BEEP, and Czech Television, with support from the Czech Film Fund amounting to €236,000.
Sales agent and presales are in negotiation, while domestic premiere is set for Autumn 2024.
The acclaimed Slovak filmmaker Peter Kerekes is returning to Orrizonti competition with docu-pic Wishing on a Star, after winning the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay for his previous film 107 Mothers. While 107 Mothers was shot in Ukraine, Wishing on a Star begins in Italy, following Neapolitan astrologer Luciana de Leoni d’Asparedo. Luciana believes that the positions of the stars at one’s birth dictate their destiny. Her unique practice involves sending clients on birthday trips to locations with favorable constellations, offering them the chance to be "reborn" under a new sky.
Wishing on a Star is a time-lapse travelogue that, like Kerekes' previous works, blends the authenticity of documentary filmmaking with the structured storytelling of drama. The fusion allows Kerekes to explore human experiences and cultural nuances through a richly textured cinematic lens. Kerekes' ability to merge documentary realism with dramatic narrative techniques has become a hallmark of his style, earning him critical acclaim and positioning him as a unique auteur.
In addition to Luciana, Wishing on a Star focuses on the lives of her five clients, each with a unique story and a burning desire. Giovanni, a 52-year-old funeral home owner, seeks a partner to share his life and business. Adriana and Giuliana, nearly identical twins, wish for love and family ties. Alessandra, an elegant elderly lady, longs for freedom from her overbearing mother. Valentina, a mother of two, yearns for her husband's lost affection. Barbara, abandoned by her musician father, desires paternal love and a fulfilling relationship.
Their journeys take them to various corners of the world, from Lebanon to Alaska and Taiwan. These birthday trips, guided by Luciana's astrological insights, become transformative experiences, helping them discover their true selves. As they navigate diverse landscapes and cultures, the protagonists confront their deepest fears and desires, finding unexpected connections and revelations along the way.
Kerekes, known for his award-winning works such as Velvet Terrorists and 107 Mothers, brings his signature blend of humor, empathy, and human insight to the film. The film’s layered storytelling and the seven-year dedication to capturing its protagonists’ journeys underscore the meticulous craftsmanship and commitment.
Wishing on a Star is a co-production between Italy, Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Croatia being co-produced by Artcam Films for the Czech Republic. The film has been supported Fondo Audiovisivo FVG, MiC (Ministero della Cultura), Eurimages, Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Czech Film Fund (minority support amounting to €40,000), Croatian Audiovisual Centre, Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission, South Moravian Film Fund, Creative Europe MEDIA, TAICCA. As Kerekes´ previous works, Wishing on a Star is also guaranteed a lengthy festival life.
Czech filmmaker Ondřej Moravec, in collaboration with the Ukrainian co-director Victoria Lopukhina, is set to present Fragile Home, a 30-minute mixed reality film, at the Venice Immersive section. The film examines the impact of the Ukrainian war on ordinary families, utilizing advanced mixed reality technology to blend digital and physical elements. The immersive experience transports viewers into the living room of a Ukrainian family, where a serene past gradually gives way to a tense, fear-laden present, reflecting the real-life turmoil faced by millions of Ukrainians since the onset of the war. Traditional Ukrainian melodies are interwoven throughout the narrative, evoking a sense of connection and empathy.
Through mixed reality, viewers witness the transformation of familiar surroundings into a Ukrainian family's dwelling, transitioning from a peaceful past to a tumultuous present. As they navigate this space, the voices of Ukrainian people and traditional melodies guide them, evoking personal memories and emotions associated with home. Ondřej Moravec and his team draw attention to the ongoing struggles of the Ukrainian people, inviting viewers to reflect on their own sense of home and the fragility of their living spaces.
Fragile Home builds on themes Moravec previously explored with Ukrainian co-director Volodymyr Kolbasa in Fresh Memories: The Look, a film that premiered at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, capturing the stark realities of war-torn Kharkiv through a 360° camera lens. As one of the pioneering Czech VR filmmakers, Moravec’s works frequently feature on the festival circuit. His debut VR project, Darkening, tackled themes of depression and mental health and premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, showcasing his ability to handle delicate subjects with sensitivity and insight.
Fragile Home continues Moravec's exploration of new media and interactive storytelling. Supported by the Czech Film Fund and IKEA, the project is produced by Brainz Immersive, with Robin Pultera and Ondřej Moravec serving as producers. The film’s main artist, Longiy, and 3D developer, Jozef Barančik, along with creative producer Abdulaziz Aldigs, collaborated to bring this vision to life.
Acclaimed Danish director Thomas Vinterberg, who won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for Another Round, has ventured into television with his first series, Families Like Ours. This six-episode dystopian family saga, set in a near-future Denmark facing a gradual evacuation due to rising sea levels, will be unveiled in the Out of Competition section.
The series follows Laura as she navigates her first love with Elías and the complex dynamics with her divorced parents, architect Jacob and stressed journalist Fanny. As the water encroaches and the state crumbles, wealth determines escape routes: the affluent secure comfortable relocations, while the less fortunate face challenging new realities.
Families Like Ours is an epic series, exploring life's worth through themes of love and family against a realistic disaster scenario. The series reflects on current environmental crises, presenting a chillingly plausible future where societal structures collapse and survival hinges on socioeconomic status.
The Danish production company Zentropa has once again joined forces with the Czech Republic’s Sirena Film, continuing their successful collaboration from the Mads Mikkelsen-led period drama The Promised Land, which won three European Film Awards last year for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, and Best Actor for Mads Mikkelsen. Coincidentally, The Promised Land was also launched in Venice last year. Zentropa calls Families Like Ours its “biggest series to date.” With an ensemble cast of over 40 actors and 2,500 extras, the production spans Denmark, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Romania, and France. Backed by major European players like Studiocanal and Canal+, and involving co-productions with ARD Degeto, NRK, TV4, and others, this series represents a significant collaborative effort.
The series was shot on location in Prague’s city center and old town district and received film incentives from the Czech Film Fund totaling €610,000. In addition to The Promised Land, Sirena Film has collaborated with international companies on several notable projects, including the Anthony Hopkins-led biopic One Life, Bille August’s Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction, and Netflix's All Quiet on the Western Front. The latter was shot entirely in the Czech Republic and went on to net four Oscars and seven BAFTA awards.
The Czech Republic has become a sought-after destination for European and American film projects. Among the current high-profile productions are the reboot of the cult classic The Crow, directed by Rupert Sanders; the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves; and the high fantasy epic The Wheel of Time, with all three seasons shot in the Czech Republic. Amazon is currently shooting another significant project in the country, the highly anticipated sci-fi series Blade Runner 2099, a sequel to Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. The production, one of the largest to be shot in the Czech capital, features a futuristic dystopian Los Angeles entirely recreated at Barrandov Studios, with filming scheduled to continue until December.
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