Artistic Director Vladimír Štric and his five tips for the 16th Cinematik IFF

Five program tips of the artistic director of the festival Vladimír Štric.

Dear Comrades! (Dorogije tovarišči), dir. Andrej Končalovskij, Russia

The film of this classic of modern Russian cinema, the epic story of the strike and revolt in Novocherkassk in 1962, is based on real events, which the Soviet regime concealed until the early 1990s. The main heroine is the orthodox communist Ľudmila, who recognizes the rules of the regime and rejects any resistance. During a strike by a local factory, she witnesses the shooting of soldiers at protesting workers, and this experience will change her view of the world. The city plunges into the chaos of street fighting, arrest, and then Ľudmila’s daughter disappears and Ľudmila starts looking for her. The film won a number of awards (including a special jury prize in Venice) and was shortlisted for an Oscar.

The Auschwitz Report (Správa), dir. Peter Bebjak, Slovakia / Czech Republic / Poland / Germany

One of the most important Slovak films in recent years. The theme of the film is the escape of Alfred Wetzler and Rudolf Vrba, who in April 1944 managed to escape from Auschwitz and bring to Slovakia a detailed report of mass murder in Nazi death camps. Now there is an even more difficult path ahead of them – to convince the whole world of the horrors they have witnessed. The film is based on the testimony of Alfred Wetzler, the book What Dante Didn’t See (Čo Dante nevidel). Slovak-Czech-German narrative historical co-production film, nominated for an Oscar for Slovakia.

The Man Who Sold His Skin / L’homme qui a vendu sa peau, dir. Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia / France / Belgium / Germany / Sweden / Turkey

The story of a Syrian refugee who agrees that the world-famous artist should create his latest work on his skin. The refugee expects the act to solve his financial problems and get to his dream Europe. In fact, his problems are just beginning, as he becomes a work of art with dizzying value. The film is dominated by quality filmmaking techniques, great acting performances (the protagonist, Yahya Mahayni, won Orrizonti Award for the best actor at the Venice Film Festival).

Streetwise , r. Na Jiazuo, China

The story of a Chinese young man who becomes a small street gangster, a debt collector who needs money because he wants to pay off his father’s debts for hospitalization. The tragicomic story of adolescence is characterized by a refined visual style, capturing the poetry of the city in which the story takes place, and this pushes it far beyond the crime genre. The film premiered in the official program at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.

The Drover’s Wife, r. Leah Purcell, Australia

A historical Australian western about a lonely woman in the middle of the bush, who tries to protect her children from various animal and human predators and therefore sacrifices the most valuable thing she has. The director is also the author of the original, screenplay and also a phenomenal representative of the main role of this harsh story about a woman in the middle of the male world, but also about racism in society during the colonization of the Australian continent.