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In a divided society, everyone is a victim. And everyone is also guilty

3. August 2022

August 3, 2022

A trailer is released for the new Slovak film Victim, directed by Michal Blaško, whose work has already been screened at world festivals such as Cannes, Berlinale and Karlovy Vary. He will present his full-length debut at the 79th Venice Film Festival. It will have its Slovak premiere at the 17th Cinematik during the opening ceremony.

In a divided society, everyone is a victim. Everyone is guilty

Irina is a single mother from Ukraine who lives with her son Igor in a small town in the Czech Republic. When Igor is brutally attacked, the whole town stands in solidarity with Irina and unanimously condemns the Roma perpetrators who are allegedly responsible for the attack. After Igor wakes up in the hospital, the incident becomes a story that takes on a variety of perspectives under the influence of media personalities, politicians and the public. The Victim is the story of a mother who seeks justice but faces discrimination, nationalism and prejudice. In order to protect his family and search for the truth, he must ultimately make a fateful decision.

Michal Blaško

Michal Blaško studied film and television directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and FAMO Písek. His short films have been shown in the program of prestigious world festivals all over the world and have won several awards. His bachelor short film Atlantída, 2003 (2017) premiered at the Cinéfondation in Cannes. In addition to the other prizes he won at various other festivals, he was also awarded the Czech Lion for the best student film. In addition to successful student films, Michal also has a lot of experience directing TV series such as Slovania, Za sklom, Profesor T – nominated for the award Český lev, or the miniseries Podezření (eng. Suspicion), which premiered at the Berlinale. The film Victim is his feature debut.

“Victim is a story about the trust of mother Irina and son Igor living in a foreign country where they are essentially dependent on themselves. Through Irina’s emotional portrait, my goal was to expose the essence of Central European society, for which the situation of the main character is an opportunity to show her hatred and legitimize it,” says the director of the film, Michal Blaško.

International cast

The main role of Irina’s mother is played by the Ukrainian actress Vita Smachelyuk, known mainly from TV series, who is currently working in Hamburg, Germany. The role of her son Igor will be played by a young Ukrainian acting talent studying in Prague, Gleb Kuchuk. Casting in a full-length film is a debut for both actors. The Czech Lion award winner for the main actress in the film Domácí péče (2015) Alena Mihulová and Viktor Zavadil, who was nominated for a Czech Lion for the main character in the film Jan Palach (2018), will also play a supporting role in the film. Popular young Czech actress Elizaveta Maximova will also appear in an episodic role.

The oldest film festival in the world

The Venice Film Festival was founded in 1932 and takes place regularly on Lido Island in Venice, Italy. The main prizes awarded at the festival are – the Golden Lion (Leone d’Oro) for the best film and the Coppa Volpi for the best actor or actress. During the 79th edition, an international jury headed by actress Julianne Moore will decide on the main prize. French actress Catherine Deneuve and American screenwriter and director Paul Schrader will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

“It’s been six years since Michal and I started thinking about his feature film debut. The preparation required the efforts of many talented people and partners so that the film could be created during the difficult period of the pandemic. It is a great honor for all of us that we will be able to present it at the world premiere at the oldest film festival in the world.” says Jakub Viktorín, film producer from nutprodukcia company.