Slovakia

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Peter “Koza” Baláž is a former Olympic boxer. He and his girlfriend Miša live in a dilapidated housing estate, constantly struggling to make ends meet. Miša learns that she is expecting a baby. She decides to terminate her pregnancy and she wants Koza to find the necessary money. Koza, who has not trained in a while, steps back into the ring, hoping to earn some much-needed cash and possibly change Miša’s mind. He and his manager, Zvonko, embark on a “tour” through uncountable fights, where success seems impossible and yet is never forfeited.Read More »

Based on old slovak ballads, it tells of fiddlers who with their magic violins spread evil and destruction all over the world.

From Skritek’s film journal:
A girl is transformed into a maple tree by her impulsive and angry mother. Three poor wandering musicians come by the tree and create instruments from it. Walking around the country instead of happiness they bring death everywhere with their cursed instruments. However they cannot get rid of them, unless they bury the wooden instruments at the place of the tree. The three are anything but harmonious, each taking in their disputes various stances. In the end they are enlisted to go to war, because they hardly survive as unlucky musicians and bring the instruments back. That’s when the story takes an even more tragic turn for all.Read More »

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Fascist Slovakia during WW2. Tono lives a poor life, but the authorities offer him to take over the Jewish widow Lautman’s little shop for sewing material. She is old and confused and thinks that he is only looking for employment and hires him. The odd couple begin to like each other. But some time later the authorities decide that the Jews must leave the city. What should he do with the old lady?Read More »

A rare film by Juraj Jakubisko about the power of music.Read More »

A poor but great violinist is invited to stay at an aristocrat’s house. It is based on a short story by Lev Nikolaevic Tolstoj.Read More »

A 1985 adaptation of the Brothers Grimm’s Mother Hulda short story directed by Slovak director Juraj Jakubisko. A fairy tale about a grandma who cares for snow and a boy who isn’t afraid of death.Read More »

Synopsis
A psychological study of a woman who chooses solitude as an escape from the duplicity and emotional barrenness of the men around her.Read More »

A joint work of three debuting directors. It is a film about former rock musicians, members of a banned rock band. The friends were forced to replace their ideals by settled family lives and ordinary jobs. When their former lead singer has to go to hospital for therapy, they get an unexpected opportunity to play together again and recall the old times. The day when all needs to be arranged for the performance is full of small lies, compromises, and morally doubtful decisions.Read More »

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”Blind Loves,” which world-premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Fest, is a film about love between blind people. Love can be soft, love can be silly, love can be blind at all times. To find ones place in this world is not an easy thing to do for people with good sight, but how much more difficult can it be for somebody who is blind The view of blind persons is often pure and essential, and very often witty. It uncovers new dimensions of meaning of happiness.Read More »