19/01/2015 - Slovak and Czech films are heading to Berlin

Goat by Ivan Ostrochovský

Slovak documentarian Ivan Ostrochovský will premiere his long-awaited feature debut, Goat (Koza), at the 45^th Berlinale Forum. The road movie is about an ageing Roma featherweight boxer, based on real-life figure Peter Baláž, who plays himself. The script was written by Ostrochvoský and Marek Leščák,who has also signed his name to the acclaimed films Made in Ash [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Iveta Grófóva
interview: Jiří Konečný
film profile], Children and Fine, Thanks [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. Goat is produced by the director himself together with Marek Urban for Slovak outfit sentimentalfilm and Jiří Konečný on behalf of Czech firm Endorfilm; it is co-produced by Czech Television, Radio and Television Slovakia and Punkchart Films. Pluto Film is handling world sales. In the Generation Kplus section, Slovakia will also be represented by the emerging young director Martin Smatana and his debut, the short puppet film Rosso Papavero.

The Czech Republic can boast another first screening at Berlin besides Goat: the international premiere of Daniel's World in the Panorama section. The controversial documentary by Veronika Lišková won the Audience Award at the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival and is scheduled for domestic release on 19 February. Lišková brings audiences an unbiased portrait of a frequently demonised and misunderstood minority by focusing on 25-year-old student Daniel and his life as a homosexual paedophile. The documentary is produced by independent production company Vernes and Czech Television, while world sales are handled by Ventes-CBA/WIP-Sales.