01/07/2009

Vladimir Balko's drama Soul at Peace is among 14 films contending for the Crystal Globe at Karlovy Vary (July 3-11). The film portrays an ex-con who struggles to resume an ordinary life. Balko directs from a script by Jiri Krizan, with Martin Strba serving as DoP.

A tragedy about crime and its consequences, the film parallels Sekal Has to Die, also written by Krizan, and seeks to portray accurately rural Slovakia.

“We wanted to make a film about us,” Balko says. “About who we really are, not about who we would like to be.”

Balko says he and his partners want to draw on the experience of middle-aged people who had experienced the transition to capitalism. The director says the film has a brooding atmosphere that may distinguish it from other European films. “We Slovaks usually do not openly discuss our problems, we keep them hidden deep in our hearts and carry them with us. That's how we try to get our souls at peace,” he says.

Soul at Peace is produced by Forza with co-producers Slovenska Televizia and the Slovak Ministry of Culture. Released in Slovakia on January 29, it has become the top box office earner of the year, with more than 115,000 admissions. Intersonicwill release the film in the Czech Republic on July 16.

Film Europe has also sold the film for Poland (Polmedia) and Japan (Aya Pro). Producer Jan Kovacik says further territories are under negotiation. “Generally speaking, everybody appreciates professional aspects of the film,” he says. “The story itself raises various reactions: Some people see it exotic. For some it is hard to understand because they know nothing about the settings of the story. But mostly, it raises interest in people and they want to learn more about us.”

The film screens July 6 and 7 in Karlovy Vary.