Karel Och, Artistic Director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, presented a program of nearly 40 films that will premiere at the 60th festival in the Czech spa town in early July.
Oh said: «One of the defining characteristics of the films in this year’s main programme is the directors» impressive desire to understand the diversity and complexity of the world through direct confrontation with reality and a relentless search for the relationship between the artistic and the political, the personal and the social.”.
More from Variety
-
The Karlovy Vary Film Festival celebrates its 80th anniversary with a special dinner in honor of the Cannes Film Festival.
-
The Karlovy Vary Film Festival is expanding its Industry Days program and its program for film industry professionals.
-
Karlovy Vary, the second oldest film festival in the world, is preparing to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its first festival and the 60th anniversary of its inception.
Crystal Globe Competition« «"3 Weeks Later" (3 Nedelje Posle) Director: Miroslav Terzic Serbia, Bulgaria, 2026, 94 min, world premiere. A group of high school students go on a school trip to Bulgaria. When their bus breaks down, they find themselves trapped in an old hotel near the mountains. The atmosphere becomes tense when the quiet and withdrawn Zoza decides to talk about the recent suicide of his best friend. Why did Andrej decide to take his own life? And wouldn't it have been better if Zoza hadn't spoken about it? As in his previous works, the third film by Serbian director Miroslav Terzic is distinguished by an overwhelming, carefully constructed sense of tension. "3 Weeks Later" transports us into the vulnerable world of teenagers, where innocence mixes with cruelty. It also reveals the mechanisms of bullying in a society that turns a blind eye at crucial moments, when turning away is the last thing we should do.
«Black Money for White Money (Cherni pari za beli noshti) Directors: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov Bulgaria, Greece, 2025, 94 min, world premiere. After years of saving up money received as small bribes, 60-year-old Marina and her husband Gosha from Bulgaria are preparing for a dream trip to St. Petersburg to see the White Nights. But when Russia invades Ukraine and the travel agency disappears along with their savings, the couple's dream collapses, along with their illusion of control over their moral principles and relationships. Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, winners of the 2019 Crystal Globe Award, return to Karlovy Vary with a tragicomic portrait of a generation forced to rethink its values, questioning everything considered black and white in post-Soviet society.
«"Chica Checa" Director: Šimon Holý Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, 2026, 96 min, world premiere. After a trilogy of low-budget films, two of which ("Mirrors in the Dark" and "And Then There Was Love...") premiered in Karlovy Vary, Šimon Holý returns with the international co-production "Chica Checa." The story once again revolves around the main character: a widowed postwoman from the village of Zdeny (Pavla Tomicová), who attempts to fulfill her ailing mother's final wish. A series of unexpected events brings her closer to her son Lukáš (Jan Chyna) and awakens in her a longing for a different life. Holý once again proves his talent as an observer and his ability to create vivid portraits of his characters' internal conflicts, while giving Tomicová ample space to fully express her acting skills.
«Five Years, Four Months (Cinco años, cuatro meses) Directors: Esteban Hoyos García, Juan Miguel Gelasio Ramírez. Colombia, USA, 2025, 83 min, world premiere. Marta has not only lost her eldest son, but she still doesn’t know what happened to him or his remains. After years of fruitless searching, she meets Sandra, who offers her another option, perhaps her last hope: to travel to a remote place where the line between the living and the dead is blurred. The directing duo of Juan Miguel Gelasio and Esteban Hoyos García gives a voice to the Colombian women who, after their children’s disappearance, took the search into their own hands. The film’s restrained, focused plot draws attention to one of the most painful consequences of the country’s protracted armed conflict, while simultaneously depicting the search for peace and reconciliation in a place that has never seen goodbye.
«"Beyond the Rain" (Detrás de la Lluvia) Director: Valeria Sarmiento Chile, 2026, 97 min, world premiere. In all of her films, director and editor Valeria Sarmiento questions the relationship between memory and the unconscious. Is it better to remain silent, hiding secrets so that nothing changes (as in Secrets, 2008), or to strive for true access to the most painful memories (as in Huellas, 2023)? In "Beyond the Rain," Sarmiento reflects on the very concept of repression. Sofia, who has just completed her psychology studies in Valparaiso (Sarmiento's birthplace), returns to her hometown of Valdivia. Her return coincides with the discovery of a young girl's body, which awakens memories of childhood sexual abuse. Like a scratched film that resembles rain, Sophia must decide whether to prevent the memories from resurfacing or to look beyond the rain, beyond the buried fears of an entire country.
«"The Guest" (Gæsten) Director: Mads Mengel Denmark, 2026, 99 min, world premiere. Young parents Karl and Emilie are eagerly awaiting a weekend at a seaside hotel, where they plan to announce their baby's name and officially welcome him into the world. However, the day before the celebration, Karl's mother, Vibeke, whom he hasn't spoken to for several years, shows up. Drawing on the traditions of contemporary Scandinavian cinema, debut director Mads Mengel tells the intimate story of a family threatened by disintegration when old wounds resurface. What begins as a close-knit celebration devolves into an awkward confrontation with an unresolved past that keeps the film's characters from forgetting who they really are—and where they come from.
«"Happy Family" Director: Jan-Erik Mack Switzerland, 2026, 120 min, world premiere. Niki works two jobs, but the little money she earns is barely enough to support herself and her two young children. One day, left unattended, the children accidentally set the kitchen on fire, and Swiss authorities place them in a foster home on the other side of the country. Although Niki is forbidden contact with her children, she decides to find them. Based on a true story, the first Swiss film to be screened in competition at the Crystal Globe in Karlovy Vary draws its power from a determined yet conflicted heroine whose actions shed light on a rigid social system, reflecting the conflict between parental instinct and personal responsibility. The film's powerful dramatic arc is complemented by a compelling performance by Anna Schinz.
«"Hijamat" Director: Nader Saiwar Germany, 2026, 103 min, world premiere. Fifty-year-old Murad's life is turned upside down when he discovers his younger brother is gay. Murad wants to support his brother, but their traditional Muslim family is against it. As a result, he finds himself under pressure from all sides—from his father, who has close ties to the local imam, and from his brother's circle of friends. He wants to help everyone, but as he gradually becomes immersed in a maelstrom of conflict and mounting difficulties, he realizes he himself needs help. Another important part of this family drama is the theme of migration and dialogue—not only between different religions but also within the communities themselves. For his fourth feature film, director Nader Saiwar collaborated with Jafar Panahi, who served as producer and editor.
«"A Lion Behind Me" Director: Tonia Mishiali Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece, 2026, 106 min, world premiere. Mariama, a refugee from Senegal, has just turned 18. Stella, a seemingly withdrawn woman in her forties, recently decided to break free from the grip of drug addiction and start anew. Trying to find their place in a world where nothing comes for free, the two women meet and unexpectedly become close. Following her 2018 debut, "Pause," Cypriot producer and director Tonia Mishiali returns to Karlovy Vary with a vibrant, touching, and hopeful story about how family bonds and maternal love can be found in the most unexpected places.
«"Pipes" Director: Karim Kassem, Lebanon, 2025, 112 min, world premiere. Although Hassan retired from his job at the water utility, his neighbors have grown accustomed to his constant help. This time, the situation is serious: the entire city is without water, and tension among the residents is growing daily. Hassan would like to help everyone, but he also needs time to mourn a friend who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Lebanese director Karim Kassem masterfully navigates various cinematic genres, creating an elegant dual portrait of an aging man and the city he has been a part of his entire life. He does so with a sense of nostalgia, subtle humor, and an almost meditative melancholy, mingled with elements of detective fiction.
«"Pramen" (Only Beautiful Things Worth Looking At) Director: Ivan Ostrochovsky Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, 2026, 90 min, world premiere. The film is set in the mid-1980s, when the state used its laws to constantly influence the most intimate aspects of its citizens' lives. Ingrid (Anja Geislerová) is an ambitious doctor whose mission is to deliver children, terminate unwanted pregnancies, and participate in the sterilization of Roma women. The melancholic woman is more concerned with her personal life than her professional one, until she is caught off guard by a new friendship with a charismatic Roma nurse. The spontaneous Agata reveals to Ingrid the human characteristics of a national minority reduced by communists to a demographic problem. Ostrochovsky's captivating drama returns to a previously unresolved issue in Czechoslovakian history, where the right to have children was determined by the state.
«"Tit-ti Khu" (Fruit Harvest) Director: Aung Phyo Myanmar, France, Czech Republic, 2026, 97 min, world premiere. Told through the eyes of two young women, life in contemporary Myanmar can seem quite oppressive. Working in a textile factory in industrial Yangon, they face grueling work, social repression, and economic instability. Although the grueling pace of everyday life suppresses opportunities for human connection, both women continue to dream of intimacy and escape. As they grow closer, they awaken previously repressed feelings. Aung Phyo's highly anticipated directorial debut unfolds in shades of silence, subtle gestures, and unspoken desires. With a captivating rhythm that oscillates between tenderness and brutality, the film explores how women's desires survive in a country where intimacy and love between women remain socially unacceptable.
Competition film PROXIMA «33 Steps (33 Krokov) Directors: Anna Domček, Šimon Domček Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2026, 71 min, world premiere. Thirteen years after Milan Daniel suffered a serious head injury in a racially motivated attack, his attacker is about to be released. What feelings does this moment evoke in a traumatized man who, although he survived, will forever suffer the consequences of that fateful day? Straddling the line between fiction and documentary, the debut feature by Slovak directors Šimon and Anna Domček is a mosaic of fragments of everyday life, memories, dreams, and subjective perceptions. In addition to exploring the experience of someone struggling to escape the shadows of the past—shadows that weigh heavily on future generations—the film also takes an unusual approach to the topic of racial intolerance.
«"Truck Driver" (Camionero) Director: Francisco Marisé, Spain, Argentina, 2026, 84 min, world premiere. It would seem that every road trip should center on the road. But Francisco Marisé's hybrid film senses that every trip, road, and journey requires us to stop from time to time. It is these moments, when the Argentine truck drivers, the film's protagonists, turn off their engines and stop moving, that form the film's starting point. Interweaving intimate observations with subtle glimpses of transcendence, "Truck Driver" paints a collective portrait of people who share a strange dimension of time in the silence of the asphalt desert—in motels, on the side of the road, and in tire shops, enjoying the pure joy of the present moment, yearning for loved ones far away.
«Against Nature (Contra la Naturaleza) Director: Axel Berta, Mexico, 2026, 86 min, world premiere. After years of absence, Jonás returns to the countryside to begin working as a stonemason. In a place marked by the harshness of life, he discovers something intangible—a force that permeates the landscape, bodies, and time itself. A gripping story of a silent man whose enigmatic nature stems from the dark side of humanity and his contact with the sacred, the film balances on the edge of the physical and the spiritual. With a striking sound design, a hypnotic visual style, and a rejection of traditional narrative, Axel Berta creates a captivating cinematic experience that explores human cruelty as part of a cycle of destruction from which humanity has yet to find a way out.
«"Enas olokliros anthropos schedon" (An Almost Whole Man) Director: Efthymis Kosemund-Sanidis Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Cyprus, Romania, 2025, 111 min, world premiere. Ilias arrives on a remote island to receive his late father's inheritance. But the longer he is forced to remain on the island, the more his initial indifference begins to fade. Interacting with the local community, he uncovers his father's past and, along with it, a portrait of a man who differs significantly from his own memories. His gradually awakening emotions are intensified by an encounter with a local girl, Kalliopi, sudden body spasms, and mysterious power outages that affect the entire island. This feature-length debut paints a tender picture of a world that is simultaneously real and mystical—a place where, despite distant echoes foreshadowing the possible end of the world, we encounter love, reconciliation, and unexpected understanding.
«"Homo Sive Natura" (Man Is Nature) Director: Giovanni C. Lorusso Italy, 2026, 115 min, world premiere. In the remote forests of eastern Cambodia, lives a community of indigenous people. A 40-year-old businessman, whose name remains anonymous, arrives with seemingly selfless intentions: he claims to be a tourist wishing to learn about the lives of his "brothers." In reality, however, he is gathering information for the possible expropriation of their land. Italian traveler Giovanni C. Lorusso lives up to his reputation as a director who walks the line between fiction and documentary. Through unique locations, mesmerizing cinematography, and a captivating sound design, he captures the slow internal transformation of his protagonist, as well as the rich cultural and spiritual life of a community confronted with a modern form of colonialism.
«"Ink Hand and the Missing Thumb" Director: Yashasvi Juyal India, 2026, 120 min, world premiere. If the world had a border, it might look something like this: a remote corner of Northern India where Santosh and Raji live, collecting tolls on the highway from dilapidated toll booths. Work and endless waiting merge. Bound by the power of love, but also by the need to constantly move in search of work, they dream of the happiness that awaits them in a new place... until one day, a sudden tragedy turns their lives upside down. Melancholic and tender, "Ink Hand and the Missing Thumb" is the story of anyone who has experienced unexpected loss. It is a heartfelt romantic tale bordering on magical realism, a fleeting memory of a loved one who has disappeared into the past forever.
«My Pornstar Friend (Mein Freund der Pornostar) Director: Rosa Friedrich, Austria, 2026, 94 min, world premiere. Director Rosa Friedrich had never been particularly interested in porn until her friend Timo expressed a desire to star in an erotic film. Rosa agrees to help him bring the project to life. However, as the shooting date approaches, Timo feels increasingly uneasy and doubts his decision. Ultimately, his face is replaced with AI, and Rosa, along with a dominatrix, three transgender women, a food porn creator, a sex trainer, and other key characters, continues working on the film. A playful take on porn, which can be quite different from the impersonal, omnipresent industry, to porn that evokes emotion, doubt, and the uniqueness of each individual body and experience.
«"Lover, Not a Fighter" (Director: Martina Buchelová, Slovakia, 2026, 108 min, world premiere). Andrei wants to stop causing trouble and start behaving. He wants to spend the summer helping his grandmother, and most importantly, not drink alcohol—because when he drinks, he does things like climb a tree from which he can never come down. But his plan doesn't include meeting and falling in love with Misha. And sometimes love is worth fighting for, even if your boring cousin Peter is by your side. A summer full of trials can begin. This debut by Slovak director Martina Buchelová is a triumph of cinematic freedom, humorous and inventive in both style and narrative.
«"Paris, Paris" (Director: Isabelle Tollenar, Belgium, 2026, 78 min, world premiere). An allegory of search, loss, displacement, and the discovery of new meanings and commonalities. Three people—Yi-En from China, Junior from Congo, and Hamza from Palestine—live in an ascetic apartment in a seemingly abandoned building in Paris. Beyond their shared residence, the group is united by their shared experience of exile and the fleeting nature of their possessions, relationships, and sense of home. Director Isabelle Tollenar's debut feature film unfolds in one of Europe's greatest cities and in a replica of Paris built in China—a metaphor for the immigrants' old dream of life in a new home and its gradual transformation into a new dream of their old home.
«"Raincatcher" Director: Michele Fiascaris Italy, UK, 2026, 109 min, world premiere. On dark and rainy nights, Miles wanders the streets of London, photographing the hidden corners of the city and its inhabitants. The results of these voyeuristic forays, published under the pseudonym "Raincatcher," bring him great fame on social media and among representatives of high culture. However, over time, he begins to notice the same mysterious woman in his photographs—a woman who watches his every move and gradually begins to threaten his entire work and his very existence. Michele Fiascaris's debut feature, brimming with intrigue, uses a dark atmosphere to explore the city's underbelly and the troubled human mind. Viewers are invited to immerse themselves in Miles's paranoia as he unravels reality step by step.
«Shokyakuro (Muran) Director: Shuntaro Uchida Japan, 2026, 97 min, world premiere. Ten-year-old Kozue, who is definitely not one of the popular students at school, secretly spends her time throwing various objects into the school incinerator. When university student Jinta comes to her class and invites the children to a shadow play, something awakens within Kozue, and her journey to adulthood begins. In this poetic story, based on a short story by Japanese author Kaori Ekuni (dubbed "the female Murakami"), sunny summer days leisurely intertwine with scenes of everyday life, revealing a silent yet unsettling encounter with a world that often seems impenetrable to children's eyes. Understanding family relationships, mortality, and one's own emotions is far more complex than turning objects to ashes.
«Petty Thieves (Sitni lopovi) Director: Mate Ugrin Croatia, Germany, France, 2026, 106 min, world premiere. Summer is in full swing, the tourist season on the Adriatic. Rio, a loner, works part-time as a kitchen assistant at a local hotel but also commits petty thefts at the expense of foreign tourists. When a young Serbian worker, Andrea, learns of his theft, they strike an unusual pact: they will steal together and split the profits. But this pragmatic alliance develops into an unexpected intimacy. Croatian director Mate Ugrin's debut feature film follows several distinctive Balkan films of recent years. Through witty metaphors, subtle elliptical editing, and a powerful use of atmosphere, Petty Thieves paints a portrait of solidarity among people who never stop dreaming of a better future in the face of a tourism industry that marginalizes them.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS «"Bara Basicova" (Bara – Diary of a Rock Star) Director: Helena Třeštíková Czech Republic, 2026, 97 min, world premiere. Bara Basicova is an icon of Czech rock and other musical genres. How does her public, media-distorted image differ from her true nature? The answer is provided in Helena Třeštíková's latest long-term documentary research. Her empathy, combined with the protagonist's introspection and openness, creates a captivating cinematic portrait: over 50 years, we follow a woman who demonstrates remarkable fortitude while facing challenges in both her professional and personal lives.
«"Circles of Ink" (Dvě deci tuše) Director: Ester Geislerová Czech Republic, Slovakia, 2026, 83 min, world premiere. If the quality of a biographical documentary is measured by its ability to awaken a desire in viewers previously unfamiliar with the subject to get to know them better, then "Circles of Ink" is a success. Another reason is that Ester Geislerová, the daughter of the Japanologist, translator, journalist, educator, and calligrapher Petr Geisler (1949–2009), has managed to capture her father's exceptional status in Czech culture at the end of the 20th century, without losing sight of the intimate, familial, joyful, and painful aspects. Using photographs, home videos, letters, and personal memories, she creates a portrait of a charismatic, captivating man who remained mysteriously elusive even to his closest relatives.
«"If Doves Turned to Gold" (Kdyby se holubi proměnili ve zlato) Director: Pepa Lubojacký Czech Republic, Slovakia, 2026, 110 min. Have you ever mourned someone who's still alive? Filming on her iPhone, director Pepa Lubojacký tries to understand why her beloved older brother and two cousins are living homeless, struggling with drug addiction. Eschewing sentimentality and shot in a DIY aesthetic enriched by the creative use of stylized memories, graphic inserts, and artificial intelligence, this disarmingly personal film explores family history, the causes and consequences of addiction, and the limits of personal integrity. What is the proper expression of love—to save or to let go? Winner of the Best Documentary Award at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
«"A Friend's House Is Here" (Khaneh Doost Injast) Directors: Maryam Ataei, Hossein Keshavarz Iran, USA, 2025, 96 min, international premiere. Pari and Hanna, roommates and friends, live in modern-day Tehran. Pari is a curator and director of an independent theater group; Hanna is a dancer who wants to leave Iran as soon as possible. Both women's circumstances become complicated, but their friendship remains strong in the face of political repression. "A Friend's House Is Here" conveys a sense of freedom and hope, despite being filmed in completely different circumstances. Just days after the June War in Iran, a film crew led by directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei took to the streets of Tehran to make a film about a generation that no longer wants to live by imposed rules and strives to achieve one of the most basic human rights: the right to freedom of artistic expression.
«"Learning to Breathe Underwater" Director: Rebecca Fortune UK, Netherlands, Ireland, 2026, 95 min, world premiere. Eight-year-old Leo lives with his father and a giant shark that crashed through the roof of their house. Yes, you read that right. The shark is Leo's best friend, the one he can trust with all his secrets. He can't talk to his father; he must be missing his mother, who is now five years old. Then their nanny Anya bursts into their lives, and their world suddenly changes. It becomes more joyful, and Leo discovers that the metal shark is not his only friend. A captivating film for parents and children about how to talk to each other and how to grieve together. It's about how the adult world can be difficult to understand, and how children's opinions really should be taken seriously.
«"City of Fathers" (Město otců) Director: Zdeněk Tyc Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, 2026, 100 min, world premiere. Outstanding director Zdeněk Tyc presents the story of a father and son who have nothing in common except their name, Richard, and an apartment in a residential complex. A sturdy, good-natured factory worker in his thirties listens to heavy metal and occasionally lets his girlfriend into his life. A fragile, retired teacher, who raised the boy after his mother's death, embodies care and understanding. However, their calm, shared reality, a cross between the hardcore band Našrot and Bergman's Cries and Whispers, is shattered by the sudden death of his mother. Young Richard embarks on a unique journey of initiation, filled with strange encounters and moments of unexpected enlightenment. The play "Tyts" delves headlong into existential themes, aided by a superb cast led by Tomasz Vravnik and Vladimir Javorsky.
«"Everything as It Should Be" (Mistryně) Director: Bohdan Karasek, Czech Republic, 2026, 101 min, world premiere. Monika, a doctor, is happily in her relationship and expecting a child. She still gets along well with her ex-husband Petr, so she decides to tell him in person about her pregnancy. They had difficulty conceiving. Their coffee meeting extends into the evening, giving them plenty of time to talk – about what could have been and what might have been. Director, screenwriter, and editor Bohdan Karasek pays homage to mumblecore, a dialogue-driven genre. The conversation between the two main characters, played by Marie Švestková and Jiří Havelka, raises many issues faced by many middle-aged men and women.
«"Morten" Director: Ivan Pavlyutskov Estonia, Lithuania, 2026, 101 min, world premiere Youthful fragility and self-discovery are common motifs in the contemporary coming-of-age film genre, but few filmmakers also address social issues—and do so poetically or with spiritual undertones. Estonian director Ivan Pavlyutskov certainly belongs to the latter group. In his feature-length debut, 15-year-old photographer Morten finds himself caught between two worlds—between two girls, between nature and civilization, between everyday reality and mysticism, between what is right and what others want. Exploring the depths of the Baltic forests and the soul of a young boy, "Morten" will captivate audiences of all ages with its warmth and insight into all its characters.
«Robert Richardson: The White Devil Director: Jana Hojdová Czech Republic, USA, 2026, 105 min, world premiere. Jana Hojdová, a former cinematography student at FAMU Prague, sent an email to connect with Robert Richardson, one of the most prominent contemporary cinematographers. What began as a student assignment and thesis project soon blossomed into a creative collaboration and personal friendship. The more incredible the film's plot, the more captivating its portrait of a distinctive and uncompromising artist, a three-time Oscar winner and a renowned collaborator with directors such as Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino.
«"Documentary Film History – The 1980s" Director: Mark Cousins UK, 2026, 120 min, world premiere. Following Mark Cousins's series "Film History: An Odyssey" and "Women Making Film," the narrator presents another saga, this time dedicated to documentary filmmaking. Of the 16 hour-long chapters spanning the entire history of documentary filmmaking, Cousins has chosen the section dedicated to the 1980s, a seminal era for the region from a sociopolitical perspective, for Karlovy Vary.
«"Dying to Live" Director: Yuliya Ontaruk Ukraine, Latvia, Slovakia, 2026, 116 min, world premiere. In 2014, Shakhta, Dancer, and Potter volunteered to fight in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in eastern Ukraine. Although the horrific events they endured during their two years at the front accompany them every second of their lives, they try to return to civilian life. But the Russian invasion in 2022 forces them to confront war once again. This documentary, filmed over 12 years, uses fragmented cinematic language to convey the trauma experienced by its characters, helping us imagine the unimaginable: how to accept the fact that some live and others die, and that – in the face of one's own mortality – the will to live remains above all.
«"The Unleashed" (Grigoriy, The Chosen One) Director: Tomáš Melník Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, 2026, 90 min, world premiere "Puppeteer, tell us a story we don't know yet!" the audience cries to the wandering actor. And he begins to tell the tale of a boy born from the forbidden love of a brother and sister, who experienced countless adventures, spent 17 years tied to a rock, and maybe even was... a hedgehog? But that's not as important as how, having overcome all these obstacles, he eventually became Pope. Young Grigoriy (played by Jan František Uher) is a charming combination of naivety and determination, and watching his wanderings through mythical lands is a joy. This wild, absurd comedy from director Tomáš Melník is based on Thomas Mann's final novel.
«Report for Minerva 2 (Zpráva pro Minervu 2) Directors: Miroslav Krobot, Lubomír Smekal Czech Republic, 2026, 69 min, world premiere. The lives of a diverse group of guests and staff intertwine in a dilapidated hotel. Some have arrived seeking peace and a brief escape from the daily grind, while others yearn for a change—or even love. A lonely clarinetist crosses paths with a young man seeking romantic adventure, an unhappy couple, an eccentric hotel employee, and an alien sent from the planet Minerva 2 to report on the state of Earth. From fleeting situations, awkward moments, internal monologues, and quiet observations, a mosaic of 14 intertwining stories emerges. This experimental film by Miroslav Krobot and Lubomir Smekal is based on the theatre production of the same name by the S 23 theatre troupe, whose non-professional actors created performances using the dialogic method of acting.
The best of variety
-
What's Coming to Disney+ in June 2026?
-
What's Coming to Netflix in June 2026?
-
Tony Awards Predictions: Early Predictions Including 'Death of a Salesman' and 'The Lost Boys,' Plus Possible Records for Squibb, Lithgow, and Apple.
Subscribe to the Variety newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.