Film programme 2022

Toilet Talks (2022)

Section: New Czech Film and TV Programmes

Directed by: Erika Hníková

Czech Republic, 2022, 22 min

Score:

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About sex for young people just starting out in this area of life. Two young women, Terézia and Zuzana, talk in the restroom about various topics related to sexuality, intimacy, physicality, and self-acceptance. They tell their own stories, sometimes they invite guests, but they always speak plainly and with knowledge. The goal is sex education, to “expell myths”, and get teenagers to think about the role of social networks, media icons, and pornography in their lives.

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets (2021)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Yaniv Raz

United States of America, 2021, 110 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

Score:

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James Whitman (16) struggles to overcome anxiety and depression by seeking advice from Dr. Bird. In his magical realism inspired world, James goes on a whimsical, but emotionally charged search to solve the mystery of the disappearance of his sister after an altercation with their parents. While James struggles to connect with his parents, he deals with the intense social anxiety of high school life while navigating his first love with a precocious girl from school.

Barley Fields on the Other Side of the Mountain (2017)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Tian Tsering

United Kingdom, 2017, 88 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

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A story about the price of freedom and who pays for it told through the eyes of a teenage girl. Sixteen-year-old Pema lives in the remote mountains of Tibet. For generations, her family has farmed their barley fields in peace. But when Pema's father is taken away by the authorities, her world is shattered. A Buddhist nun from the local nunnery walks into Pema's life and invites her to join a group of locals escaping persecution by walking over the Himalayas into India. Pema is torn; can she leave her mother, grandmother and younger siblings at this time of crisis? Does she have the right, or the courage, to join her friend and seek a new life for herself? As Pema struggles with her dilemma, there is no news about her imprisoned father. The clock is ticking for everyone

Besties (2021)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Desseigne Ravel Marion

France, 2021, 80 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

Score:

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Paris. Nedjma, a teenager living with her mom and sister, spends the summer with her gang. Her life is turned upside down when she meets Zina, from another gang. Rivals in broad daylight; they are lovers in secret. Nedjma is sucked into a spiral, torn apart between the values of the hood and her own desire, which no one around her can possibly understand or tolerate. She will have to make a choice that will ultimately define who she is.

Ride the Wave (2021)

Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience

Directed by: Martyn Robertson

United Kingdom, 2021, 84 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

Score:

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Having participated in surfing competitions from the age of 11, 14-year-old Scottish champion Ben Larg is not afraid of a challenge. And what bigger challenge for a young surfer than one of the biggest and most dangerous cold water waves in the world at Mullaghmore, Ireland. If he gets it right, he joins an elite group. If he gets it wrong, the consequences are terrifying. Danger, opportunity, and parental dilemma collide propelling Ben and his family towards an unknown destiny.

Giant Little Ones (2018)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Keith Behrman

Canada, 2018, 94 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

A heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels. Adolescents face enormous pressure to make life-defining decisions every day and they want to lock in their identities sooner than later. All of this pressure is exacerbated by physical and social changes. Franky is under more pressure than most. His life was altered when his father left his mother for a man. Franky is left confused and angry toward his father for breaking up the family. Things are further confused for Franky when his wild birthday party ends in a sexual encounter no one could have imagined, including his best friend and girlfriend. As Franky's world crumbles, he and his friends are forced to decide what kind of people they want to be.

Gabi, Between the Ages 8 and 13 (2021)

Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience, Patron of Children Audience Award

Directed by: Engeli Brobert

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 2021, 77 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

Score:

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We follow the remarkable Gabi over the course of five formative years as she wrestles with society’s stereotypes about boys and girls. When her family moves from Stockholm to a small rural town, and as puberty kicks in, Gabi must decide whether she wants to fit in with the crowd or chart her own path.

The Pack (2020)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Tomáš Polenský

Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovak Republic, 2020, 94 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

Ice skates cut the ice. Silhouettes of hockey players swirl in the spray of the frost, and sharp scratches remain on the ice behind them. Talented goalkeeper David (16) is joining a new team. He will do everything in his power to make a name for himself in the Wolves hockey team. But the position of the current goalkeeper Miky (16) seems unshakable. In addition, Miky is the son of a coach. David really doesn't fit in with the Wolves. Maybe it's the small plastic box that pumps insulin into his body. But David will not be defeated by diabetes. He is an outsider in the team and faces an avalanche of bullying. Those who do not attack also do no not help. David tries to fight, but the result is even worse. Pushes, injuries and humiliations pile on each other like the spiral scars of tracks engraved by ice skates. What will David do?

Hello World (2021)

Section: Competition of European Documentary Films for Young Audience

Directed by: Kenneth Elvebakk

Norway, Sweden, 2021, 88 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 5

Score:

• Info

While their classmates and friends are doing everything to fit in, Runa, Dina, Viktor, and Joachim (aged 12-14) are defining themselves differently. They are the first people to be openly gay in their classes and the youngest ones in their respective communities to come out. But building pride is not easy in a world where hate messages are just a click away, and even harder in schools where administration and education systems seek to erase and marginalize outstanding voices. What is it really like to be the only open queer in the whole school? Told through the eyes of the four young people, the film gives us a window into understanding what it is like to grow up as a queer.

Measure of a Man (2018)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Jim Loach

United States of America, 2018, 100 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

This story follows Bobby, an under-confident, overweight 14-year-old New Yorker, as he navigates the challenging path to manhood during his summer at Rumson Lake in upstate New York, 1976. The dramatic thread of the story stems from the escalating threat of a local gang of townies, led by Willie, a tormented young veteran. Willie and his gang resent the summer vacationers who populate their community every year and prey on Bobby and his best friend Joanie, both outsiders and easy targets. As Bobby´s world goes through many changes, so does his relationship with his family and friends. This is especially true regarding Dr. Kahn, a reclusive surrogate fatherly presence who mentors Bobby through difficult times. The guidance Bobby receives from Dr. Kahn transforms him into a well-rounded young man, as well as giving Dr. Kahn a new unexpected confidant, a friend who helps him come to terms with the losses in his past.

The Pack (2020)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Tomáš Polenský

Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovak Republic, 2020, 94 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

Ice skates cut the ice. Silhouettes of hockey players swirl in the spray of the frost, and sharp scratches remain on the ice behind them. Talented goalkeeper David (16) is joining a new team. He will do everything in his power to make a name for himself in the Wolves hockey team. But the position of the current goalkeeper Miky (16) seems unshakable. In addition, Miky is the son of a coach. David really doesn't fit in with the Wolves. Maybe it's the small plastic box that pumps insulin into his body. But David will not be defeated by diabetes. He is an outsider in the team and faces an avalanche of bullying. Those who do not attack also do no not help. David tries to fight, but the result is even worse. Pushes, injuries and humiliations pile on each other like the spiral scars of tracks engraved by ice skates. What will David do?

The Perfect David (2021)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Felipe Gomez Aparicio

Argentina, 2021, 78 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 6

Score:

• Info

At 16, David is much like any teenager, but his boyish good looks rest upon a hulking, muscular body. His weightlifting obsession is driven by his mother Juana, a troubled artist whose only goal is to have her son reach physical perfection by his 17th birthday. With countless hours spent at a grungy gym in the company of a motley clique of pumped-up gym rats, David desperately searches for what it means to be a man.

Measure of a Man (2018)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Jim Loach

United States of America, 2018, 100 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

This story follows Bobby, an under-confident, overweight 14-year-old New Yorker, as he navigates the challenging path to manhood during his summer at Rumson Lake in upstate New York, 1976. The dramatic thread of the story stems from the escalating threat of a local gang of townies, led by Willie, a tormented young veteran. Willie and his gang resent the summer vacationers who populate their community every year and prey on Bobby and his best friend Joanie, both outsiders and easy targets. As Bobby´s world goes through many changes, so does his relationship with his family and friends. This is especially true regarding Dr. Kahn, a reclusive surrogate fatherly presence who mentors Bobby through difficult times. The guidance Bobby receives from Dr. Kahn transforms him into a well-rounded young man, as well as giving Dr. Kahn a new unexpected confidant, a friend who helps him come to terms with the losses in his past.

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets (2021)

Section: Beyond the Childhood Horizon

Directed by: Yaniv Raz

United States of America, 2021, 110 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 4

Score:

• Info

James Whitman (16) struggles to overcome anxiety and depression by seeking advice from Dr. Bird. In his magical realism inspired world, James goes on a whimsical, but emotionally charged search to solve the mystery of the disappearance of his sister after an altercation with their parents. While James struggles to connect with his parents, he deals with the intense social anxiety of high school life while navigating his first love with a precocious girl from school.

TBH (2022)

Section: New Czech Film and TV Programmes

Directed by: Lucia Kajánková

Czech Republic, 2022, 138 min

Projection place: Golden Apple Cinema 3

Score:

• Info

The abbreviation TBH in Czech online slang represents the phrase "to be honest". A web series shows the search for boundaries in the painful world of adolescence and manipulative social networks and describes how a shooting attack forever changes the lives of several Brno high school students. What will change after the attack in a community where the cruel rules have been determined by the strong boys from the floorball team and their angry fans – a girl group that calls itself Bitchez?

The Pack (2020)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Tomáš Polenský

Czech Republic, Latvia, Slovak Republic, 2020, 94 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

Ice skates cut the ice. Silhouettes of hockey players swirl in the spray of the frost, and sharp scratches remain on the ice behind them. Talented goalkeeper David (16) is joining a new team. He will do everything in his power to make a name for himself in the Wolves hockey team. But the position of the current goalkeeper Miky (16) seems unshakable. In addition, Miky is the son of a coach. David really doesn't fit in with the Wolves. Maybe it's the small plastic box that pumps insulin into his body. But David will not be defeated by diabetes. He is an outsider in the team and faces an avalanche of bullying. Those who do not attack also do no not help. David tries to fight, but the result is even worse. Pushes, injuries and humiliations pile on each other like the spiral scars of tracks engraved by ice skates. What will David do?

Giant Little Ones (2018)

Section: Top Teen Ten

Directed by: Keith Behrman

Canada, 2018, 94 min

Projection place: Castle SVOBODY

Score:

• Info

A heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels. Adolescents face enormous pressure to make life-defining decisions every day and they want to lock in their identities sooner than later. All of this pressure is exacerbated by physical and social changes. Franky is under more pressure than most. His life was altered when his father left his mother for a man. Franky is left confused and angry toward his father for breaking up the family. Things are further confused for Franky when his wild birthday party ends in a sexual encounter no one could have imagined, including his best friend and girlfriend. As Franky's world crumbles, he and his friends are forced to decide what kind of people they want to be.