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Section: International Competition of Feature Films in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years of age)
Big Dreams (2023)
The year is 1998, in Nagano, Japan. The Czechs win the gold in Olympic ice hockey and the crowds go wild. All the kids want to be like Jagr or Hašek. Among them is Dom, an 11-year-old dreamer who looks up to his new idol. He would love to play hockey, but his parents don't have the money and doubt his abilities. On his grandfather’s advice, Dom and his friend Honza build a hockey team, calling themselves the Sabres after Hašek's home team in Buffalo. This team of disparate, underestimated kids focus on their great challenge – to defeat the Red Wings team from the next village and earn respect. After an initial defeat, the Sabres are taken over by the peculiar coach Karel, a former major league hockey player, and they gradually head for a rematch. This story of friendship, sport, pride, euphoria, and underdogs sends a message that children's dreams have many forms and that children need to be supported.
| Country | Czech Republic |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
| Duration | 98 min |
| Rating | 8 |
| Language | Czech |
| Subtitle | English |
| Directed by | Dan Pánek |
| Screenplay | Dan Pánek |
| Director of Photography | David Ployhar |
| Music | Jiří Hájek |
| Edited by | Vasilis Skalenakis |
| Contact | Visual Riders |
Biography
Czech screenwriter, producer, film and theatre director. His high school interest in amateur film lead him to doing it professionally. His debut feature was the thriller Taxi 121 (2016). He also made the family film Children of Nagana (Děti Nagana, 2023) and the Internet series Behind the Curtain (Za oponou, 2019).
Good Mood, Czech Land, World of Sports, Films with Czech audiocommentary