Czech That Film 2016 presented by National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in partnership with FilmScene.
Sponsored by Gary & Cathy Rozak.
See below for more information about Czech That Film. Tickets are available to individual films, or purchase a series pass to see all five films in the Iowa City program.
HOME CARE (Domácí péce)
Director Slávek Horák in person! Ticketed reception to follow at Share, available at checkout or with every series pass.
Dedicated home care nurse Vlasta attends her capricious patients in the Czech wine country, and lives for her husband Lada and her daughter, giving them more than they are asking for. Then, one day, things change and Vlasta is forced to step outside of her comfort zone. Drama and gentle humor intertwine as Vlasta realizes, for the first time in her life, that she might need some care, too. Post-screening Q&A with director Slávek Horák to follow screening.
Background info:
Everyone knows that life is short, but each of us comes to grips with life’s actual limits in our own and often unexpected way. Home Care, the feature film debut from writer/director Slávek Horák, con- fronts the most important questions of life in an engaging way. At times darkly funny, and at times bittersweet, the film examines the finality of human existence through a tender portrayal of a dedicated home care nurse, who puts everyone’s needs above her own. She is forced to learn that this attitude is not just selfless but also self-destructive. In contrast, her husband is a traditional small-town male, whose only responsibilities seem to revolve around tending his workshop and drinking plum brandy. But his jokes and light-hearted attitude are only a masculine facade and his true emotions will soon show.
While searching for a topic, Horák went to his parents’ home, planning to work on some significant ideas in a tranquil countryside. Once there, he realized that his mother, who worked as a home care nurse, was a much more interesting character than he could ever invent. Her quirky stories had always been right there in front of his eyes.
Both main characters are based on Horák’s parents, which helped him to create their richly textured personalities and the complex dynamics of their relationship. Most of the film was shot in his parents’ house, garden, workshop and vineyard, so the setting perfectly matches the characters. The film uses the actual wardrobe of the director’s mother and features non-actors from his hometown.
Even though the film was self-produced on a tight budget, HOME CARE went on to become a major critical and box office success in the Czech Republic.
CZECH THAT FILM
Czech That Film is a nationally touring film festival organized by the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles, the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Chicago, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, D.C., the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa, and the Czech Center. The Iowa City festival is organized by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in partnership with FilmScene. 2016 is the fifth year for this popular festival, which travels to at least 18 North American cities each year. In 2016, Czech That Film will reach San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Austin, Denver, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Houston, Iowa City, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Portland, New York, Chicago, Seattle, as well as Ottawa (Canada) and Puerto Rico! Visit CzechThatFilm.com for more information about the national festival.