Embassy of the Czech Republic
When:
October 14, 2015
8:00 pm
Where:
Avalon Theatre
5612 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington DC 20015

FILM: 

The Avalon Theatre features director Petr Václav's critically acclaimed film The Way Out (Cesta ven) about a Romani couple trying to live in a community obscured by prejudice on October 14 at 8 pm. Dubbed the best film of the year at the Czech Critics’ awards, the film also won seven Czech Lion awards including best film, director, and screenplay .

The film's gritty atmosphere unveils a young Romani couple Žaneta (Klaudia Dudová) and David (David Ištok) striving to live a “normal life,” providing for their daughter and Žaneta’s sister. To protect his family, David considers a life of crime, as the grim backdrop of unemployment, debt, and poverty weighs down. Žaneta wants a respectable life for her family, her sister to get an education, and an honest job. Trapped in the community’s anti-gypsy prejudice, can Žaneta find the inner strength to break out? 

The screening is part of the Lions of Czech Film Series in collaboration with the Embassy of the Czech Republic. 

The Way Out | Cesta ven

2014, 105 min., in Czech with English subtitles    

Directed by: Petr Václav                

“The Way Out reflects on the topic of marginalization and ethnic discrimination in a non-judgemental style, handling not only the characters’ day-to-day struggles, but also their vices through the sober lens of an insider, as only a field worker who knows them personally could.” ~Martin Kudláč, CINEUROPA        

The film was the first Czech film screened at the prestigious  Cannes Film Festival in the last 16 years!            

Awards: 

Won  seven 2015 Czech Lion Awards for best film, director, screenplay, actress (Klaudia Dudová),cinema-tography (Štěpán Kučera), editing (Florent Mangeot), and sound. Won four Czech Critics´ Awards for best film, director, screenwriter and leading actress.                  


About the Director:     

Cesta ven marks the director’s return to the theme of the Roma community. His debut feature, Marian, drew on his experience in documentary filmmaking and featured Roma non-actors living similar lives to those of their characters. Marian garnered the Silver Leopard at the 1996 Locarno Film Festival. Cesta ven is the director’s first feature film since his 2001 film Parallel Worlds(Paralelní světy) that won the Golden Kingfisher Award at the Plzeň Film Festival. For the past 13 years, he has lived in France and often collaborates with noted French writer Marie Despleschin.    

The screening is also a part of the Mutual Inspirations Festival 2015 - Karel Čapek www.mutualinspirations.org.

About the Lions of Czech Film Series:    

This marks the ninth year of collaboration with the Avalon Theatre to present the Lions of Czech Film Series. This film series gives the Washington, DC, community an opportunity to view Czech films that are popular hits in Europe and have received numerous honors and awards at film festivals. Most of the films have received the prestigious Czech Lion Award, the Czech equivalent of an Academy Award. All of the films have limited distribution in the United States. The Lions of Czech Film Series offers an invaluable opportunity to see the best of Czech cinema in the nation’s capital. 

Tickets are available via http://www.theavalon.org/films/the-way-out/ or at the door.

Location: Avalon Theatre, 5612 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

FREE Digital Edition
See and read Diplomatic Connections Magazine
View Archived Digital Editions