V4 Screening: The Way Out

The Embassy of the Czech Republic will screen the film The Way Out (Cesta ven) as part of the V4 series beginning on April 20, 2016, at 6:30 pm.

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

Dubbed the best film of the year at the Czech Critics' awards, director Petr Václav's "The Way Out" (Cesta ven) follows a Romani couple trying to live a "normal life" in a community obscured by prejudice.

Synopsis: The 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 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:
This film marks director Petr Václav’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 marks the director’s first feature film since 2001’s 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.