International sales outfit Pluto Film has acquired comedy “Chica Checa,” which is making its world premiere at the upcoming Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival.
Written and directed by Šimon Holý, “Chica Checa” explores a widow’s journey as she deals with her son’s hidden identity as a drag queen. But both mother and son discover that reinvention is possible at any age.
Holý’s fourth feature centers on widow Zdena, a mail carrier in a small Czech village who leads a quiet life. When her beloved son Lukáš, who has moved to Paris, comes home to visit his dying grandmother, he comes out to his mother and says he makes his living as a drag queen, Chica Checa (“Czech girl”), not as a bank employee. While she reacts poorly at first, she loves her son unconditionally and their bond is more important than village gossips or calcified attitudes.
The crowd-pleasing feature screens in competition at Karlovy Vary.
“In a time when we are witnessing dramatic events all around the world, our team has tried to create a film that communicates challenging themes in a light and warm way, without losing its artistic value,” says Holý, who also composed the music. “The film, which we dedicated together with producer Alžběta Janáčková to our mothers, explores themes of intergenerational understanding and the unwavering desire and strength to live life the way we want, without harming anyone in the process. In today’s world, when politicians not only in Central and Eastern Europe are seeking to restrict rights, this appears to be absolutely crucial and fundamental.”
