The international theatre festival Divadelná Nitra (September 28 – October 3) in Slovakia offers rich accompanying film programme, curated for the second time by the Institute of Documentary Film. Among the screened documentaries are East Silver Caravan titles My Unknown Soldier and Milda. Screenings will be English friendly (with English subtitles). The complete programme is here.
September 29 at 1 pm – The Lust for Power (dir. Tereza Nvotová)
Vladimír Mečiar was an undeniably charismatic politician „loved by the nation“ and his profound influence on the contemporary political climate of Slovakia cannot be doubted. His final period in government 1994-1998 was marked by an authoritarian, almost autocratic rule, misuse of power in the biggest privatisation causes and scandals and unauthorized activities of the secret services. The film was among documentaries recommended for a nomination for this year's European Film Awards.
September 30 at 1 pm – Milda (dir. Pavel Křemen) / Slovak premiere
The film Milda is a unique opportunity to look not only into the mentality of the former most powerful man of Czechoslovakia Miloš Jakeš, but also offers a unique view behind the backstage of the highest levels of communist politics. The document brings a series of situations, interviews, conflicts and confrontations.
October 1 at 9 pm – Circus Rwanda (dir. Michal Varga) / Slovak premiere + discussion with creators
Rosťa Novák, the principal of circus group Cirk La Putyka agrees to make a joint show with acrobats from Rwanda. Eliseé Niyonsenga leads a group of acrobats, mostly genocide orphans, and on the shores of lake Kivu they try to establish contemporary circus in a country, which still resonates with its tragic history and which relies on foreign aid.
October 2 at 1 pm – My Unknown Soldier (dir. Anna Kryvenko)
What does it feel like to become an occupier without your own intentions? With known but also never published archival materials from the whole Europe and Russia we tell a family story of the director Anna Kryvenko about how the big politics is destroying the lives of ordinary people.
October 3 at 1 pm – The Czech Way (dir. Martin Kohout)
The film tells a story of Czechoslovak economic transformation of the 90s. This transformation took place in the period, when the Czech and Slovak nationhood were established, so it was presented as the key to the transformation of totalitarian society into a democratic one, and - on the other side, publicly understood mainly as a process of wealth redistribution - from the stay to the people.