White Flight (working title)

It has been nearly three decades since Slovakia successfully re-entered the global democratic orbit. While the harrowing events and revelations of the past month and a half undoubtedly cast a shadow of suspicion over the moral character of the country, it is beyond dispute that, since it broke off the authoritarian yoke of Soviet socialism, Slovakia has been undergoing consistent societal development and growth. However, despite overwhelmingly promising social and economic indicators, the country is currently experiencing such an exodus of creative talent as has no precedent in its history. Tens of thousands of people leave Slovakia every year – some to study, others to work – and a good deal of them elect to stay abroad indefinitely. There are various reasons for this flight; most have recently been the subject of serious academic investigation. Our project, however, does not propose to explore these reasons in depth. Let us just say that many Slovaks – especially the young – are experiencing an inscrutable unease from the inner state of the country.

The degree to which this phenomenon is aggravated by the state and by the emigrants themselves is subject to debate. But it is not our place to moralise over the issue. Moreover, we do not believe that doing so would be worthwhile. The fact of the matter is that, over the past few years, Slovakia has seen the emergence of several non-profit organisations that attempt to help young Slovaks return to their home country and to provide them with an infrastructure that would allow them to apply their skills and experience to the benefit of the wider public. Besides those, there are also individuals who do not seek out formal structures. These mavericks often focus their efforts on marginal areas of the country and society, where the benevolent hand of the state cannot or does not want to reach. It is to these people that we wish to dedicate our film.