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A gripping art drama
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Seeking justice in a racist society
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Filmed in South Moravia: Hatě, Znojmo, Břeclav
ABOUT THE FILM
Irina is a single mother from Ukraine who lives in a small Czech city. When her son is attacked, the entire city comes together in solidarity with her family, and also in condeming her Romani neighbours, who supposedly committed the crime. Later, when her son wakes up in the hospital, it starts getting hard to distinguish truth from lies. Victim is the story of a woman seeking justice in a racist society. The film offers the emotional journey of a strong female character who tries, despite all stereotypes, to remain true to herself. A gripping art drama that is both thrilling and and realistic.
- Feature film
- Czechia, 2022
- Filmed in South Moravia: border crossing in Hatě, Znojmo, and Břeclav
- Photo credit: NutProdukce
- Directed by: Michal Blaško
- Staring: Vita Smačeljuk, Gleb Kuchuk, Alena Mihulová, Igor Chmela, Klaudia Dudová, Gabriela Míčová, Inna Žulina, Viktor Zavadil, Elizaveta Maximová
FILMING LOCATIONS
Border crossing in Hatě
The settlement of Hatě lies right on the border with Austria. The location is known mainly for its shopping zone by the service road for the border crossing. The area of the former crossing has changed, now hosting a four-star hotel with a look inspired by the nearby Route 59 casino.
Znojmo
This city lies eight kilometres from the Austrian border and has about 33,000 inhabitants. Znojmo is a beautiful royal city with literally every street (at least in the centre) still breathing with history. Its popular monuments include the Town Hall (or Wolf) Tower, offering an amazing view of Znojmo and the surroundings, and the romantic Romanesque Rotunda of St Catherine.
Břeclav
This South Moravian city lies on the Thaya River near the Austrian and Slovak borders. It has about 24,000 inhabitants and is an important border crossing and internationally significant rail junction. It sits on the edge of the Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape and encloses, for example, the modern Church of St Wenceslaus, the landscaped riverbank of the Thaya, and a museum with a gallery in the local synagogue.
FUN FACTS FROM FILMING
The difficult night scene at the border crossing in Hatě took the filmmakers four hours to prepare. “Filming was complicated by the poor state of the customs house. We turned it into the busy border between Slovakia and Ukraine. It takes several hours to get through, and we tried to recreate the feeling where you’re trying to get somewhere and it takes ages.”