Chlast (2026)

This Czech-language novella by screenwriter Ondej Sysel follows Jan, a promising footballer growing up in a mining town in the early 1990s. He lives with his irritable father and seriously ill mother, as well as the ever-present bottle of alcohol. Jan suffers physical punishment from his father and bullying from his teammates, but it is his own fear that weighs on him most. Will he find the courage to rebel? This lively, economical text explores a subject that remains sadly relevant.