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Film Archive

Black Cake

Czech Films 2016–2017 2017 / Černý dort / Czech Republic 2016

A family celebration is once again reduced to small talk and stock phrases, but one member may find the strength to defy routine and open up a family secret. In Johana Švarcová’s black-humoured drama there is someone, however, who intends to preserve the congenial atmosphere at all costs.

Black Cake Black Cake

Synopsis

At family celebrations the conversation can go on for hours without anyone saying anything important. The party atmosphere in this case appears to be made up of a series of standard expressions and stock phrases, namely small-talk waffle that replaces any kind of sincere human interaction. Everyone sitting round the table seems to be following a script, and any deviation is unacceptable. But this is what the heroine of this graduation film is trying to accomplish and, in doing so, she may find the courage to bring a family secret into the open. A black-humoured drama about the important things that life’s banalities prevent us from ever saying.

Jan Škoda

About the film

25 min / Color, DCP

Director Johana Ožvold / Screenplay Johana Švarcová, Kristina Májová / Dir. of Photography Šimon Dvořáček / Music Johana Švarcová, Martin Ožvold / Editor Adam Patyk / Art Director Barbora Zelníčková / Producer Ondřej Šejnoha / Production Studio FAMU / Cast Ester Geislerová, Barbora Milotová, Taťjana Medvecká, Ján Sedal, Radek Beran, Natálie Řehořová, Václav Neužil, Jaroslava Pokorná / Contact Jakub Vacík

About the director

Johana Ožvold

Johana Švarcová (b. 1983, Liberec, Czechoslovakia) is a director, documentarist, actress, musician and performer, having graduated in film direction from FAMU. In 2013 she shot Hi, I’m Doing Fine, which brought her awards from the Fresh Film Fest and the Poitiers FF in France. She was also successful with Familiar Strangers (2015) and Process (2015). Black Cake won Best Film and Best Director at Famufest in 2016. She is currently putting together her feature-length documentary The Sound Is Innocent.

Contacts

Jakub Vacík
E-mail: [email protected]

Guests

Johana Ožvold
Film Director

Ester Geislerová
Actress

Václav Neužil
Actor

Taťjana Medvecká
Actress

Kristina Májová
Screenwriter

Marek Dusil
Producer

Magdaléna Rothová

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