Klein has cast alternative street theatre performers in the leads, playing a family who return to the Czech Republic following years of a nomadic lifestyle. The story, based on an award-winning book by Jachym Topol, sees the father and his children don women’s clothing to escape from the police. The title refers to the eldest child’s realisation that his father has lost his ideals, and his efforts to re-awake the sensitive man inside the father. “The boy copes by refusing to talk, but we see how he imagines the world,” Klein said.

The director (whose short film Retriever was selected for Cannes – Cinefondation) said the film will use an exaggerated stylisation and black humour, and a constantly moving camera. The style, inspired by the Czech New Wave, will be “playful and provocative.”

The film is now in an advanced stage of development. The budget is 705,000 EUR, with an MG from leading Czech distributor Cinemart already in place, along with support from FAMU and Masterfilm’s own investment. The film was selected for the MIDPOINT Feature Launch workshop.

A trailer will be filmed in September and production is planned for the fall of 2020, with a release in 2021.  

Production information:

Producer:
Masterfilm (Czech Republic)

Corpoducers:
Punkchart Films (Slovakia)
FAMU (Czech Republic)

Credits:
Director: Tomas Klein
Writers: Tomas Klein, Katerina Traburova
Producer: Tomas Michalek