02/08/2023 - The psychological drama about facing loss and grief and finding independence tells a story challenging societal taboos and advocating for mental health self-care

Czech documentarian Veronika Lišková, acclaimed for socially impactful works such as Daniel's World [+see also:
trailer
interview: Veronika Lišková
film profile] and last year’s Locarno entry The Visitors [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], has commenced production on her fiction debut, Year of the Widow. Stemming from a diary-esque article by Zuzana Pokorná, the narrative intimately charts her initial twelve months of widowhood. Eugen Liška crafted the screenplay from Pokorná’s words, weaving in his own comprehensive research and personal insights. Originally envisioned as a documentary, the project morphed into a fiction film, securing the main prize from the Czech Film Foundation in 2018 for best unrealised domestic script.

Year of the Widow traces the journey of Petra, thrust into an unanticipated world of grief following the sudden loss of her partner. More than grappling with her personal anxiety, she must contend with a labyrinth of bureaucratic hurdles reminiscent of a Kafkaesque nightmare. Presented from Petra’s perspective, the film explores the immediate emotional aftermath of loss, further complicated by the maze of social norms and legal proceedings she must traverse. Thus, the psychological drama morphs into a poignant societal commentary on grief, survival, and death in today’s world. The film captures the transformative narrative of a young widow reconstructing her life after the death of her partner and discovering newfound independence. “Our aspiration with Year of the Widow is to project a realistic yet suggestively portrayed story with a potent cathartic undertone on screen. It is about fresh starts, emancipation, and self-reliance. Further, it illustrates the importance of inner freedom and independence, which we need to find within ourselves before we can impart it to those we hold dear,” shares the director.

Pavla Beretová takes on the lead role of Petra, ably supported by emerging talent Julie Šoucová as her daughter Dominika and Slovak actress Zuzana Kronerová as her mother-in-law, Helena. This casting provides a panoramic view of grief processing across three generations. The film’s principal photography will take place in three phases on location, with shooting scheduled to wrap by January 2024. Post-production is set to commence in March-April 2024 and conclude by summer 2024. Producer Kristýna Michálek Květová is negotiating potential partnerships with Czech and Slovak public broadcasters, as well as pursuing distributors for the U.S. market and beyond. Květová voices her belief that the film can challenge societal taboos around death, sparking crucial conversations about self-care and mental health, particularly among older generations.

Year of the Widow is produced by Kristýna Michálek Květová and Tomáš Michálek from the Czech outfit Cinémotif Films, Peter Kerekes and Anna Mach Rumanová of Kerekesfilm (Slovakia) and Croatian producer Miljenka Čogelja of Pipser. The Czech Film Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, and the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, as well as the Czech regions of Pilsen and Ústí, supported the film. Cinemart and Filmtopia will handle Czech and Slovak theatrical releases respectively in autumn 2024.