Father tells the story of a man who has everything until one tragic summer day, when he realises too late that the infant daughter he thought he dropped off at nursery is actually still locked in the back of the car.
The Slovak and Czech cast includes Milan Ondrík, Dominika Morávková, Martina Sľuková, Peter Ondrejicka, Anna Geislerova and Filip Kaňkovský.
„Every year, all around the world, dozens of children die in exactly this way. Often, the facts are the same: one day, the loving parent gets confused by a change to their daily routine and while busy, forgets the child inside a vehicle. Experts call this phenomenon ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome’ and it is a legally recognised condition across the world, not in Slovakia. Father will be a subjective film, consisting of several long shots. The audience will experience the father’s moment-to-moment reality, first on the day of the tragedy and then during the crucial moments of the following months,“ director Tereza Nvotová told FNE.
Producer Veronika Paštéková from DANAE production gave FNE more information about the stylistic approach. „A one-take film is production-wise a really challenging technique. Technically, this requires precise preparation and rehearsal of each shot. For this unconventional shooting, we chose Adam Suzin, a Polish DoP who shot the 30-minute single-take film Hot and Cold directed by Marta Prus. His last short film, Crocodile by Dawid Bodzak, premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in 2023,“ Veronika Paštéková told FNE.
The estimated budget of 1,606,000 EUR is supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Czech Film Fund and the Polish Film Institute.
The shooting will take place in two phases during January and July 2024. The 32 days of shooting are planned on locations in Bratislava and its surroundings.
The premiere of Father is planned for 2025. CinemArt will be the Slovak and Czech distributor, and New Horizons will distribute the film in Poland.
Production Information:
Producer:
DANAE Production (Slovakia)
Veronika Paštéková: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Coproducers:
moloko film (Czech Republic)
Lava Films (Poland)
Czech Television (Czech Republic)
Credits:
Director: Tereza Nvotová
Story: Tereza Nvotová
Screenplay: Tereza Nvotová, Dušan Budzak
Dramaturgy: Jozef Paštéka
DoP: Adam Suzin
Composer: Jonatán Pastirčák (Pjoni)
Sound: Ivan Horak
Editor: Nikodem Chabior
Cast: Milan Ondrík, Dominika Morávková, Martina Sľuková, Peter Ondrejicka, Anna Geislerova, Filip Kaňkovský
