For 14-year-old Adam, the world of his poor Romany village has only two joys: boxing and Julka, a friend his same age. But after the violent death of his father, the boy experiences life’s harsher side: his mother remarries and his stepfather demands obedience without seeking to deserve Adam’s respect. Gradually everything the boy was attached to starts to fall apart around him, and if his dead father hadn’t visited him he wouldn’t even know which path to take. The inexperience of youth, loneliness, and impulsiveness prevent him from using reason and cool consideration to face the obstacles in his way, and he even sometimes provokes those who stand by him. And thus he finds himself in a situation for which there is only one solution. –KVIFF
Director and scriptwriter Martin Šulík (b. 1962, Žilina, Slovakia) graduated in film and television direction from VŠMU (1986). He is Slovakia’s most appreciated and prolific film director of the past 20 years. In 1986-91 he worked as assistant director, occasionally directed for the theatre, acted in movies, and shot documentaries. Since the early 1990s he has mainly focused on features, distinguishing himself for his poetic-symbolic tone. —scanorama.lt
An interesting and (probably) realistic view on the lives of the Roma in Slovakia. Starting rather joyously the film becomes more and more depressing towards the end which is not a bad thing.The film has neat looks and is at times quite entertaining, but the acting is too weak to make the plot convincing and feel compassion with the main character at the end. *** stars