Michal Soltész

In communist Czechoslovakia in 1980, 15-year-old Mara dreams of leaving her village to study in the city and become a pilot. But her father, a widowed Ruthenian farmer, insists she stay and work the land. When her village faces destruction due to a new dam, their generational conflict intensifies, revealing the struggle between tradition, identity, and the desire for freedom in a context of historical change.

When Milan, a traveling sweet vendor missing a leg, discovers hungry Veronka has stolen two Turkish delights, he shows compassion by buying her lunch. Grateful, Veronka offers to help him at his market stall, and a spark ignites between them. After a stormy night in a rundown motel, they fall deeply in love and begin dreaming of a future together, but can their bond withstand society’s prejudice against a one-legged man and a young Roma woman?

The film captures a period in the life of figure skater Ondrej Nepela, when in 1972 he returns with a gold medal from the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, marking the peak of his sporting career. At home, he is greeted not only with fame but also with the realities of the communist regime. Everyone treats him like a celebrity, but the sensitive Ondrej longs above all for an escape from this uncomfortable golden cage. He wants to live freely and in harmony with who he feels he truly is. Yet at the last moment, his promised chance to leave for a professional ice revue is forbidden, and he is ordered to compete in another World Championship. Disappointed, Nepela must find new motivation and also come to terms with the tragic death of his best friend, figure skater Hana Mašková.

Jano is an old-fashioned tradesman. However, a new idea by politicians to introduce an old-age tax pulls him out of his comfort zone.

Young bricklayer Rudo is unwillingly taken by his coworkers to a job in Moravia. After the arrival of the eccentric Kuliš, the work turns into a series of chaotic events where both the construction and relationships begin to fall apart. Rudo’s inner conflicts come alive through his old love Tamara. In the harsh world of laborers, where chaos reigns and the past blends with dreams, Rudo struggles to keep a piece of his honor and humanity.

Life is the only game one does not choose for oneself. The central theme of the film is not only the stories connected to the casino space, gambling and poker players, but also stories from the outside world - the game as a life feeling given to man from birth. Playing in the casino space is the essence of fun and relaxation, but also of the feeling of gambling, it has a kind of mysterious flavour to it. The world 'beyond the walls', the outside world, and therefore politics, is a world of even greater games. Politics influences people's lives, plays with them and, unlike the 'poker' world, often uses unfair means, has no set rules of the game and sometimes even fights against them.

Alan, a promising boxer, spends a lonely summer traveling with his family’s carnival. Trapped among the flashing lights of the carnival rides, he dreams of a life that would bring him more freedom and recognition. When he meets lifeguard Viki during his last summer shift at the lake, an unexpected bond forms between them that helps them both find the courage to set out in a new direction. After failing her college entrance exams, Viki is coming to terms with her disappointment and searching for her own path. The summer at Zemplínska Šírava gives her the space to defy the expectations of those around her, leave the past behind, and start believing in herself.