synopsis
How do a long-suppressed past and the loss of one’s original family leave their mark on the memories and lives of subsequent generations? The legacy of Karel Ančerl, the legendary chief conductor of the Czech Philharmonic, serves as the starting point in Saša Dlouhý’s documentary for an exploration of the roots of transgenerational trauma. The film follows Ančerl’s granddaughter, Maximiliane, as she reconstructs her grandfather’s turbulent life story through period film footage, family photographs and interviews with eyewitnesses. Alongside his international successes, it also reveals his traumatic experiences in Terezín and Auschwitz, and his emigration to Canada following the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia.
“He had that piece, he was part of it, he was living it, but he knew exactly what he had to do and how to do it.”
biography
Saša Dlouhý (1971) is a Czech documentary filmmaker, producer, and founder of freeSaM. He initially made primarily nature-oriented documentaries before turning his attention to the themes of collective memory, historical traumas, migration and the manifestations of hatred in contemporary society.
film details
| director: | Saša Dlouhý, Adam Oľha |
| producer: | Saša Dlouhý |
| script: | Saša Dlouhý, Adam Oľha |
| photography: | Adam Oľha, Jakub Halousek, Saša Dlouhý |
| editing: | Jakub Voves |
| music: | Karel Ančerl |
| sound: | Dominik Dolejší, Michal Gábor |
| sound design: | Ondřej Skala |
| co-producer: | Martina Šantavá, Robert Kirchhoff, Pavel Vácha |
| script dramaturgy: | Rebeka Bartůňková, Kristián Suda |
Film at festival
| premiere type: | World Premiere |
| festival edition: | 2026 |
| section: | Special Event |
| language: | Polish, English, Czech |
| subtitles: | Czech, English |
| colour: | Colour and B&W |
Info
| director: | Saša Dlouhý, Adam Oľha |
| original title: | Skrytý čtvrttón |
| country: | Czech Republic, Slovakia |
| year: | 2026 |
| running time: | 88 min. |
