Czech Television Documentaries

Progress drives us forward. But where exactly is that? The trinity played a fundamental role in the creation of the world, shapes the dialectic of development, and echoes in our hesitation – yes, no, I don't know. Three characters, embodying this trinity of attitudes, walk the world in search of direction.

What helps teenagers with serious mental health problems return to normal life? A mosaic of stories from children and parents who have experienced hospitalization at the Opařany Children's Psychiatric Hospital shows the types of treatment that can help children return to a full life even after serious problems such as depression, suicidal tendencies, self-harm, or eating disorders.

Vít Bělohradský is a cameraman, director, and producer who has been working as the chief cameraman for Czech Television since 1995 (he also collaborates with commercial stations). He has filmed approximately 1600 programs in the fields of documentary, educational, entertainment, and feature film production. He was involved in the creation of the generational cycle Paskvil, collaborated with Petr Vachler on the program Kinobox for many years, and organized the Czech Lions awards. In the field of fiction, he has participated in the creation of several series, the television film Herbert v ringu (Herbert in the Ring, 2009), and the film Největší z Čechů (The Greatest of the Czechs, 2010).

High school teacher and passionate historian Unai Eguía teams up with Antón Gandarias to travel across Europe in search of information about Antón's uncle, who disappeared without a trace during World War II. Their search takes them from the Basque Country to Prague, where they uncover the story of František Suchý, the former director of the crematorium in Prague's Strašnice district, and his son. Risking their own lives, they managed to preserve the names and ashes of more than 2,200 victims of the Nazi regime who were cremated at the crematorium. Among them, Spaniards find the lost remains of their ancestors, all traces of whom were carefully erased eighty years ago in Franco's Spain. The documentary film, which reveals the secrets of the harrowing journey of the heroes deported to the Hradištko concentration camp near Prague, is complemented by impressive animations.

Director Mira Remo's film loosely develops the theme of Aleš Palán and Jan Šíbík's book of the same name about the hermits of Šumava. The film is guided by twins František and Ondřej Klišík – eternal children living in a magical world with their pets. They share every day, every routine, every thought. Outwardly, they seem like mirrors of each other, but inside they are two completely different souls. Years of inseparable coexistence are beginning to overwhelm them. Franta dreams of escape, of flying, of the world beyond the walls that bind him. Ondra remains rooted in what he knows well. Is it even possible to escape when the whole world bears your own face?

A portrait of Joy Adamson, a remarkable woman, author of the bestseller about the fate of the lioness Elsa and a pioneer in the protection of wild animals, who was born in Opava exactly 115 years ago. The documentary uses unique, newly discovered footage from her life.

Trabants have traveled around the world, now frogs are sailing! Traveler Dan Přibáň returns to cinemas after six years – this time in an amphibious LuAZ 967 vehicle nicknamed the yellow frog, which not only drives but also swims! He is joined on his wild journey by a Czech-Slovak group of crazy adventurers, including the indestructible Marek Slobodník on a floating motorcycle tricycle. The destination? 18,000 kilometers from Prague to Ulaanbaatar. Means? Used, dangerous, and funny machines. Challenges? The pitfalls of exotic countries, bizarre regimes, disappearing rivers, blooming deserts, and endless plains where there are no roads – only directions. And Mongolia – the land of blue skies. The least populated country in the world. A country that breaks hearts and fulfills dreams. In the end, beneath the dunes of the Gobi Desert, the moved men realize that it was really worth it and that miracles do happen... But sometimes in a completely different way than they expected.

A substance that saves lives and destroys them at the same time. How does fentanyl work in medicine and who does it help with pain? And what are the fates of those who have fallen victim to this powerful and addictive drug?

Director Jakub Motejzík followed the reconstruction of Hrabal's legendary cottage in Kersko last year and showed the transformation of the old building into a modern house museum with all the small details and memories of the famous writer in a short documentary called Hrabal's Cottage. The year 2024, in which Bohumil Hrabal would have turned 110, was accompanied by a number of other major events mapping the life and work of the beloved and reviled writer. The main impetus for the hour-long film was the discovery of authentic recordings of Bohumil Hrabal from meetings at the Protestant rectory in Libice nad Cidlinou between 1981 and 1984 and recordings from meetings with students from Aš, who visited Bohumil Hrabal at his cottage in Kersko in the 1980s.

Generation X is also known as Husák's children. They were born between 1965 and 1980 under a strict socialist regime, but as adults they are now experiencing freedom with all that it brings and takes away. Their experience with pervasive propaganda, censorship, and lack of freedom has made them rather reserved pessimists. In the free environment of the 1990s, they generally experience euphoria from their newly acquired freedom, but individuals' ideas about what will come next and where the world should go after the fall of the Iron Curtain differ. Paradoxically, the same experience becomes something that both unites and divides them.

Generation Z was born between 1996 and 2012. They are growing up in a world of fundamental change and crisis. The global financial crisis, climate crisis, geopolitical crises, terrorism, and the proximity of war are all bringing about a paradigm shift, and Generation Z is keenly aware of this and wants to change the world for the better. They are more sensitive, but they also feel a stronger sense of responsibility for the future world. They live online and quickly accept and absorb new knowledge. They take a critical view of the old order and do not consider its immutability to be dogma. This brings them into sharp conflict with their parents' and grandparents' generation. The older generation cannot always accept their world, which has changed much more rapidly than in previous decades, leading to greater conflict. Some older people mockingly call young people snowflakes, and young people respond by labeling them boomers.

A crew of enthusiasts sets out in a monoxyl, a vessel carved from a tree trunk, on a journey across the Aegean Sea. Their goal is to verify how the first farmers could have traveled from Asia Minor to Europe 9,000 years ago. The documentary reveals new facts about ancient European history.

After hundreds of years, thanks to Prague Zoo, the last species of wild horse, Przewalski's horse, is returning home to Kazakhstan. In June 2024, two military aircraft took off with a special cargo on board. Seven Przewalski's horses are heading via Istanbul and Baku to the old abandoned airport of Arkalyk in central Kazakhstan. Thus begins the return of wild horses to the Golden Steppe, which was originally their home.

Why does the Czech justice system impose harsh penalties on cannabis growers? Are these penalties proportionate and fair, or is it time to review them? ... Czech prisons are bursting at the seams.

The number of anxiety, depression, and suicide cases among young people is growing. Parents are often helpless and don't know where to seek help. There is a shortage of mental health professionals for children and adolescents in Czechia, and waiting times can be several months long. The heroes and heroines of this documentary also struggle with mental health issues. Karolína, Jakub, Kristýna, and Michael, all in their twenties, offer an open and honest insight into what it is like to experience a mental crisis. At the same time, together with their families and loved ones, they explain what has helped them and continues to help them lead a fulfilling life.

This powerful and inspiring feature-length documentary describes the incredible "Japanese journey" of Olympic judo champion Lukáš Krpálek against the backdrop of the unknown story and confessions of his greatest rival. Gentle Fighter is a film for anyone looking for inspiration in stories about willpower and overcoming obstacles. It is a film that shows that true strength does not come from the size of muscles and the power of tendons, but mainly from the mindset.

The Czech Republic has not had a female head of state since the reign of Maria Theresa, and women are generally scarce in politics. Society still perceives them differently, especially in public and political life. How does this affect the passing of laws, and why are women needed? In this episode, we will see the stories of two women who decided to promote women's rights in real politics. During the First Republic, Milada Horáková unsuccessfully attempted to change the law on the equal relationship between men and women in marriage, while Johanna Nejedlová's activities helped to pass a new definition of rape. What difficulties do women encounter in active politics?

For a long time, women were primarily objects of male desire and inspiration. Works of art frequently depicted naked female bodies. But does a woman have to be naked to be truly seen? How are women changing the established view of the female body through their art? A radical stance was taken by a prominent film personality, a woman who managed to assert herself in a male-dominated world through her determination: film director Věra Chytilová. And her followers today are springing up like mushrooms after rain. Through her films, drawings, and rap songs, artist Marie Lukáčová undermines today's stereotypes about (not only) women's bodies.

Three men who underwent vasectomies comment on their reasons for the procedure. Many children, convenient contraception, and the decision to live without children. These are purely human reasons, even if controversial for some. The topic of voluntary male infertility is still taboo in Czech society; vasectomies have only been legal here for 11 years, but the number of procedures is increasing every year. Andrologist Lukáš Bittner, biologist Stanislav Komárek, and gynecologist Helena Máslová have different opinions on the subject. Should we be afraid that men will voluntarily become infertile, or is this a modern method of contraception that does not leave this burden solely on women?

A documentary romance about two young people with disabilities who are trying to stand on their own two feet... Ondra and Lucka don't have it easy in life; they both have mental disabilities that limit their ability to find independent or shared housing. At the same time, like most people their age, they naturally want to leave the nest, live on their own without parental supervision, and have a relationship. The Rytmus organization offers them the opportunity to try out all these desires in the form of a training apartment. Will Lucka and Ondra be able to accommodate each other in their shared apartment? Will their parents be able to accept the fact that their disabled child is actually an adult? And will their relationship survive everyday life together? The documentary was produced by Czech Television in collaboration with the organization Rytmus – od klienta k občanovi, z.ú.

No more war, humiliation, and injustice! The building of post-war Czechoslovakia in 1945–1948 in a mosaic of unique diary entries and previously unpublished family films... The developments that Czechoslovakia underwent after the end of World War II were rapid and full of major events. First, there was a ruthless reckoning with traitors and collaborators. The principle of collective guilt was applied to citizens of German nationality, and almost all of them were forcibly expelled beyond the borders of Czechoslovakia. Changes also took place in the economy, which experienced its first wave of nationalization. The Communists played a major role among the political parties, as many saw them as a guarantee that the problems of the First Republic and the horrors of the Protectorate would never be repeated. They confirmed their dominant position in the May 1946 elections. Klement Gottwald and the Communists were given the green light. And what did the citizens of Czechoslovakia think about this?

The director's candid confession offers an unusually honest look at foster parenting. It reveals the difficult journey she and her adopted daughter have been through, and together with other foster parents, she searches for answers that would help her understand the sudden separation on the threshold of her daughter's adulthood. She tries to cope with feelings of helplessness, personal failure, and endless love. But above all, the film is a story of all children who struggle with the consequences of abandonment and the upheaval of their basic certainties at the very beginning of their lives. They carry a burden they did not choose and which exceeds all their childish strength. It is their foster parents who can help them bear it. This candid exploration of foster parenting hides nothing and gets to the heart of the matter, yet above all it shows the power of the bond of unconditional parental love, regardless of whether we call it foster or biological.

Robert Sedláček visits the Chanov housing estate with his film crew. He meets with elementary school teachers, local students, and a famous rapper who is their role model. He discovers how Chanov has changed and how the dreams of a better life have changed for the youngest residents of Chanov. Through his film, he seeks to answer the question of who or what can give the children of Chanov a chance to avoid repeating the life path of their parents.

Lucie is raising a transgender daughter and organises a support group for other families of transgender adolescents. What do children need in this situation, what do their parents need, and what should schools do? This new documentary film follows on from the drama series Ratolesti.

Is it harder for a Ukrainian mother to find a job in her field or to find a school for her children? Natálie Císařovská's documentary follows war refugees Maria, Luda, and Olga in their efforts to integrate in Czechia.

Who cares for vulnerable children in Tábor? While their parents face social problems, the children spend their time on their cell phones and on the streets... The setting of the drama series Ratolesti through the documentary lens of director I. Bystřičan.