health

Freezing eggs today allows women to delay the ticking of the biological clock. In the Czech Republic, we already have almost fifty centres where these procedures are carried out. Moreover, after the pandemic wave, the number of women who have undergone this procedure has multiplied. It is therefore currently an unmissable demographic phenomenon that is making a significant contribution to population growth. In the long term, however, the statistics do not inspire much optimism.

With the same intensity with which the flashing blue light illuminates its surroundings, fatal experiences are burned into the memory of an ambulance paramedic. The traumatic dimension of carrying out a profession that is essential for society is brought closer by the documentary confession of a man who sometimes unfortunately cannot save the lives of others.“In recent years, I have often been surprised at how we move the suffering in our society to the edges. Preferably out of sight.” Source: Jaap van Heusden's blog

The medical profession requires not only detailed knowledge of diagnostic and treatment procedures, but also personal qualities or communication skills. Can these be taught? Jindřich Andrš' observational film shows new ways of teaching at the Second Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. We follow medics who find themselves in challenging simulated and real situations - for the first time in the role of a doctor. "I must say that this is a style of teaching that we have not had the chance to encounter before, and the actual experience is absolutely irreplaceable. The emotions are real and you don't feel comfortable at all."

The static view of the sea bay and the urban skyline is the same every day during the coronavirus pandemic. Radio broadcasts, film clips and the sounds of washing dishes can be heard in the background. Meanwhile, the author's voice shares his intimate feelings and philosophical reflections on the changes that emerge in this apparent constancy. “This isn’t a weather diary. It is a climate diary. The changes are very subtle. You can barely feel them.”

The three female protagonists present their personal relationship with intravenous drug use, and their intimate confessions are filled with fear and insecurity but also love for the state of intoxication. Ambient music in the background and colourful textures multiplying over shots of the everyday reality of drug users create an almost dreamlike world. “I won’t feel the full effects the whole night, but it will help take my mind off things.”

Els' daughter doesn't want to live anymore. The formerly cheerful child became suicidal at the age of 13, to such an extent that she has to spend most of her time under medical supervision. She sees euthanasia as the only solution to her desperate condition. She not only wants to abandon her life, but unfortunately also her mother, who can only stand by and watch. “The themes of motherhood, the motifs of the mother-child relationship, are inspired by the relationship with my own mother and my own possible relationship with motherhood.” Source: We Are Moving Stories

Martina was doused with acid by her ex-boyfriend, causing third-degree burns to the upper half of her body and almost complete blindness. The documentary portrait follows her life story after this life-changing attack – coping with the loss of physical attractiveness, the fear of a world she cannot see, and her search for a new meaning in life. Martina's story bears all the hallmarks of a good biopic. It presents a strong central character going through difficult situations and finding happiness despite many pitfalls. But what sets it apart from mainstream productions is the directness with which Martina speaks to us and its potential to break through many taboos. “When we started working together, she was very traumatized by the attack. She did not associate with journalists and only agreed to do the documentary on the condition that if she wanted to, I would throw everything in the trash.” Source: Vlasta.cz

Can someone become a mother without giving birth to a child? Twenty-nine-year-old filmmaker Santwana, who is not yet ready to become a mother, and forty-five-year-old doula Kata, who, though childless herself, helps many couples bring their children into the world, are searching for the answer to this question together. This highly intimate documentary empathetically introduces us to the most beautiful and vulnerable moments of life surrounding childbirth.“You know Khalil Gibran? Do you remember what he says about children? Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you.” — Kata

A documentary about the various forms of the desire for perfection. Director Eva Tomanová uses the stories of four protagonists to show the motivations that lead people to often unrealistic aspirations, and explores why and at what cost they aspire to fulfil them. She reflects on how treacherous the process of reaching the ideal is and how easy it is to get lost on the road to perfection.

The parallels between the human body and architecture are highlighted in a film based on the personal experience of Louise Lemoine. As a child, she spent years in and out of hospitals caring for her severely disabled father. She confronts her traumatic memories with a cinematic exploration of the REHAB facility in Basel – a unique medical space adapted for special purposes. The artist duo arrives at the nature of its holistic character by way of a decomposition into sub-elements, including the body of the building, which is sensitively adapted to the mental state of the patients, as hospitals are not just factories designed to manage people. “So all the ways we occupy space and the way we adapt and subvert it are crucial to us, yet we are under the impression that we, as a society, think about it too little.” Source: ArchDaily

How has the coronavirus epidemic transformed everyday life in Shanghai? The world seems to have gone black and white. New routines are replaced by often harrowing and bleak intertwining stories, public announcements or cries for help. The director observes these from the shelter of her home, but even this, as a result of isolation, no longer evokes a sense of safe haven. “Over the past two months, my camera witnessed my everyday routines locked in this place. This place seems exactly like my home, but something feels strange here.” — Clarissa Zhang

Lucia "Pretty Beast" Krajčovič is a 34-year-old professional MMA* fighter and mother of two children. Shortly after giving birth, she is determined to become a champion in both disciplines - sport and motherhood. With a baby in her arms, she is preparing for her next fight. Under the immense pressure of her two identities, exhausted from lack of sleep, she wrestles with a question to which she had a clear answer not long ago. How to be both Pretty and Beast and for how much longer?*the sport formerly known as Vale Tudo, which means "everything allowed" in Portuguese