Going through recovery means to be more resilient than before. And such a transformation is experienced by the protagonists of this year’s films, which, in accordance with the festival theme, build their stories on a change for the better. Thanks to the realization and especially acceptance of their own fragility, the characters become stronger and resist the pitfalls created by others as well as themselves. The dominant narrative about stability, which is often just a chimera, thus becomes a challenge they must recognize and defeat in the stories.

The current stability in our real lives symbolizes peace and comfort, but a closer look reveals its costs. How many problems have been overlooked only because they were a part of the previous “normal” and the majority of people preferred not to question them? Although our society places many obstacles in front of itself, there’s always hope for change.

Striving for recovery won’t be as easy as swallowing a pill. We must search for change and re-evaluate what “the world as we know it” means. Do we want to return to the well-known status quo out of convenience, or do we want to gather the courage and start thinking about a different future? The 21st edition of the festival offers a space for recovery and for imagining the new. Take a break with us, and transform self-care into an act of rebellion!

Veronika Hanáková, Program Coordinator