In 1980s Czechoslovakia, two young men (Samuel Skyva, Samuel Polakovic) enter the seminary, but in order to survive, God isn’t the only authority they need to obey. A chilling look at how the Catholic Church was pressured by the Communist regime. Living in a dictatorship has severe consequences, also for the men who commit atrocities in the name of the state, as symbolized by Vlad Ivanov who plays a security agent who’s developed quite a rash. Slow-moving and starkly black-and-white; the cinematography is more memorable than the director’s way of telling the story.
2020-Slovakia-Romania-Czech Republic-Ireland. 80 min. B/W. Directed by Ivan Ostrochovský. Cinematography: Juraj Chlpik. Cast: Samuel Skyva (Juraj), Samuel Polakovic (Michal), Vlad Ivanov (Ivan), Vladimir Strnisko, Milan Mikulcik, Tomas Turek.
Trivia: Original title: Sluzobníci.
