"Pokoj v Dusi" ("Soul at Peace")

The lone Slovakian entry in this year’s official competition.

The tale of a man recently released from prison trying to make his way once again in the outside world. This is very much the story of man and his rebirth.

This man (Smejkal) from the countryside who has worked as a lumberjack tries to make amends for his past and now tries to walk the straight and narrow path. Not able to find work he is enticed by an old friend to steal for him once again. Smejkal declines this offer and realizes that his friend is not really a friend (in more ways than one).

The struggle to start over with a new moral framework is ultimately too difficult for Smejkal as he ends his journey in dramatic fashion.

It’s a pity that this film ended as it did because it is a story that addresses with moral clarity the difficulties (and rewards) of reconciliation and resurrection.

But it quit before the finish line…