directed by Tereza Nvotová, drama, 87 min, eng subtitles, 16+
written by Barbora Námerová
with Dominika Morávková-Zeleníková, Anna Rakovská, Anna iková, Róbert Jakab
Lena is a 17-year-old from a middle-class family experiencing her first love, secret night-time adventures and magical morning walks along the Danube. However, her dream world is shattered after she is raped by her maths teacher. Feeling dirty and looking for a way to cleanse herself, Lena sets out on a journey that is not simply about a coming of age, but also about a struggle with her own, distressed self. She feels that no one quite understands her and never will. She has no other choice than to fight her demons, grow up and realise that she is not the one who deserves punishment. Openly condemning Slovakias dysfunctional mental health system, Filthy suggests that for many rape victims, suffering often only really begins when they have to confront the universal indifference to their pain. This intimate, visually powerful fiction debut, which premiered at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam, is directed by Tereza Nvotová, who is well known to Slovak and Czech audiences for her controversial documentaries.