International sales company Pluto Film has acquired the comedy “Chika Cheka”, which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Karlovy Vary International Airport. Film festival.
Written and directed by Simone Hawley, Chica Checa explores a widow’s journey as she deals with her son’s hidden identity as a drag queen. But both mother and son realized that reinvention is possible no matter how old you are.
Hawley’s fourth novel centers on Zdena, a widow who lives a quiet life as a postman in a small Czech village. When her beloved son Lukáš moves to Paris and returns to visit his dying grandmother, he comes out to his mother and tells her that he makes a living not as a banker but as a drag queen, Çika Cheka (“Czech Girl”). Although she reacts poorly at first, she loves her son unconditionally and values their bond over village gossip and petrified behavior.
The competition in Karlovy Vary will feature special screenings to please the audience.
“At a time of dramatic events happening around the world, our team has strived to create a film that conveys challenging themes in a bright and warm way without sacrificing artistic value,” said Hawley, who also composed the music. “This film, dedicated to our mothers with producer Aljuveta Janáčková, explores themes of intergenerational understanding and the unwavering desire and strength to live life the way you want without hurting anyone in the process. This seems absolutely important and fundamental in today’s world, not only in Central and Eastern Europe, but where politicians are trying to limit rights.”
“Chica Checa” stars Pavla Tomikova, Jan Sina and Alexandra Borbéry.
“We instantly fell in love with this heartwarming film,” said Benjamin Colle, Managing Director of Pluto Films. “This film refuses to make false choices between artistic integrity and emotional truth. We are confident that this intimate storytelling, infused with warmth, subtle humor, and a deep understanding of the mother-son dynamic, will resonate powerfully with queer communities as well as a wide range of audiences around the world.”
The film is a Czech, Slovak and French co-production, produced by Janáčková (Cirque Films, Czech Republic) and co-produced by Silvia Panáková (Arena Films, Slovak Republic), Czech Television, Frédéric Bélais and Alexis Dantec (French Connection, France). The film received support from the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Ile-de-France Region – Paris Region, the Pilsen Region (CZ), and the European Union through the Just Transition Program 2021-2027 and Next Generation EU.
