THE PRODUCERS of the new Slovak film Cruel Enjoyments by Juraj Nvota are facing a dilemma. Should they present their film at the International Film Festival in Karlove Vary, Czech Republic, or at the prestigious European Berlinale festival in Germany?
Even though the Berlinale takes place in February and the Karlove Vary festival is in July, the Czech festival's rules make it clear that a competing movie cannot be shown at any other festival. The last time a Slovak film competed at the Karlove Vary festival was in 1998. It was with the "extremely bitter tragicomedy" Rivers of Babylon directed by Vladimír Balco and based on Peter Pišťanek's bestseller.
Nvota's film, set in the 1930s, is a candidate for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. Recently deceased humorist Július Satinský played his final role in the movie.
