Helena's Law

This study of the famous Czech “Berdych Gang” focuses on police officer Helena Kahnová and on several other actors in the case, including the accused and the convicted.

Zákon Helena

Petra Nesvačilová

Czechia 2016

Czech

English

78 min.

Accessible

Videos

2 min

Zákon Helena (trailer)

Helena's Law

About

For her most recent film, young actress and documentary director Petra Nesvačilová decided to focus on police detective Helena Kahnová who in the 1990s, along with a colleague, managed to send to prison several dozen people associated with the so-called Berdych Gang – including Berdych himself. The total sentences meted out came to hundreds of years – as an extra work bonus, Kahnová received 10,000 Czech crowns and a promotion, which was revoked soon afterwards. While working on the film, the director managed to establish a working relationship with Berdych and former members of his gang. What motivates a woman police officer to stand up to the mafia and what motivates a young documentary filmmaker to make contact with these gangsters and shoot a film about them?

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