We Have Never Been Modern

Spectacular detective drama set in 1930s Czechoslovakia. The life of a modern Bata town is turned upside down by a mysterious and terrifying discovery in the grounds of a local factory. Against all odds, the director's young wife embarks on a search for the truth.

Úsvit
Czechia, Slovakia 2023
117 min.
12+
  • This film is available in the following territories: Czechia, Slovakia.
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About

Amidst a thriving Baťa-esque town, nestled in the scenic foothills of the majestic Tatra mountains, stands a factory, whose young director is, for his day (it's 1937), pleasingly modern in approach. Yet, don’t be fooled, the film’s protagonist is actually his wife Helena (Eliška Křenková). The aspiring doctor is soon to give birth, yet her resolute gaze into her family’s rosy future is suddenly darkened by the discovery of the body of a newborn baby in the vibrant factory's cou­rtyard. Helena’s innate empathy, intensified by her pregnancy, isn’t satisfied by the conspicuously prompt solution to the mystery. A stirring detective drama with a progressive and profoundly human perspective on a theme controversial not only shortly before the unexpected war, but also decades later.

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Credits
Director: Matěj Chlupáček
Screenplay: Miro Šifra
Cinematography: Martin Douba
Music: Simon Goff
Sound: Peter Hilčanský, Pavel Rejholec
Editing: Pavel Hrdlička
Production Design: Henrich Boráros
Producer: Maja Hamplová, Matěj Chlupáček
Co-production: Rasťo Šesták, Peter Bebjak
Costumes: Jarmila Dunděrová
Cast: Eliška Křenková, Miloslav König, Milan Ondrík, Marián Mitaš, Luboš Veselý, Martha Issová, Ladislav Hampl, Richard Langdon
Awards

Thessaloniki Film Festival

2023 – Richard Langdon (Best Actor – Meet the Neighbors)

Links
  • This film is available in the following territories: Czechia, Slovakia.