Backwoods

Marta (Klára Issová) decides to leave her toxic relationship with her husband Milan (Juraj Loj) and, with her two daughters, seeks refuge in a remote location with her ageing father (Jan Vlasák). Instead of the peace she had hoped for, however, she finds herself caught up in his eccentric obsession with the impending apocalypse. As part of his preparations for the end of the world, he involves Marta and her granddaughters in his ‘survival school’. The ever-present wild boars, childhood memories and a growing sense that she is losing control of her own life gradually turn into a nightmare for Marta. Marta’s attempt to take her life into her own hands takes a dramatic turn following her husband’s unexpected arrival, which nearly results in tragedy. A mysterious family drama about forgiveness, the search for balance, and the realisation that true wilderness is not to be found in the woods, but within our own family.

The psychological family drama BACKWOODS marks the directorial debut of Evženie Brabcová. The film boldly tackles themes rarely addressed in Czech cinema – toxic relationships, hidden domestic violence and the ‘prepper’ phenomenon. Yet it avoids the tone of a depressing social drama and leaves room for hope. “The fates of our characters unfold against the backdrop of a seemingly vague catastrophe. The fact that the balance will be upset could happen almost overnight. Backwoods is a drama that incorporates elements of the absurd, and the screenplay was written long before the pandemic. We could never have imagined that even the wildest imaginings could turn into reality so quickly,” reveals the director.