Last Routine

The 1973 World Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava were an event of extraordinary significance for communist Czechoslovakia. Today we know who won: Ondrej Nepela, a phenomenal athlete whose name was known throughout the world. The film LAST ROUTINE is an intense personal drama about a young man who, after years of representing his homeland, longs for only one thing—to leave socialist Czechoslovakia and perform in the popular revue Holiday on Ice. It is precisely at this vulnerable moment that the regime intensifies its pressure on him. During the final preparations for the championships, Ondrej struggles not only with the regime, but above all with himself. Shortly before the decisive run, he is paralyzed by fear, and Hilda Múdra must find a way to get him back on his feet. The film captures decisive moments and hints at why the world champion, in grainy footage from Bratislava, does not celebrate, even though he has just achieved the triumph of his life. The upcoming feature film LAST ROUTINE will hit theaters early next year and will be released against an exceptionally strong social and sporting backdrop. The year of its premiere will mark the return of world figure skating to the Czech Republic—the World Figure Skating Championships will return to Prague in 2026 after a 33-year absence.