The Confessions of Kateryna K.

The Confessions of Kateryna K.

(Zpověď Kateryny K.), Miroslav Janek / CZ, 2008
original version / Czech and English subtitles, 57 min

Kateryna Kolcová-Tlustá was born in Ukraine, where they did not want to allow her to study at a musical conservatory because of her impaired vision. Consequently, she went to the Czech Republic in the belief that things would be better there. But even in that country, this energetic singer encountered prejudice because of her nationality, disability and even her physical appearance. On top of all these minority labels, she is Jewish as well, and this is something that also informs her artistic output. This new documentary by Miroslav Janek is an intimate portrait of the life of a spontaneous artist who also stands up for her child born with the same physical handicap in defiance of the views of the majority of people in society. This minimalist statement is almost without exception played out in the living room of Tlustý's family. It primarily presents the opinions of Kateryna on her private and public life in the Czech Republic and on the attitude of Czech society to art in comparison with Ukraine. The camera shows the day-to-day situation in which Jan, Kateryna and Debora find themselves and which are characteristic of an unusual nuclear family, where any problems can be submerged beneath the all-encompassing tones of music.