Forced Sterilization Film: Beauty Masks Cruelty

The film 'Only Beautiful Things to Look At' by Ivan Ostrochovský meticulously recreates 1980s Czechoslovakia, a period marked by a state-sponsored racist program targeting the Roma population through coerced sterilization.

Despite its visually appealing presentation, the movie's soft-focus approach and its focus on a white female doctor's perspective tend to diminish the urgency of the depicted atrocities. This approach allows the film's well-intentioned message about the continued sterilization policy, which extended into the 21st century, to feel distant.

The narrative begins with a stark montage of young Roma women being lectured about family planning, with sterilization deceptively presented as a means to improve their quality of life. However, the film's primary dialogue and protest originate from Ingrid, the white protagonist, rather than the Roma women themselves.

Ingrid experiences personal and professional struggles, while her burgeoning friendship with Agata, a Roma orderly, gradually makes her uncomfortable with her role in the hospital's sterilization quotas. The film, however, centers Ingrid's moral awakening as the primary conduit for understanding the cruelty inflicted upon Roma families.

This focus is frustrating as Agata's personal story, including her separation from her sister and their differing life paths, offers a more compelling narrative. The film's visual beauty, while intentional, ultimately distances the audience from the harsh realities of the Roma women's plight.