Acclaimed Slovak-Czech-Polish Drama Explores Devastating Family Tragedy

The 2025 Zurich Film Festival has honored the Slovak-Czech-Polish drama "Father" with its top prize in the Feature Film Competition. The jury, comprising directors Reinaldo Marcus Green, Leonie Benesch, and others, was deeply moved by the film's "craft and humanity" in telling the story of "an ordinary family facing extraordinary circumstances."

"Father" follows a father who accidentally causes a tragedy, based on the real-life phenomenon of "forgotten baby syndrome." As the jury noted, the film's central character is "neither a villain nor a hero, but a flawed human being caught in a single, devastating mistake." Yet at its core, the film is about "compassion, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit."

Zurich's director Christian Jungen described "Father" as a "captivating thriller" that takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, exploring how a terrible mistake can "shatter what we love most." The film, which world premiered in Venice last month, has also been selected as Slovakia's Oscar entry.