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English Titles A

As Light as Breath

Original title: Lehká jako dech
German title: As Light as Breath*
Czech Republic, 2013

Director: Olmer, Vit
Production company: Czech Television
Age recommendation: 11 years and up

Synopsis:
Thirteen-year-old Marushka has been unsuccessfully struggling with excess weight – the cause of her being ridiculed and bullied by her schoolmates. She suffers from bulimarexia, but her fits of overeating followed by self-induced vomiting do not have the desired effect. And as she practically all the time sees photographs of slim fashion models in glossy magazines and watches them on television, it´s no wonder that she develops inferiority complex. What´s worse – it comes at an age when girls usually start fancying boys. Therefore she decides that, whatever the cost, she must become one of the beauty contest stars appearing on the pages of life-style periodicals. After all – there´s an excellent example for her to follow : her best friend Simona, who suffers from mental anorexia. The social background of each of the girls is totally different, but in both cases the family environment in which they are growing up is lacking in emotional warmth. A conflict between the two girls culminates in Simona´s death, while Marushka runs amok, under the influence of narcotics demolishes the family apartment, and ends up at a psychiatric clinic.

Festivals:
Oulu 2014

World sales address/es:
Czech TV (CZ)