Our Lovely Pig Slaughter

(KVIFF) Our Lovely Pig Slaughter is a Czech film in the truest sense of the word, from the filmmakers, to the pig slaughter theme, to a nod to domestic works from the 1960s. At first, we witness an ordinary family event, but it is a catalyst for deeper themes in interpersonal relationships. Our Lovely Pig Slaughter has the potential to engage a wide audience, mainly due to how it manages to translate that very ordinary family reunion to the big screen in such an engaging way, which of course had a lot to do with the cast and their grounded performances. The ubiquitous light and natural humour is effectively interspersed with serious sequences that sometimes gave me a chill, only to be amused again one scene later at the expense of the characters. I am definitely very curious about Adam Martinec's next film. (2024-07-01)

The titular pig slaughter in this comedic film serves as an opportunity for four generations of a family and friends to come together and deal with their various disagreements, whether relationship, parental or neighbourly. The natural and authentic-sounding dialogue is masterfully rendered and the superbly coordinated (non-)actors reveal a lot about the typical Czech character and are often downright hilarious. Though not all of the initiated conversational storylines come to a clear conclusion, the ending of the film has a clearly conciliatory tone. Though the film may at first seem to be folk entertainment due to its subject matter (and it is to some extent), it also stands in opposition to that, as it primarily tells of the vulnerability of its characters and even approaches the slaughter as a tolerated relic of the period rather than highlighting it as a popular village tradition. (2024-07-04)

A small, modest and totally effective probe into the Czech village mentality, evoking Czechoslovak classics such as The Snowdrop Festival and The Firemen's Ball. Adam Martinec is able to lead his well-chosen actors and non-actors to a complete authenticity that one would be hard pressed to find in contemporary Czech cinema. He views his characters, though flawed and some literally terrible, with empathy and without judgment. Life is not black and white, and the director knows this very well. Together with the director of 2022’s Somewhere Over the Chemtrails, we now have two Adams whose next projects are worth watching! [KVIFF 2024] (2024-07-01)