You return to the places of your past. The places where you grew up. You tremble. You sweat. You swallow hard. You can’t escape the memories. Some are like vivid paintings. Others hit you like a punch in the face. An orphanage under communism. Foster parents. A juvenile detention centre. And then – the Velvet Revolution. Freedom, which you don't know how to handle. You fall a hundred times. You get back up on your feet. They never break you. Because you are not alone. You have yourself. And you have hope. The hope that one day you will escape to America. Where your father is waiting for you. Girl America is about a girl who stopped running.

Set in totalitarian Czechoslovakia, this bold and poignant coming-of-age film follows a young girl navigating a difficult childhood marked by abandonment and institutionalisation into adulthood. Blending colourful surreal visions and magical realism with flashes of harsh reality, this is a uniquely inventive cinematographic tour de force. Based on a true story that has also been adapted into a book and a theatre play. Arguably the most remarkable Czech film of the past year.

Awards: Czech Lion Awards 2025 (Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction)