Hostage

This tragicomic family film delves into the world of young protagonists, focusing on the son of a local communist official and his friend, a young boy caught in the regime’s grip after his parents fled to the West, just a few years before the “Prague Spring” and the subsequent occupation of Czechoslovakia. The story explores themes of friendship, the first stirrings of love, clashes with rival gangs, and innocent dreams, all set against the harsh realities of the adult world. It portrays the boys’ initial encounters with the strange and absurd aspects of adult relationships, political tensions, emigration, as well as themes of betrayal and death, illustrating how these experiences shape and change the lives of these young boys, compelling them to mature prematurely.