Heaven

Tomáš Etzler, Adéla Špaljová / Czech Republic / 2021 / World Premiere / 71 min.

synopsis

Tomáš Etzler worked for seven years as a foreign correspondent in China. He came to know a country that was developing at an admirably fast pace, was swayed by its energy, and for a moment believed that modernity could bring about political change as well. Before long, it dawned on him that many people would continue to be severely punished, and the regime would still keep most of the nation in a state of indecision and ignorance. Without neglecting that face of China today, Etzler chose to tell a story of hope in his personal documentary. Using the example of an orphanage for disabled children, he shows that the answer to collectivist brutality and ruthlessness can be mutual assistance, tolerance and empathy.

“I don't like communists, I think communists everywhere in the world are criminals.” (Tomáš Etzler)

biography

Tomáš Etzler (1963) served as Czech Television’s correspondent from 2006 to 2014. He has also worked as a foreign reporter for CNN in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, he was the first Czech journalist to receive an Emmy. He presented his documentary debut Heaven in Ji.hlava in 2019 as a work in progress.