Caravan (2025 film)
| Caravan | |
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Festival poster | |
| Czech | Karavan |
| Directed by | Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová |
| Screenplay by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Adam Brotánek |
Production companies |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Czech |
Caravan (Czech: Karavan) is a 2025 drama road film co-written and directed by Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová in her feature directorial debut. It stars Anna Geislerová, David Vostrčil, Juliana Brutovská-Oľhová, Mario Russo and Jana Plodková. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2025, and was theatrically released in the Czech Republic on 28 August 2025.
Premise
Ester, a burned out mother, embarks on an Italian road trip with her intellectually disabled son, David.
Cast
- Anna Geislerová as Ester
- David Vostrčil as David
- Juliana Brutovská-Oľhová as Zuza
- Mario Russo as Marco
- Jana Plodková as Petra
- Giandomenico Cupaiulo as Tommaso
Production
The film was announced in 2019, but production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] Writer-director Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová drew inspiration for the film from her own experiences raising a child with Down syndrome and autism.[3][4] Principal photography took place in 2023.[5] The film was shot over five weeks in Reggio Calabria, specifically Melito di Porto Salvo, Bova, Bova Marina, Palizzi, Condofuri, Montebello Ionico, Roghudi, San Lorenzo, Brancaleone, and Locri. Filming also took place near Bologna and in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic.[6][7]
Release
Alpha Violet acquired the sales rights to the film in late April 2025.[3][8] The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2025.[2][9][10] It received a theatrical release in the Czech Republic on 28 August 2025.[11]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive.[12]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannes Film Festival | 24 May 2025 | Prix Un Certain Regard | Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová | Nominated | [13] |
| Camera d'Or | Nominated | [14] | |||
| Czech Lion Awards | 14 March 2026 | Best Film | Caravan | Won | [15] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Juliána Brutovská | Won | |||
| Jana Plodková | Nominated | ||||
| Best Director | Zuzana Kirchnerová-Špidlová | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in Leading Role | David Vodstrčil | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in Leading Role | Anna Geislerová | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Zuzana Kirchnerová, Tomáš Bojar, Kristina Májová | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Simona Weisslechner, Denisa Buranová | Nominated | |||
| Best Music | Aid Kid, Viera Marinová | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Adam Brothánek | Nominated | |||
| Best Sound | Martin Ženíšek, Michal Deliopulos, Klára Javoříková | Nominated |
References
- ^ Kudláč, Martin (24 July 2019). "Czech Cinéfondation winner Zuzana Kirchnerová preparing Italian road movie The Caravan". Cineuropa. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ a b Podskalská, Jana (22 May 2025). "Anna Geislerová v Cannes: Mám radost i chuť utéct". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ a b Vivarelli, Nick (22 April 2025). "Cannes Un Certain Regard Entry 'Caravan' From Zuzana Kirchnerová Boarded for World Sales by Alpha Violet (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Tóthová, Roberta (27 May 2021). "Aj materská láska má svoje limity". Pravda (in Slovak). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Poláček, Tomáš (25 June 2024). "Aňa Geislerová: Nesnáším pocit závislosti na čemkoliv". Reportér (in Czech). Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Hloušková, Lenka (8 June 2023). "Aňa Geislerová točí v Itálii road movie Karavan. K vidění bude v Cannes". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Borgis. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "Calabria Film Commission al Festival di Cannes con il film Caravan di Zuzana Kirchnerová". Gazzetta del Sud (in Italian). 11 April 2025. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ Lemercier, Fabien (29 April 2025). "Alpha Violet to wager on Caravan in Cannes". Cineuropa. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
- ^ Ntim, Zac (10 April 2025). "Cannes Competition: Aster, Trier, Dardennes, Reichardt, Ducournau & Wes Anderson Among Lineup — Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (10 April 2025). "Cannes Lines Up Another Hot Festival With Wes Anderson, Richard Linklater, Ari Aster Premieres (Full List)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Podskalská, Jana (11 April 2025). "Český film Karavan míří na festival do Cannes. Po třiceti letech". Deník (in Czech). Vltava Labe Media. Retrieved 14 April 2025.
- ^ "Caravan". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ Lodge, Guy (23 May 2025). "Chilean AIDS Drama 'The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo' Wins Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Roxborough, Scott (24 May 2025). "Jafar Panahi Wins Cannes Palme d'Or for 'It Was Just an Accident'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Zbořil, Jonáš (14 March 2025). "Donutil i Geislerová bez Lva. Ceny ovládla nastupující generace". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 15 March 2026.