DANAE Production’s debut The Father demonstrates the fundamental focus of our creative and production interest – powerful, profound and ambiguous stories.
Characteristics:
On the hottest day of the year, a loving father forgets his baby daughter in a locked car, causing her to die. Although he received a suspended sentence for manslaughter, this was not enough for the people of Slovakia, who wanted to take justice into their own hands. A year later, overwhelmed by guilt, father died of a heart attack.
Every year, all around the world, dozens of children die in exactly this way. Experts call this phenomenon ‘Forgotten Baby Syndrome’. It is a legally recognized condition across the world (not in Slovakia, however).
Inspired by real events and the book ‘My life with Jojo” by Dušan Budzak
Screenplay: Tereza Nvotová, Dušan Budzak
Director: Tereza Nvotová
Director of photography: Adam Suzin
Main cast: Milan Ondrík (Michal) and Dominika Morávková (Zuzka)
Places of Shooting: Slovakia
Length: 90 min.
Language versions: Slovak / English and Polish subtitles
Co-producers: moloko film (CZ) and LAVA FILMS (PL)
Shooting started in June 2023. Released in 2025.
The Father has been selected for When East Meets West (IT, 2020), Baltic Event (EE, 2021) and Sofia Meetings (BG, 2022). Nowadays DANAE Production is in pre-production stage of the project Father and has secured financing from Slovakia and Czech republic and Poland.
On May 18, 2024, "The Father" was featured at Cannes as one of the five projects in the Marché du Film's Works in Progress.