Cinema: Alexandra Makarová

Together with Julia and her new partner Josef, she is building a peaceful life and seems to be leaving behind the traumas of her childhood in communist Czechoslovakia. But when Julia's father unexpectedly contacts her to tell her he is seriously ill, Perla decides to return to her homeland. What begins as a farewell grows into a confrontational journey past old wounds and unprocessed memories. As Perla becomes increasingly entangled in her past, the bond with her daughter threatens to break. Can she break free of what was, or will she lose herself again?
Perla is a layered and deeply human portrait about identity, motherhood and the psychological toll of living in diaspora. Director Alexandra Makarová brings to life an intimate family story inspired by her own roots and resilient women finding their way in a patriarchal world. Through strong performances and atmospheric images, she makes the impact of the past resonate palpably into the present - a timely story at a time when displacement and intergenerational trauma continue to play out.