Charlatan takes top prizes at Czech Lion film awards

Charlatan triumphed in the Czech Lion national film awards in Prague on Saturday night, picking up gongs for Best Film as well as Best Director for Agnieszka Holland, a Polish filmmaker who has close ties to the Czech Republic. In addition, Charlatan’s Ivan Trojan was named Best Actor for his portrayal of real life healer Jan Mikolášek.

Shadow Country by Bohdan Sláma, a bleak portrayal of life in a village on the Czech-Austrian border in the middle of the last century, also did well. Writer Ivan Arsenjev took the Best Screenplay award while Magdaléna Borová was named Best Actress and Petra Špalková earned the Best Supporting Actress prize. Jiří Mádl took the Czech Lion for Best Supporting Actor for his part in Droneman.

Caught in the Net was named Best Documentary. The film by Barbora Chalupová and Vít Klusák exposed adults attempting to groom young teenagers and has become the most watched documentary at Czech cinemas ever.