Válek

documentary / 2018 / Slovakia / col. / 131 min.

Director: Patrik Lančarič
Screenplay: Patrik Lančarič, Maroš Šlapeta
Photography: Peter Kelíšek
Editor: Maroš Šlapeta
Music: Vladislav Šarišský
Cast: Miroslav Válek, Miroslava Vallová, Katarína Válková, Andrej Válek, Barbora Vallová, Matúš Vallo, Stanislav Vallo, Miroslav Cipár, Peter Colotka, Ján Buzássy, Jozef Bžoch, Libor Duchoslav, Ľubomír Feldek, Eduard Grečner, Milan Hamada, Pavol Hammel, Miroslav Kusý, Milan Lasica, Daniel Pastirčák, Viliam Plevza, Roman Polák, Ján Štrasser, Anton Sloboda, Vladimír Strnisko, Martin M. Šimečka, Ivan Štrpka, Marian Varga, Pavel Vilikovský

Poet and politician Miroslav Válek (1927 – 1991) was a significant personality who left such a mark on Slovak culture in the past century, that not to come to terms with him would mean leaving his essential role without any reflection. To this day, he is considered to belong among the most conflicting personalities of the Slovak cultural and social environment, as he is associated with many legends and controversies. Filmmakers are trying to scout for the roots of these very controversies. His life story was significantly influenced and shaped by a time period which marked the development of our country as a whole, as well as the fates of its citizens. The film makes a responsible and objective contribution to the reflection on Válek’s personality. Válek’s “inner conflict” constitutes the basic starting point of the film. The conflict between Válek the poet and Válek the politician. The conflict between the intimate and the public, and vice versa.