Let There Be Light is a 2019 Slovak-Czech drama film directed by Marko Škop who co-wrote with Frantisek Krähenbiel & Zuzana Liová. The film is produced by Jan Melis, Petr Oukropec, Marko Škop, and Pavel Strnad. The film stars Frantisek Beles, Milan Ondrík, Dieter Fischer, and Ingrid Timková. It was selected as the Slovak entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.
Contents
Plot
A Slovak man who works in Germany, soon learns that his son joined a paramilitary youth group, which was involved in the death of a classmate.
Cast
Frantisek Beles as Adam
Milan Ondrík as Milan
Dieter Fischer as Roman
Ingrid Timková as Maid
Ľubomír Paulovič as Grandfather
Reception
Critical response
Richard Mowe of Eye For Film wrote, "Škop had made a series of award-winning documentaries before his feature début on Eva Nová, and now Let There Be Light confirms his talents as an assured director of actors and a director-writer of great economy and rigour.".The Prague Reporter wrote, "Holding together Let There Be Light is an especially empathetic lead performance from Ondrík: his Milan, at first presented as an irrepressibly cheerful character who just wants to do the right thing slowly has the positive outlook drained right out of him during the course of the movie.". Alissa Simon of Variety wrote, "The multilayered “Let There Be Light” is an earnest, relatable state-of-the-nation drama from helmer-writer Marko Škop that highlights xenophobia, religious hypocrisy and the rise of the extreme right in a small Slovak village.".