Matt Sarnecki’s documentary begins with the murder of a crusading Slovak reporter and takes us through the extraordinary aftermath. Ján Kuciak was a dogged investigative scribe, digging up dirt on his country’s most prominent gangsters, as well as their partners in the “legitimate” realms of business and politics. The 2018 assassination of Kuciak and his fiancée was surely intended as a warning to Slovakia’s media establishment, but in fact it had the opposite effect: cross-publication cooperation in an all-out effort to expose the guilty parties.
The story of that endeavour is rich indeed: among its lurid ingredients are hidden thumb drives, widespread sexual blackmail, massive corruption, and the coordination of homicide via emoji-laced text messages. As it moves from Kuciak’s murder through the ensuing revelations and their seismic political impact, Sarnecki’s work holds the fascination of a bonafide page-turner.
[A] riveting true crime tale. As an exposé, it’s explosive. As journalism, it’s watertight.”—Pat Mullen, POV Magazine
Media Partner
Denmark
2022
In Slovak and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Bidad
In Tehran, Seti dreams of singing freely in the streets. Bidad, directed by Soheil, is a raw, urgent portrait of resistance, courage, and hope. A must-see film about one woman's voice echoing a generation's fight for freedom.
Secrets of a Mountain Serpent
Set in a remote Himalayan town in India during the Kargil War, Secrets of a Mountain Serpent weaves together personal desire and ancient folklore to ask a pertinent question: Can you belong to someone and still belong to yourself?
Palestine 36
Palestine's entry for Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards is an epic historical drama from director Annemarie Jacir that follows an ensemble of rural villagers who face off against British colonial forces during the 1936 Palestinian revolt.
In the Room
Brishkay Ahmed's documentary explores the resilience and cultural identity of Afghan women through intimate interviews and archival images. Powerful, urgent, and informative, it reminds us that human rights are fragile and must be fiercely protected.
Thus Spoke the Wind
Set in the remote plains of rural Armenia, Maria Rigel’s sharp sophomore feature takes us into the lives of young Hayk, his aunt Narine, and Hayk's rebellious mother, who has returned from a long stay in the country, throwing things off balance.
Decorado
In existential crisis, a middle-aged mouse increasingly believes the world is unreal, much like a film set. As his suspicions grow increasingly credible, will he accept his fate, or hatch one last bid for freedom?
Credits
Executive Producer
Drew Sullivan, Paul Radu
Producer
Signe Byrge Sørensen
Cinematography
Anna Smoroňová
Editor
Janus Billeskov Jansen
Original Music
Kristian Eidnes Andersen
Director
Matt Sarnecki
Matt Sarnecki is a journalist, producer, and film director at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. His documentary Killing Pavel (2017), about the murder of investigative journalist Pavel Sheremet, won the Investigative Reporters and Editors Medal in 2017 and the 2018 Documentari, Inchieste, Giornalismi Award in the Investigative Medium category. He spent several years working in television and documentary in New York and has produced and directed series for VICE and Powder.com. Sarnecki has a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, and has lived in Bucharest, Romania since 2013.