Katka

At 19 years old, it seemed so simple: get off drugs and just start living. But in the 13 years that followed, getting clean proved to be anything but easy for a Czech woman named Katka. Filmmaker Helena Třeštiková follows Katka in her uphill battle to get off heroin. Nevertheless, this is not a documentary about drugs, but about the search for happiness, peace and freedom.

Třeštiková captures touching moments, such as when Katka jumps into a fountain with all her clothes on. In these scenes, we see the beautiful, healthy woman that still exists behind the shroud of addiction – a woman who makes one attempt after another to kick the habit, always in good spirits. As the film progresses, and a pattern becomes apparent in the hopes and frustrations of Katka and her boyfriend, we realize that this isn't a fairytale about young lovers living happily ever after. Even Katka begins to see how powerless she is in the face of the drugs. Discovering that she's pregnant sparks her hope that she'll finally gather the strength to stop.