Art Talent Show

Every year, dozens of young people hope to be admitted to the art academy in Prague. This award-winning documentary at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival observes the entrance exams, with a touch of dry humor. Over a number of days, prospective students present their work, receive assignments and are interviewed.

The film follows three pairs of teachers, each tasked with making a selection for their own department. While one pair takes the young people out of their comfort zone with difficult questions, another cheerfully discusses the difference between bisexual and pansexual. As an anchor, the film keeps returning to a shot of the hall with the glass booth of the receptionist, who has little time for all these eccentric, gender-fluid, artsy types.

At a patient pace and with an unobtrusive style reminiscent of the work of Frederick Wiseman, the film raises provocative questions, not only about what constitutes good art, and how to identify it, but also about how art relates to the world, shifting generations and changing power relationships.