Film Archive

Living Large

Horizons 2024 / Život k sežrání / Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, France 2024

Synopsis

Ben is a normal 12-year-old boy: he goes to school, plays in a band with his friends, and looks after a monkey with his veterinarian mother. But most of all, he likes food – both cooking and eating it. He ignores comments about his weight – until, that is, he is told it could cause serious health problems. What’s it like to grow up being called fat? And is a diet the answer for everything? Kristina Dufková’s feature-length stop-motion debut, based on Mikaël Ollivier’s novel La Vie, en gros, was shown at the Annecy film festival. Working with a sympathetic sense of humor, this sensitive family film characterized by a remarkable use of music and visuals explores the issue of childhood obesity without slipping into stereotyped views of the subject.

Natalia Kozáková

About the film

80 min / Color, DCP

Director Kristina Dufková / Screenplay Petr Jarchovský podle románu / based on the novel La vie, en gros by Mikaël Ollivier / Dir. of Photography Václav Fronk / Music Michal Novinski / Sound Viktor Ekrt, David Titěra / Editor Matej Beneš / Art Director Kristina Dufková / Producer Matěj Chlupáček / Production Barletta / Coproduction Novinski, Novanima / Cast Hugo Kovács, Tatiana Dyková, David Novotný, Eliška Křenková, Jiří Bartoška / Sales GoodFellas / Distributor Aerofilms

About the director

Kristina Dufková (1978, Prague). Selected filmography: A Tear Is Needed (Usnula jsem, 2008, short), Fimfarum – The Third Time Lucky (Fimfárum – Do třetice všeho dobrého 3D, 2011, co-dir.), Grim Reaper Does Not Bite (Zubatá nekouše!, 2019, co-dir.), Living Large (Život k sežrání, 2024).