Koza

Peter “Koza” Baláž is a former Olympic boxer. He and his partner Miša are constantly struggling to make ends meet. Miša learns that she is expecting a child and decides to terminate her pregnancy. She pressures Koza to get money for the procedure. Koza, who has not trained in a while, steps back into the ring, hoping to earn some much-needed cash and possibly change Miša’s mind. He and his manager Zvonko embark on a “tour”, where success is not measured in victories, but in the amount of blows that Koza can take. There is boxing footage aplenty, but Ostrochovský and director of photography Martin Kollar, who beautifully frames the dark, wintry landscape, primarily focus on the space outside the ring; they avoid stereotyping their subjects and capture welcome moments of gentle humor. (Alissa Simon, Viennale)