The film is being hailed by Slovaks as Šulík's comeback to feature film directing after six years spent mostly on documentary films, including the epic 26-part cycle on Czech New Wave directors, Golden Sixties. But it's also somewhat of a sentimental comeback; Šulík burst upon the world film scene with The Garden which won the Special Prize of the Jury at Karlovy Vary in 1995, followed by the Grand Prize at the Cottbus Film Festival (www.filmfestivalcottbus.de).

Slovakia is represented in the East of the West competition with Visible World directed by Peter Krištúfek, a debut film starring the Czech actor Ivan Trojan. In the European Film Promotion supported section Variety´s 10 Euro Directors to Watch, Zuzana Liová's House continues its triumphant march after its premiere in the Berlinale's Forum section.

Ilja by Ivan Ostrochovský screens in the 2011: Musical Odyssey section, and Slovak director Matej Mináč continues his series on British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton with Nicky's Family. Two Slovak co-productions screen in the Czech Films section: I.D. by Ondrej Trojan, and Jan Švanjkmajer's Surviving Life.

Slovak Film Institute (www.sfu.sk) representatives in Karlovy Vary include Peter Dubecký, Alexandra Strelková, Katarína Tomková, Miro Ulman and Viera Ďuricová July.

More information on the Slovak programme is online at www.aic.sk: SLOVAK FILMS - KARLOVY VARY 2011