'Broken voices': New Czech film diagrams Bambini di Praga sex abuse scandal in the girls' choir of the 2000s

A new Czech drama that deals with the complexity of authority and abuse in a prestigious girls' choir will be premiere this summer. Directed by Ondřej Provazník, Broken voices ((Sbormistrist) inspires by real events, especially the scandal against sexual abuse in which the Bambini di Praga choir is involved in the early 2000s. The film aims to illuminate the complicated relationships between victims and perpetrators as well as the social challenges in recognizing and combating such abuse.

In the 1990s, the narrative against the background of the newly discovered freedom of the Czech Republic takes place in the nineties, and follows by the 13-year-old Karolína, which is depicted by Kateřina Falbrová when it was played by the competitive world of a well-known girl choir of the charismatic and yet authoritarian Vítězslav Mácha, played by Juraj. Through Karolína's eyes, the film examines topics such as ambition, manipulation and the blurred boundaries between mentoring and exploitation.

Inspired by real events

Provazník, known for his award -winning film Classic car ((Staříci), was motivated to create Broken voices After examining the controversial case of Bohumil Kencínský, the former conductor of Bambini di Praga, which was convicted of sexually abusive minor choir members. The director emphasized that the film is a fictional representation that aims to present the complexity and the emotional turbulence of the victims.

“This story is not a direct retelling of the Bambini di Praga case, but it was certainly a source of inspiration,” he said in a press release. “What fascinated me was how people who experienced the same events were able to remind them so differently – and how the boundaries between memory, loyalty and denial can blur.”

Kulínský, the real conductor, who was convicted of abuse by minor choir members, was sentenced to over five years in prison in 2009 after years of court proceedings and public controversy. The case was characterized by contradictory certificates: some former members accused him of serious misconduct, while others defended him publicly. This tension – between different versions of the truth and the social pressure that it shapes – forms the emotional core of Broken voices.

Karolína is portrayed by newcomer Falbrová, which was occupied after a nationwide search. According to producers, the role not only required strong acting skills, but also the ability to sing on a professional level, since all choir performances were recorded live in the film. No reproduction was used during production in a departure of typical films on the subject of music. The girls sang together in real time, often with only a few requirements to do it right.

“It adds authenticity that you simply cannot pretend,” said Provazník about the live singing performances.

Production put together a mixed line -up of professional actors and real choir members to replicate the atmosphere of a functioning ensemble. Loj completed for months with the conductor Tono Popovič and Petr Louženský to convincingly embody the attitude, gestures and presence of a conductor. Louženský stayed on the set during the entire shoot as a music consultant and helped to stage many of the performance scenes.

Filming in the Czech Republic and New York City

To ensure authenticity, the filmmakers occupied real choir members with young actresses and conquered live singing performances without playback. Production used 16 -mm film to create the aesthetics of the era, whereby locations in Brno, Prague, Mladá Boleslav, the mountains of Jizera and Orlické and New York City are spanning.

The New York scenes presented challenges in replicating the 90s environment, but the team successfully filmed in places such as the Manhattan Subway, the Central Park and the Bossert Hotel in Brooklyn.

The soundtrack combines classic choral music with modern elements of the Czech producers that help Kid and Isama Zing, whose subtle contributions underline the psychological complexity of the film without overwhelming its quieter moments. “Music is not just a backdrop here,” said producer Vratislav Šlajer from Endorfilm. “It is an essential part of life and the emotional conditions of the characters – both a beauty source and a medium of control.”

Produced by Endorfilm in cooperation with Punkchart films, Czech television, Innogy and Barrandov Studio. Broken voices Received support from various film funds, including Eurimages and the Czech Audiovisual Fund. The film is to be published in the Czech cinemas on July 10, 2025.