Bratislava in Slovak Films of the First Decade of the New Millennium

Abstract

The article deals with the way Bratislava was portrayed in Slovak films with urban settings produced in the first decade of the 21st century and shows how these portrayals changed over this period. Methodologically, the article is based on basic heuristics, i.e. on the analysis of the films themselves. The aim of the paper is to provide a general overview rather than an in-depth analysis of individual pieces. The author draws on her previous research in the area, especially on her Slovenský film v ére transkulturality [Slovak film in the era of transculturality; 2011]. By widening the corpus, she tests the relevance of concepts used in film studies at the turn of the millennia (“lifestyle urban film”, “non-places”, “supermodernity”, “postmodernity”) for chosen films. The aim of the paper is to map the portrayals of Bratislava and devise their basic typology, while accentuating the narrative of Slovak cinematography as a series of films reacting to each other, gradually shifting their focus from the historical city centre to the places on the right side of the Danube (e.g. Veľký rešpekt [Big respect], Bratislavafilm) and subsequently to other Slovak regions and towns.

Keywords

• slovak live action film
• bratislava
• urban film
• postmodernity
• non-places