THE KILLING OF A JOURNALIST
Director: Matt Sarnecki
A young investigative journalist and his fiancée are brutally murdered in their home in Slovakia. Their deaths inspire the biggest protests in Slovakia since the fall of communism. The story takes an unexpected turn when a source leaks the secret murder case file to the murdered journalist’s colleagues. It includes the computers and encrypted communications of the assassination’s alleged mastermind, a businessman closely connected to the country’s ruling party. Trawling these encrypted messages, journalists discover that their country has been captured by corrupt oligarchs, judges and law enforcement officials. A reckoning awaits.
PRODUCTION FACTS
Runtime: 100 mins (TV version 90 mins)
Country of Origin: Denmark, Czech Republic
Language of Dialogue: Slovak & English
Release: 2022
CREDITS
Director: Matt Sarnecki
Editor: Janus Billeskov Jansen
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
Associate Producer: Julia Love Babuščák
Director of Photography: Anna Smoroňová
Executive Producers: Drew Sullivan & Paul Radu
Co-producers: Jitka Kotrlová, Zuzana Kučerová & Thor Hampus Bank
Line Producers: Jakub Koula & Maria Kristensen
Assistant Producer and Researcher: Eva Kubániová
Police File Researcher: Sergiu Brega
Composer: Kristian Eidnes Andersen
Sound Designer & Sound Editor: Marek Poledna
Re-Recording Mixers: Jan Čeněk & Marek Poledna
Colour Grading: Jian Zhi Zhang
Colour Consultant: Anders V. Christensen
Post-Production Producer: Francesc Sitges-Sardà
The film is produced by Final Cut for Real & OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project)
In co-production with WDR in association with ARTE
Co-produced by Frame Films and GotFat Productions
Supported by Czech Film Fund & the West Danish Film Fund
In collaboration with DR, NRK & SVT
CONTACT
International Sales & Festivals:
Cinephil
info@cinephil.com
www.cinephil.com
Production Contact:
Producer: Signe Byrge Sørensen
byrge@final-cut.dk
AWARDS
DokuFest 2022, Kosovo: Truth Dox Award
Zurich Film Festival 2022, Switzerland: Special Mention, Documentary Competition
Bergen Int. Film festival 2022, Norway: Checkpoint -Human Rights Documentary Price
VERZIO int. Human Rights Film Festival 2022, Hungary: Audience Award
Watch Docs, Poland 2022: Special Mention, Main Competition
Docudays 2023, Ukraine: Special Mention - Rights Now! Award
Trilobit Awards, 2024 (CZ Film and TV Association FITES): Jury Award - Power of the Powerless
Festivals
HotDocs 2022, Canada - In Competition (World Premiere)
Karlovy Vary Int. Film Festival 2022, Czech Republic - European Premiere, Special Screenings
Lemesos Doc Fest 2022, Cyprus
Rab Film Festival 2022, Croatia
Visioni dal Mondo 2022, Italy
Nordisk Panorama 2022 - In Competition: Best Nordic Documentary
DokuFest 2022, Kosovo
Zurich Film Festival 2022, Switzerland
Bergen Int. Film festival 2022, Norway: Checkpoint -Human Rights Documentary Price
VERZIO int. Human Rights Film Festival 2022, Hungary: Audience Award
Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival 2022, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sofia DocuMental 2022, Bulgaria
Lunenburg Doc Fest 2022, Canada
Media Festival Skopje 2022, Macedonia
Vancouver International Film Festival 2022, Canado
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival 2022, Greece
Chicago International Film Festival 2022, US
Double Exposure 2022, US
Windsor International Film Festival 2022, Canada
DOC NYC 2022, US
Human Rights Film Festival Berlin 2022, Germany
Solidarity Film Festival 2022, Israel
This Human World 2022, Austria
WATCH DOCS 2022, Warsaw, Poland
Forum on European Culture NL Lemesos
Doc Fest - Cyprus
Rab Film Festival - Croatia
Vancouver International Film Festival
DocPoint Helsinki Documentary Center for HR Latvia
Docudays 2023, Ukraine
Czech Film Festival
WIFF - Canada
Media Skopje - Macedonia
Solidarity Human Rights - Israel