Marie-Magdalena Kochová’s debut portrays 18-year-old Johana’s internal struggle between her dreams and her duty to her family, highlighting her silent self-sacrifice and the overwhelming weight of living for others.
Eighteen-year-old Johana has always been the dependable one—the quiet anchor in a family consumed by caring for her younger sister, Rósa, who has severe autism. As she nears high school graduation, Johana faces an impossible choice: remain in her small Czech hometown to help her overburdened parents, or finally step out of the shadows to study psychology and build a life of her own.
In her poignant feature debut, director Marie-Magdalena Kochová crafts an intimate, unflinching portrait of a so-called “glass child”—a sibling rendered nearly invisible by the needs of another. Through quiet observations and close-ups that reveal volumes in a single glance, The Other One captures the silent struggle between love and self-preservation, duty and identity.
Winner of the MDR Film Prize for Outstanding Eastern European Documentary at DOK Leipzig 2024, the film sheds light on the hidden toll of caregiving on young people, offering a voice to everyone who has ever felt unseen. The Other One is not merely a coming-of-age story; it is a powerful testament to the courage it takes to choose yourself.Dir. Marie-Magdalena Kochová, Czech Republic, Slovakia, 87 min, 2024, Eng. subt.
Part of CZECH DOCUMENTARY NOW
