Michael Blaško (1989, Bratislava) studies film and television directing at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU). His second year film at VŠMU, “Strach” (Fear,2015), was premiered at the 63rd San Sebastián International Film Festival and won several prizes including Best Short Film Award at the 21st International Film Festival in Vilnius. He is a written and co-director (with Marta Prokopová) of a short animated film “Wild Beasts”, which was presented at the Short Film Project Lab during the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. his bachelor project “Atlantis,2003” was premiered at the Cinéfondation competition at the 70th Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for the Future at the 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF.

2003,four years before Slovakia entered the Schengen Area. Martin and Denisija, a young couple from Ukraine, are trying to get illegaly to Germany through Slovakia, like many people before them. The border between Slovakia and Ukraine will be in a couple of years one of the most secured borders in Europe, but in 2003 it is still open for smugglers and for people hoping to find a new life in Western Europe. Martin and Denisija both dream about getting to Germany, a place they,ve never been to, both ready to sacrifice everything they have to reach this destination.

Atlantis, 2003 – Official Trailer from Adam Mach on Vimeo.