Marcela

A woman’s life observed across decades of love, loss, and quiet resilience

Marcela is a long term observational documentary directed by Helena Třeštíková that follows the life of an ordinary Czech woman across more than two decades. The film begins in 1980, on the day of Marcela’s wedding to Jiří, filmed as part of a television series about married couples in socialist Czechoslovakia. In these early black and white images, Marcela appears hopeful and optimistic, her smile reflecting expectations of stability and happiness. Within a short time, however, her marriage collapses. After the birth of her daughter, she divorces and is left to face life largely on her own.

As the years pass, the camera remains present through key moments in Marcela’s personal and social life. She raises her children as a single mother, struggles with unstable housing, searches for work, and repeatedly attempts to build new relationships that fail to bring security. Her life unfolds against the backdrop of profound political and social change in the Czech territory, yet these transformations offer little protection from the vulnerability of individual existence.

With the arrival of colour and digital images, the film documents Marcela’s children as they grow older, including her daughter Ivana and her son Tomáš. In 2005, the narrative reaches its most devastating turning point when Ivana dies tragically at the age of twenty five. Filming continues through Marcela’s grief, showing her effort to survive an irreparable loss while maintaining responsibility for her son.

The documentary also reflects on the impact of its own public exposure. After earlier versions are broadcast on national television, Marcela receives letters, financial support, and intense attention from viewers, including unwanted intrusion. Through this extended portrait, the film presents an unsentimental yet deeply human record of endurance, social solidarity, and the fragile search for meaning across an entire lifetime.