A legal battle is brewing over Czech director Ondřej Provazník’s critically acclaimed film, Sbormistr (Broken Voices), as a woman claiming the film is based on her personal experience of abuse within the famed Bambini di Praga choir has filed a lawsuit seeking to halt its television broadcast and secure 10 million Czech crowns for organizations supporting victims of sexual violence.
Karolína R., the plaintiff, alleges that Provazník and the filmmakers used her story without her consent, drawing heavily from her experiences as a young singer in the choir and her interactions with Bohumil Kulínský, the choir’s former conductor who was convicted of sexually abusing underage members in 2009. She contends that specific details depicted in the film – including a training camp in Pec pod Sněžkou and alleged attempts to lure her into a hotel sauna – closely mirror her own experiences, making the connection more than coincidental.
“In 1992, when the film takes place, I was the same age as the main character, Karolína. During that period, there is no other documented case of a 13-year-old girl being abused by Bohumil Kulínský in the way it is depicted in the film,” R. Stated in her legal complaint. “The key circumstances of my case… repeatedly appear in the film. These coincidences are not random or general.”
Provazník has maintained that Sbormistr is a fictionalized account inspired by the broader scandal surrounding the Bambini di Praga choir, rather than a direct retelling of any single individual’s story. He has stated he gathered research from multiple former choir members, but did not interview Karolína R. Directly, respecting her desire not to participate. He claims the film aims to explore the dynamics of power and abuse within the choir system, rather than reconstruct specific events.
The lawsuit follows a period of increasing scrutiny surrounding the film, which premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival last year and subsequently won awards for Best Film and Best Actress at the Czech Film Critics’ Awards. Producer Jiří Konečný defended the film, stating that its intention was to raise awareness about the experiences of victims, and expressed surprise at the legal challenge. “It’s a paradox and absurdity that we are now being accused of not handling it properly,” he said.
Karolína R. Alleges she explicitly requested that her name and story not be used when approached by Provazník, first through her brother in 2019 and again directly in 2023. She claims Provazník assured her he was not working on a film related to the Bambini di Praga case, but rather a more general story. Provazník, however, asserts that R. Only requested a minor change to a single line of dialogue – altering the phrase “the choirmaster’s favor” to “the choirmaster’s respect” – and never asked for her name to be removed from the script.
The dispute extends beyond the film itself, with Karolína R. Also reporting harassment directed towards her family. She has publicly appealed for an end to the attacks, emphasizing the pain they are causing her and her parents. A number of prominent Czech filmmakers, including Beata Parkanová, Zuzana Kirchnerová, and Helena Třeštíková, have publicly voiced their support for R. And others who feel their stories have been exploited.
In a joint statement, the filmmakers condemned the alleged misuse of personal stories and emphasized the importance of respecting both legal and ethical boundaries. “It is not possible to make a film about a living person without their consent,” the statement read. “Ambition should never outweigh human and professional decency, or morality.”
The legal proceedings come as the film industry grapples with increasing sensitivity surrounding the portrayal of real-life trauma. The Association of Czech Film Directors and Screenwriters (ARAS) recently hosted a discussion on the legal and ethical limits of drawing inspiration from real events, highlighting the potential pitfalls for filmmakers.
Sbormistr, which translates to Choir Master, follows 13-year-old Karolína (played by Kateřina Falbrová) as she navigates the competitive world of a prestigious girls’ choir led by the charismatic but authoritarian Vítězslav Mácha (Juraj Loj). The film explores themes of ambition, manipulation, and the blurred lines between mentorship and exploitation, set against the backdrop of a newly free Czech Republic in the 1990s. To date, the film has grossed over 20.4 million Czech crowns and been seen by more than 125,500 viewers.
