"Martin Dusek pulls the viewer into the subculture of young people living empty lives in northern Bohemia; their view of responsibility and their own lives as presented authentically and with empathy. The director has managed to bring together his entire filmmaking team with a distinct sense for the language of film. The rejection of a greater level of a clear directorial hand thus produced a convincing outcome."
The jury awards the authors of the film Coal in the Soul for its deep insight into the viewpoints and life stories of the film protagonists, exposed on the two extremes of a socially momentous problem.
