Online screening + discussion: Byeway

Our online season is back! Starting October 16, you can watch the Czech documentary film Byeway by Ivo Bystřičan – a story about the never-ending construction of the D8 highway. It will be available online for free until October 21.

Online

VOD

10.10.2025

If you are interested in watching the documentary for free, please contact us at films@kinedok.net and we will send you a voucher. The film will be available here on kinedok.net in all partner countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia and Hungary).

Byeway (Ivo Bystřičan, 2014, Czechia, 75 mins)

The final film about an unfinished road. The D8 highway was meant to link Prague with Germany, but for years it has divided not only the protected landscape of the Central Bohemian Highlands, but also public opinion. Environmental activists warn of the project’s illegality and ecological risks, while local residents endure an endless stream of trucks passing beneath their windows. Ivo Bystřičan’s documentary follows the state’s futile efforts to complete the last few kilometres and asks what happens when authorities fail to follow their own laws. Visually striking shots of the landscape and Wagner’s powerful music frame this story of absurdity and everyday frustration.

DISCUSSION: 20. 10., 7 PM (GMT+2)

On Monday, October 20, an international discussion (in English) will be held at 7 PM (GMT+2) on KineDok's International Facebook page & our YouTube channel (@InstituteOfDocumentaryFilm7825). It will be moderated by Anna Tabášková (AFO, FAMU, Institute 2050) and the guests are Ivo Bystřičan (director of the film) and Ana-Maria Marinescu-Pălăduș (Vice-president of R E P E R 21).

Anna Tabášková deals with environmental communication, participation and advocates for strengthening the principles of sustainability in the Czech audiovisual sector. She is the programmer of the environmental section of the AFO festival, part of the 2050 Institute and works as an environmental ambassador at FAMU. Ambassador of the European Climate Pact.

Ivo Bystřičan is a documentary film director, playwright and screenwriter based in the Czech Republic. His work usually focuses on social and environmental themes with a sociological accent. Ivo Bystřičan´s feature film Byeway (2014), capturing a social conflict in the backdrop of the construction of the D8 motorway, sparked the interest of a large audience. He is also involved in the playwright and production of the documentary podcasts. In addition to independent documentaries, he is interested in bringing environmental and economic issues to TV and cinematic audiences, as he did with a primetime TV series the Ekostory project or the Industria series.

Ana-Maria Marinescu-Pălăduș: Economist by profession and holder of a master's degree in International Economic Relations from the Paris Institute of Political Studies, in 2006 Ana co-founded REPER21 association dedicated to promoting sustainable development in Romania, where she coordinated various initiatives dedicated to responsible consumption, responsible project management, climate development education, green public procurement, and climate change. Since 2023, she has been managing the European Climate Pact in Romania on behalf of REPER21, working closely with a group of over 35 climate ambassadors from across the country. Over time, she has trained over 1,000 citizens, teachers, civil servants, and activists from across the country on sustainable development, planetary boundaries and Antropocene issues. Ana is also involved in various initiatives for resilient community development. Since 2017, she has been the co-founder and president of the Local Action Group GAL Turnu21, one of the first urban LAGs established in Romania, which aims to promote the inclusive and sustainable development of the most vulnerable urban areas in Turnu Măgurele.

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