By Faith Luevanos | Special to the NB Indy
From director Šimon Holý comes “Chica Checa,” a heartwarming film that steals the show at the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival.
The film follows Zdena, a widow who lives a quiet, solitary life in a small Czech village. When her son Lukas returns from his life in Paris to visit his dying grandmother, he reveals his sexuality to his mother, forcing Zdena to confront the limitations of the small-town values that she has built her life around. As she begins to see the world through her son’s eyes, she reluctantly discovers that it is never too late to start your life over again.
Audiences are introduced to Chica Checa, or “Czech Girl,” the drag-queen alter ego of Lukas, who ultimately becomes the vehicle that propels both characters’ lives forward. Through Chica Checa, Lukas introduces his mother to a world she had always dreamt of seeing.
Though the pace of the film remained steady, it’s nearly impossible not to sympathize with Zdena from the very beginning. As she repeatedly convinces herself that she’s content with being alone, her subtle desire for connection is constantly challenged by the easier option of shutting people out.
As Lukas’ determination to open his mother’s mind to a world beyond her village grows stronger, their relationship becomes the emotional foundation of the film. Their story beautifully explores themes of love, grief, acceptance, and letting go of things beyond our control.
Misunderstandings create brief rifts, but the love and care these two characters have for each other are the first steps on their mutual road to healing.
The film is incredibly rich in symbolism and wears its heart on its sleeve in a way that feels refreshing and authentic. Reinvention and rebirth remain at the core of the film as relationships, identities, and beliefs reach their natural life cycle before transforming into something new.
Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, ‘Chica Checa’ reminds us that becoming someone new doesn’t mean we lose who we were; it means finally allowing ourselves the freedom to grow.
‘Chica Checa’ premieres at Newport Beach Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17. For tickets, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
