City of Fathers Preview: Zdeněk Tyc’s Poignant Father-Son Drama About Identity and Family
What makes someone a father: biology, the years spent raising a child, or the bond that survives difficult truths? Czech filmmaker Zdeněk Tyc explores that question in City of Fathers (Město otců), a drama centered on a working-class son whose understanding of his family changes after his mother’s death.
Returning to feature filmmaking after Never Ever (Jako nikdy, 2013), Tyc brings the story to Czech cinemas on Thursday, October 29, 2026. The film previously had its world premiere at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Special Screenings section.
City of Fathers is a Czech-Slovak-Polish drama about Richard, a metal-loving factory worker who learns that the father who raised him is not his biological parent. His search through family history, identity and buried anger is anchored by Tomáš Vravník and Vladimír Javorský. This is a film guide and preview, not a firsthand review.
City of Fathers: Plot and Story
Richard (Tomáš Vravník) is in his thirties and lives with his father, also named Richard (Vladimír Javorský), in an apartment block in Adamov. The younger Richard works in a factory and listens to heavy metal. His father is a retired literature teacher: gentle, thoughtful and emotionally different from his son. They share a home and a name but seem to inhabit separate worlds.
The death of Richard’s mother, Renata, changes their routine. Richard discovers that the man who raised him is not his biological father. The only lead points toward a long-forgotten punk band from Ostrava. He begins searching for former members, following fragments of the past through encounters that force him to confront his identity, family history and suppressed anger.
The journey becomes about more than finding a biological parent. It asks whether knowing where you come from can change what family means.
Themes: Biology, Belonging and Fatherhood
The film builds its emotional tension around a revelation that unsettles Richard’s identity. His discovery also reframes the relationship he already has with the father who raised him. The landscapes of Adamov and Ostrava and the musical trail from metal to punk lend the search its own atmosphere.
Identity: How a revelation about parentage reshapes self-understanding.
Family: Biological ties versus bonds built over time.
Memory: How fragments of a parent’s past can transform the present.
Reconciliation: Whether painful truths can make room for a new understanding.
Cast and Characters
Richard, the younger son—a factory worker and heavy metal fan.
Richard’s father, a retired literature teacher who raised him.
Supporting cast.
Supporting cast.
Supporting cast.
Supporting cast.
The central contrast rests on Vravník and Javorský: one plays a son drawn into an unfamiliar past, while the other embodies the quiet care of the parent who has been there all along.
Director and Production Details
Zdeněk Tyc directs the film. The screenplay is credited to Roman Vojkůvka and Zdeněk Tyc. Producers are Pavel Vácha and Eva Váchová, with production and co-production partners across the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.
| Film detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Original title | Město otců |
| International title | City of Fathers |
| Director | Zdeněk Tyc |
| Screenplay | Roman Vojkůvka, Zdeněk Tyc |
| Lead cast | Tomáš Vravník, Vladimír Javorský |
| Countries | Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland |
| Language | Czech |
| Czech release | October 29, 2026 |
| Runtime | 105 minutes in distributor/festival listings; 100 minutes in another catalog |
| Distributor | Falcon |
Runtime note: Listings are inconsistent. Falcon and the Karlovy Vary festival give 105 minutes, while the Czech Film Center lists 100 minutes. Check the local cinema listing for its advertised runtime.
Festival Premiere and Theatrical Release
City of Fathers had its world premiere at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in July 2026, in the Special Screenings section. It reaches its Czech theatrical release October 29, with local distributor Falcon handling the release.
World premiere: 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, July 2026
Festival section: Special Screenings
Czech cinema release: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Where to check: Local cinema listings and distributor page
Is City of Fathers Worth Watching?
On premise alone, City of Fathers offers a thoughtful alternative to high-concept spectacle: a personal story built around a revelation that disrupts an ordinary family’s life. Its focus on two men with the same name but different temperaments gives the drama a clear emotional foundation, while the trail toward a forgotten punk scene takes the story beyond the family apartment.
The film’s central question is compelling: can a relationship remain meaningful when the story behind it changes? The father-son pairing and Tyc’s return to feature filmmaking make it a Czech release worth keeping on the radar.
A personal identity quest with a father-son heart
City of Fathers sets up a thoughtful exploration of parenthood, heritage and reconciliation. A final critical verdict should follow an actual viewing, including the performances, pacing and resolution of its emotional questions.
City of Fathers: Frequently Asked Questions
It is scheduled to open in Czech cinemas on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
The original title is Město otců, distributed internationally as City of Fathers.
Zdeněk Tyc directed the film, with screenplay credits to Roman Vojkůvka and Tyc.
Tomáš Vravník and Vladimír Javorský lead the cast, alongside Lucie Trmíková, Pavlína Štorková, Igor Chmela, Jan Vondráček and Attila Mokos.
Some official listings give 105 minutes, while the Czech Film Center lists 100 minutes. Consult your cinema’s listing.
Available profiles describe it as a fiction drama; no basis is established here to call it a true story.