Synopsis
Her Body is a captivating biographical film that focuses on the life of Andrea Absolonová – a Czech national high-diving champion. It starts with Andrea dreaming of going to the Olympics. In this story, Andrea is a recognized protagonist in her sport. She is admired for her discipline, unwavering spirit, and physical prowess. But this path is violently disrupted with a spinal injury that shatters her dreams of remaining in sports.
Loss of a career in sports plunges Andrea into a life filled with mundane nothingness, stripped of the once rigorous competing and training schedules. She tries to reclaim a semblance of normalcy by obtaining a job as a cashier, but her former career haunts her. In a world that tauts age, beauty, and spectacle of the advertisement world, her former athletic physique is all that is left to her.
Andrea begins as a nude model and quickly transitions to adult films. She adopts the name Lea de Mae and goes on to become a star by performing in over eighty adult films. The film highlights her battles with herself as she tries to gain and maintain control over her life and the vessel that is her body, conquer of both the world and, simultaneously, the industry that seeks to objectify and empower her.
There is no sensationalism in the storytelling. Instead, it shows profound compassion alongside the depth of understanding of Andrea’s choices. The emotional connection with her sister Lucie is one of the core components of the narrative, illuminating the human toll of fame, exile, and social scrutiny. Their bond infuses emotional authenticity and depth into the story, so that it goes beyond Andrea’s career to encompass family, love and pain, and reinvention.
Cast and Crew
Director: Natálie Císarovská: This is her first feature film. Císarovská is known for her work in documentaries and short films, where she cultivated a raw, observational style with a strong impact on the film’s narrative.
Writers: Natálie Císarovská co-wrote the script with Aneta Honzková. The screenplay is, in its own right, an intimate, introspective, and respectful window into the life of a real person.
Producers: Katarina Krnacova and Viktor Schwarcz.
Cinematography: Andrea’s two worlds of adult films and diving are captured with real and poetic juxtaposition by Klara Belicova.
Editing: Jan Daňhel.
Music: Aid Kid and Pjoni composed the film score. The music deepened the film’s impact with a haunting, minimalistic, and emotionally resonant soundscape.
Main Cast:
Natalia Germani as Andrea Absolonová
Denisa Barešová as Lucie Absolonová, Andrea’s sister
Zuzana Mauréry and Martin Finger as Andrea’s parents
Cyril Dobrý, Zuzana Stivínová, and others as supporting cast
The grounded performances, especially by Germani and Barešová, stand out. Germani interprets Andrea with sensitivity, so she doesn’t turn her into a stereotype or a spectacle. Barešová’s Lucie is the film’s emotional anchor, articulating the heartbreak and bewilderment of loving someone and watching them succumb to the depths of the unknowable.
Themes & Context
At its core, Her Body synthesizes the ideas of identity, bodily autonomy, and the human search for purpose. Andrea’s career transition from athlete to adult film star is not depicted as a fall but rather as a pivot—a radical way of claiming agency in a world that has stripped her dreams.
The film examines the social construction of the female body. In both the fields of professional sports and in adult films, the body is the center of attention—lauded, constrained, and monetized. Her Body is interested in how Andrea tries, with varying degrees of success, to navigate these systems on her own.
The sisterly relationship of Andrea and Lucie not only showcases sisterly affection but also highlights the societal love-hate relationship of acceptance and judgment, support and disapproval. Their parents, showcased in the story, provide even more context regarding the estrangement of the family and generational attitudes of the emotional distance.
Instead of lecturing the audience, the film leaves space for uncertainty and challenges assumptions around dignity, sexuality, and success in life. Moreover, it exploring the notion of personal agency, especially within systems that are labeled and considered to be exploitative, fragmented.
Release and Reception
Her Body was screened for the first time in 2023 at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in the Critics’ Picks section. It was then released in Czechia and Slovakia in November 2023 as a 15+ censored and 18+ uncut versions. The adult content and nudity in the film was the reason behind the divisions made.
The film underwent a broad release internationally in 2024 and 2025. Digitally, the film was released in Czechia in March 2024, then in the UK in June, Germany in August, and the US in December. While the film had some limited theatrical release in certain regions, it also became available for rental and purchase on digital platforms.
The film received critical acclaim in Central Europe, where the real-life Andrea Absolonová was both well-known and controversial. Critics praised the film for its Andrea’s story for the powerful performances and the lack of sensationalism.
Some viewers described the film as slow or emotionally reserved while others highlighted the film’s quiet intensity and its respect for the subject’s story.
At the Czech Lion Awards, Denisa Barešová received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Lucie. This nomination showcases the film’s depiction of the emotional rapport of the sisterly bond.
Analysis & Reflection
Her Body is a unique and rare biopic that does not glorify or vilify its subject. Instead it offers a deeply human portrayal of a woman contending with personal catastrophe, judgment from society, and an existential crisis.
Remarkable for a debut feature, director Natálie Císarovská’s control of her film is palpable. Císarovská’s decades of work in the documentary genre allow her to tell a story that is both personal and sweeping in scope. Instead of falling into the trap of melodrama, Andrea’s story is allowed to unfold with dignity and weight.
The film’s cinematography and sound design enhance its tone as subtle, introspective, and at times, unsettling. The visuals that are alongside Andrea’s emotions include the bright diving pool as well as the dim and shadowy adult film set interiors.
Her Body illustrates the idea of transformation, and not just the change of the public identity or career of a woman. It differs how she is viewed and calls the viewer to confront the biases of sex work, athleticism, and female agency. Andrea is neither a victim or a villain, but a human that is deeply flawed and searching for her life outside the scope of society’s narrow boxes of achievement and value.
Conclusion
Her Body is a film that resonates deeply and is bold to tell the story of a woman without showcasing her as a headline or tragedy. It is a tale of resilience, identity, and the ability to forge one’s path in life regardless of negative public perception. Her Body is one of the most impactful films from Central Europe in recent years, showcasing a woman who lived her life as she wished, and a tribute to powerful performances that are given alongside thoughtful direction and emotional depth.
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