I, Olga Hepnarova

In July of 1973, a young woman named Olga Hepnarova drove a truck onto a busy sidewalk in Prague and hit 20 people, eight of whom died. Filmmakers Tomas Weinreb and Petr Kazda's Czech film I, Olga Hepnarova offers a fictional tale of how her life could have led to such a terrible crime. Olga (Michalina Olszanska) is introduced as a rebellious teen who is seen by her emotionally distant mother as a sinkhole for time and money—i.e., as a problem instead of a daughter. Scenes that are set in boarding school and during an awkward young adulthood reveal an embittered girl-woman who alternately wants to withdraw into herself, explore a demanding sexuality (Olga's few lovers ultimately reject her), and commit suicide. Ultimately, Olga comes across as not sympathetic, but rather icy and merciless, which might be what Weinreb and Kazda are aiming for: a peek into the terrifying mind of a true killer. Still, this film inspired by an early example of vehicular manslaughter feels uncomfortably timely given the recent uptick in these types of attacks. Optional. (T. Keogh)