It took eight years to make Punk Never Ends!, a film about a punk drug addict based where Slovakia meets the Czech Republic. Lead Kwičko actually plays himself, under the direction of former classmate Juraj Šlauka. “The film’s authenticity and honesty were what won me over. It features non-actors and the director, who studied screenwriting, describes himself as a non-director,” said Czech producer Jordi Niubó, explaining why he came on board with the project, which he first encountered at a Works in Progress presentation at the Karlovy Vary IFF.
Šlauka had been through a number of key experiences with the protagonist. “They first saw one another in first grade, when Kwičko gave him a punch just inside the door and Juraj didn’t tell on him. Then they formed a punk band, but soon Kwičko started taking drugs and the band split up. And when Juraj was studying at the Academy of Performing Arts he ran into Kwičko, who asked him: How come you make films about other people but not me? He was throwing down the gauntlet,” said the producer.
The director then spent a year around punks, soaking up their world to ensure his account would be genuine. The film also came together in a punky way. When they ran out of money, the director and the protagonist collected iron to sell as scrap so they could carry on. Then the experienced Ivo Trajkov offered advice as to how to make the final product more professional. However, Kwičko did not attend the premiere at Febiofest, where the film is being shown in the Centropa section. “He’s currently in jail for stealing from Tesco,” said Niubó.