Verbascum

A good king rules this land, but still things are going from bad to worse. The point is that the greedy Minister of State has an interesting pact with the Devil — for bringing the kingdom into a state of dire poverty and the king to hell, he himself would sit on the throne. And he would have been well nigh successful, were it not for Princess Annie, Filip and magic Apolena — because true love cannot be quelled even by the Devil's machinations.

When Czech singer Ida Kelarová meets the young Roma singer, Vierka Berkyová, she discovers an extraordinary and vibrant talent. Determined to develop her musical abilities and career, she brings her and her family from their home in Slovakia to live in the Czech Republic. They are encouraged to learn new routines and develop their lives in a variety of 'productive' ways. Then, one day they disappear without trace. What began as a document about Verika develops into a mystery. [taken from the London Film Festival 2006 catalogue]