QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM TALLINN

The timing of the film, although coincidental, is definitely prescient. For one thing, the release of Ms. President proves that there are countries that benefit from a female leader; the rise of Donald Trump indicates that the United States is not one of those nations. This documentary follows Slovakian leader Zuzana Čaputová’s tenure in office. At 45, Čaputová was the youngest head of state ever elected to power in the small Eastern European nation; less surprisingly, she was the first woman who held the title. In this frank account about power, viewers witness the harrowing decisions that goes into the nation’s top job.

Čaputová carries the burden on her shoulders: she’s visibly alarmed watching the news, the Ukrainian conflict flashing before her eyes. She candidly discusses her daughter’s tumour,confessing her nerves juggling both her inauguration, as well as her lifelong duties as a mother. “I had the hardest day of my life,” she confesses;”..it helped me to have more perspective.” It’s rare to see a politician talking so openly about their fears about public office; what is on display here is something completely unvarnished and raw. Ms.President is admirable in that it explores the behind the scenes, showcasing the human behind the posturing.

The camera follows Čaputová everywhere: viewers witness the president walking to give an address, her mind and eyes resolute on the challenge ahead. To the public, she’s the blond politician with a broad, Julia Robertsesque smile, but behind the scenes comes a person determined to do the best she can. During a live broadcast, the eponymous character reads out a number of messages she received on social media: “You blond whore..” et al. Her gender invites all sorts of vitriol.

There are other challenges: protestors call her a coward privately and publicly. A shaken Čaputová explains to the filmmakers that her father, who has battled cancer for the best part of five years, is on his deathbed. Everywhere she goes, the personal coincides with the professional, twisting her arm in a way that makes it harder to engage. As a character study, Ms.President has edges, which are bolstered by the gorgeous Slovakian countryside. Summer, spring, winter: it’s all reflected in the geography, a bastion of elements that Eastern Europeans walk through everyday.

Čaputová passes by soldiers draped in masks: they fear the spread of Covid at this juncture. In one of the calmer scenes, the President sits by the windowside, overlooking a jaw-dropping garden littered with snow, to the warmth of a fire burning slowly in the chimney. What follows is her resignation speech: she will not seek a second term in office. As it happens, this tenure was a time of conflict (Russia vs Ukraine), epidemic (Covid-19) and economic upheaval, and only the stoniest of hearts could face another stint in office after putting up with so much in such a short period. Director Marek Sulík adds nothing to the proceedings. There’s nary a soundtrack nor a flashy edit to be seen. The power stems from the words Čaputová utters regarding her decision to step down, as well as the time the viewer has spent getting to know this dynamic, fragile leader.

At a time when an American president elect spouts misogyny, it’s essential to celebrate female presidents around the world. Čaputová was one such woman, who led Slovakia from 2019 to 2024. Judging from this work, her greatest strength was her transparency, which is clear from one of her speeches. Looking over her notes, the politician begs her country people not to let decency fall through the cracks. In the realm of polemical activities, kindness is still an action worth pursuing, through good times and bad.

Ms President just premiered in the brand new Doc@PÖFF section of the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.