Set against the fragile landscapes of Central Europe, this screening will be followed by a conversation on water protection, ecological restoration, and community stewardship with the film’s protagonist, environmental scientist Pavel Pokorný; Chris Girgenti, Director of Environmental Programs at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance; and Ondřej Kamenický, Director of the One World Human Rights Film Festival. The discussion will be moderated by environmental educator and former RETI Center Executive Director Tim Gilman-Ševčík.
Sunday, March 29, 6 PM | film + discussion | TICKETS
Resilience / dir. Tomáš Elšík / 2025 / documentary / Czechia / Czech with English subtitles / 80 minutes
Blending lyrical essay with environmental detective story, Resilience follows a couple attuned to the silence of the Czech countryside. Klára and her dogs track those poisoning endangered birds of prey, while Pavel hand-mows spring meadows and restores drought-stricken wetlands. Seeing nature as part of themselves, they persist in protecting it—even when the fight feels futile.
In the slow rhythm of landscape changes, accompanied by the sounds of wind, birds, and music coming directly from the earth, this film, inspired by the ideas of cultural ecologist David Abram, asks whether it is still possible to restore the balance between humans and nature; a balance that is disappearing before our eyes more quickly than we are able to understand it.
Pavel Pokorný is an independent natural scientist trained in Forestry and Nature Conservation at Mendel University in Brno. Based in the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, he focuses on springs, peat bogs, and small watercourses. He co-founded the association Říční krajina (River Landscape) and is a member of the Czech Union for Nature Conservation (ČSOP).
Ondřej Kamenický is Director of the One World International Human Rights Film Festival. He studied film studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, and curatorial studies at the Faculty of Art and Design at Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, and has been with the festival since 2009.
Held in Prague and more than 60 cities across Czechia, One World presents documentary and fiction films on human rights and social, political, environmental, and media issues, alongside debates, VR events, school screenings, and the East Doc Platform for industry professionals. The festival also distributes films, supports emerging festivals abroad, and is active in international human rights and sustainability networks, including organizing One World in Brussels.
Chris Girgenti is Director of Environmental Programs at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance in New York City, where he focuses on ecological restoration, urban waterways, and community stewardship. He co-chairs the Citizen Advisory Committee of the NY/NJ Harbor & Estuary Program and holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. His work centers on restoring relationships between communities and the natural world.
Tim Gilman-Ševčík, PhD, was the founding Executive Director of the Red Hook–based climate justice nonprofit RETI Center and co-founder of Harbor Middle School. From 2016 to 2024, he focused on revitalizing New York’s urban waterways through innovative aquaculture and education programs that brought new communities to the waterfront. He is currently collaborating with Refugium in the Czech Republic, which is transforming depleted agricultural land into wetlands and biodiversity hotspots. He also teaches social impact at NYU Stern’s Business and Society program, where he works to cultivate a more inclusive economy.
This screening is part of a film series presented by the Czech Center New York in partnership with the One World festival, Václav Havel Center, People in Need, and with support from the Bohemian Benevolent and Literary Association, Jamaica Bay–Rockaway Parks Conservancy, and Randall's Island Park Alliance. The series features international films exploring urgent environmental and human rights issues, each accompanied by conversations with filmmakers, experts, and activists. Hosted at the Czech Center Cinema, the program is inspired by the civic and intellectual legacy of Václav Havel, whose 90th birthday we commemorate this year.
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