Caravan Review: When Gestures Speak Louder Than Words

Zuzana Kirchnerová’s debut feature, “Caravan,” arrives not with a bang, but with a deeply resonant hum of lived experience. This is an intimate, thoughtfully sculpted character drama that introduces us to Ester (Ana Geislerová), a mother whose profound weariness is etched into every frame, and her adolescent son, David (David Vodstrcil), who is non-verbal and lives with Down’s Syndrome and autism.

Kirchnerová’s sensitive directorial hand immediately establishes a reflective, deeply personal atmosphere, drawing us into a world where unspoken realities and potent emotional truths take center stage. The narrative finds its initial spark when Ester’s attempt to find a brief period of respite on a holiday with friends quickly disintegrates.

The challenges of David’s care, amplified by the unaccommodating environment and the thinly veiled pity of others, starkly highlight Ester’s pervasive isolation and the societal incomprehension she frequently navigates. This experience becomes the urgent prompt for the unplanned journey that forms the film’s spine.

On the Road to Unknowing: Narrative Turns and Shifting Tides

Ester’s decision to take David and depart in an old caravan is less a planned adventure and more an act of sheer desperation, a primal yearning to escape a life that has become almost unbearably constricting. Their subsequent road trip through the Italian countryside unfolds with a palpable sense of aimlessness, a deliberate break from the rigid routines that have defined their existence.

It’s a narrative choice that eschews conventional road movie tropes of clear destinations, focusing instead on the internal mileage. Into this ambiguous space steps Zuza (Juliana Brutovska), a free-spirited young woman whose appearance is a small disruption to their tightly wound dynamic.

Zuza connects with David with an uncomplicated ease that feels like a breath of fresh air, offering Ester fleeting moments of what shared responsibility might feel like. Her presence also subtly brings David’s burgeoning sexuality to the surface, an aspect of his growth Ester has perhaps found difficult to confront. The journey itself, with its unpredictable encounters and the texture of new landscapes, functions as a quiet catalyst.

For Ester, it carves out small pockets for introspection, allowing faint glimmers of personal desire—noticeable in her tentative interactions with Marco (Mario Russo), a farm work manager—to coexist with her unwavering love for David and the immense pressure of her role. For David, his reactions to new stimuli, often captured with a gentle observational eye, offer viewers small windows into his perception of the world around him. The stark reality of their dwindling resources grounds their journey, a reminder of the practicalities that always shadow their search for some form of release.

Embodied Truths: The Performances That Anchor Caravan

“Caravan” rests heavily on the shoulders of its performers, who imbue the film with a profound sense of authenticity. Ana Geislerová is the film’s emotional anchor as Ester. She portrays a woman whose deep exhaustion is a constant, yet whose resilience remains, a quiet testament to years of immense personal sacrifice.

Geislerová’s genius lies in her subtlety; Ester’s internal world, her strength, vulnerability, and strained composure, are communicated through the slightest of expressions, the tension in her posture, a world of unspoken feeling conveyed without resorting to histrionics. It’s a masterful depiction of emotional fatigue. Opposite her, David Vodstrcil, a non-professional actor, brings an undeniable truth to the character of David.

His portrayal is one of dignity; David is presented as a complete, complex individual, never reduced to a mere symbol or a narrative convenience. Vodstrcil’s lived experience translates into a natural poignancy, and his palpable connection with Geislerová forms the very bedrock of their shared story. The film honestly captures David’s capacity for joy and affection, alongside the behavioral aspects that present daily challenges for his mother.

Then there’s Juliana Brutovska as Zuza, who acts as a brief, yet significant, external force. Her character’s effortless acceptance provides a crucial contrast to Ester’s heavily burdened existence, injecting moments of lightness and reminding both mother and son of the possibility of opening themselves to the wider world. Even fleeting interactions, such as those with Petra’s family early on, serve to illuminate the sharp edges of Ester’s predicament and her deep-seated yearning for understanding.

Beyond the Frame: Themes, Style, and Resonant Realism

The film sensitively explores the all-consuming nature of long-term caregiving, that intricate, often painful, tapestry of love binding a parent to a child with profound needs. It delves into Ester’s search for an individual identity, a selfhood almost eclipsed by the constant demands of another’s dependence. We witness her internal conflict, the push and pull between her duties and her own quietly suppressed desires.

The maturation of David, and Ester’s struggle to envision what their future holds, adds another layer of complexity. Kirchnerová’s stylistic choices are key to the film’s impact. There’s an observational, almost documentary-like quality to many scenes, a decision that heightens the sense of realism. Dialogue is sparse, placing a welcome emphasis on visual storytelling – the eloquence of gestures, the meaning in shared glances, and the way characters interact with, and are perhaps shaped by, their environment.

The natural landscapes of their journey often seem to mirror their internal states, from sun-drenched fields suggesting possibility, to more confined, shadowed spaces. This feels like a deliberate step away from more mainstream cinematic language, aligning “Caravan” with a strain of independent cinema that values quiet authenticity over manufactured drama.

The film handles the subject of disability with remarkable sensitivity, avoiding melodrama or easy sentimentality. Its overall tone is one of quiet humanism, creating an emotionally resonant experience that lingers. What “Caravan” leaves you with is not a tidy resolution but a nuanced understanding of Ester and David’s ongoing reality – perhaps a fragile shift towards a more honest way of being, an acceptance of their path, however uncertain.

Caravan is a Czech-Slovak-Italian road drama that premiered on May 22, 2025, in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival.

Full Credits

Director: Zuzana Kirchnerová

Writers: Zuzana Kirchnerová, Tomáš Bojar, Kristína Májová

Producers and Executive Producers: Jakub Viktorín, Dagmar Sedláčková, Carlo Cresto-Dina, Ilaria Malagutti, Manuela Melissano

Cast: Anna Geislerová, David Vostrčil, Juliana Brutovská-Oľhová, Mario Russo, Jana Plodková, Giandomenico Cupaiulo

Directors of Photography (Cinematographers): Dušan Husár, Denisa Buranová, Simona Weisslechner

Editor: Adam Brothánek

Composers: Aid Kid, Viera Marinová