Czech film exposes forced sterilisation of Roma women in 1980s Slovakia

The Czech film *Pramen* dramatizes the state‑run programme of forced sterilisation that targeted Roma women in the former Czechoslovakia. Set in a small hospital in southeastern Slovakia in 1985, the story follows doctor Ingrid (played by Aňa Geislerová) who not only assists women in giving birth but also participates in decisions about abortions and the compulsory sterilisation of Roma patients. The film‑goer also meets semi‑Roma nurse Agáta, who gradually becomes sympathetic to the women’s plight.

The narrative draws on real testimonies, such as that of Piroška, who was sterilised after having two children and was subsequently abandoned by her husband. The programme, which persisted in the Czech Republic and Slovakia until about 2010, was part of a broader policy to limit the reproduction of groups deemed “undesirable.” *Pramen* aims to bring this dark chapter of recent history to public awareness.