The Candidate. Photo: Peter Krchnavy

The Department of Film, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, presents a screening of The Candidate at its Dr Tiam Chokwadhana Auditorium, 3rd floor of Building 1, on Oct 28 at 6pm.

An impressive introduction to the cinema of Slovakia, the political thriller is the third movie in the "World Film Series". Directed by Jonáš Karásek and based on a novel, it is a sleek, satirical drama about the machinations of politics, and the murky tricks of manipulators.

Adam Lambert is the confident, successful head of an advertising company. He's a ladies' man who knows how to woo the women. He also knows and how to market anything that he's asked to promote.

He is suddenly asked to promote an unknown individual to be the Presidential candidate of the country. He moves ahead with ruthless speed, spreading fake news, manipulating the media, changing the voters' perceptions. But suddenly, things get too out of hand, even for him.

Meanwhile, what Lambert doesn't know is that he's being spied upon by two men who have been hired by another ruthless manipulator.

The story is strong, relevant, thought-provoking, and leaves the viewer with many questions. The focus on money-power, in a formerly Communist country, is striking. The movie has been shot with flair and style, almost like the sleek advertisement-commercials in the protagonist's office.

The screening is supported by the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Bangkok, as part of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, and they will host a reception after the screening, with snacks and drinks. Slovak Ambassador Stanislav Opiela will introduce the film.