What About Petey?

The film What About Petey? is the second feature-length documentary by director Martin Trabalík. After the sudden death of his wife, the main protagonist, Petr Jochec, must take on the care of his two teenage children: daughter Vanesa and son Petr, who lives with a severe autism spectrum disorder. The widowed father, who previously spent much of his time working away from home, now must manage the family entirely on his own. While many fathers in such situations walk away, Mr. Jochec chooses to face this challenge head-on and engages in a daily struggle—from devoted caregiving and securing the family’s finances to the day-to-day upkeep of the household. The film captures the Jochec family’s efforts to live a normal life, explores where the boundaries of love and parenthood lie, and shows how each member copes with this new and difficult reality...