This is a triumphant moment for Czech cinema and for Ljubojacki's deeply personal vision. The filmmaker, who turned her camera on her own family during their darkest chapter, is being celebrated as an artist whose uncompromising honesty has earned international recognition.
Industry observers note that documentaries rarely secure Oscar nominations in the International Feature category—the Academy tends to favor narrative features. Ljubojacki's film will need serious campaigning and visibility to break through that bias.
Pepa Ljubojacki previously won an award at the Berlin Film Festival for 'If Pigeons Turned to Gold.' The documentary follows Ljubojacki's brother and two cousins as their addictions destroy relationships, homes, and their sense of safety. Czech film authorities selected it on August 19, 2026.
Czech Republic is betting big on a documentary that pulls no punches—and in an Oscar race where authenticity often gets drowned out by prestige polish, this could either be Ljubojacki's golden ticket or a brave gamble that doesn't pay off.
The Czech Film and Television Academy has officially selected Pepa Ljubojacki's 'If Pigeons Turned to Gold' as the country's submission for Best International Feature Film consideration at the 2027 Oscars. The decision, announced August 19, 2026, puts a deeply personal documentary front and center in one of cinema's most competitive categories—and marks a bold statement about what Czech filmmaking wants the world to see. Ljubojacki's film is anything but easy viewing.
The documentary centers on her own brother and two cousins, following their lives as addiction slowly tears apart their relationships, destroys their homes, and strips away their fundamental sense of safety. It's family dysfunction captured with brutal intimacy—not the kind of material that typically launches Oscar campaigns, but exactly the kind of work that's been gaining ground in international cinema circles. What's striking about 'If Pigeons Turned to Gold' is its approach.
Ljubojacki employs DIY aesthetics rather than polished production values, choosing rawness over refinement. The choice pays off: she previously earned an award at the Berlin Film Festival for this project, signaling that critics and festival programmers have already recognized something exceptional in her work. Whether Academy voters will respond with the same enthusiasm remains to be seen.
International Feature is historically dominated by narrative dramas—documentaries face steep odds even when they're critically acclaimed. Past entries like 'Honeyland' got attention, but pure documentary winners remain rare. The Czech submission's chances will likely depend on aggressive campaigning and whether Ljubojacki can translate her festival buzz into industry-wide conversation.
For now, Czech cinema is rallying behind a filmmaker who looked at her own family's struggles and decided the world needed to see it. That's either Oscar gold waiting to be claimed or a beautiful gamble that won't pan out—but either way, Pepa Ljubojacki has already proven she's not interested in playing it safe.
