Uncovering Rats
Writer Miro Šifra and Viktor Tauš reveal how Zradci (Rats) has pushed the boundaries of crime drama in the Czech Republic and discuss the show’s real-life inspirations. With six-part series Zradci (Rats), writer Miro Šifra sought to break new boundaries in Czech crime drama. Featuring a first-person narrative, using true stories and made in partnership with the country’s National Anti-Drug Centre, it tell the story of a young drug dealer caught in the middle of the ongoing battle between the police and the mafia. “In the Czech Republic, we are used to crime and detective stories. This changed the rules,” Šifra tells DQ. “We were trying to shoot something that is still a detective story, but it’s more like a family drama and a moral fable than just a whodunnit.” Produced by Heaven’s Gate and Barletta Productions, Rats follows David (Cyril Dobrý) and his business partner and best friend Rene (Miloslav Pechácek) as they become entangled with a Czech and Vietnamese meth syndicate, all while David is coerced into betraying Rene by speaking with rogue cop Major Jan Blažek (Václav Neuzil). With both the mafia and the police after him, David is forced to team up with Blažek’s unwitting partner, Petra, who has recently returned from extended maternity leave and is eager to prove herself to her politically ambitious police officer husband. As Petra and David become increasingly immersed in the criminal web that controls the gateway for meth to pour into Europe, the lines between order and anarchy collapse … Continue reading Uncovering Rats
