Barbora Vránková’s Rise From Czech Ice Rink to Elite Skating Schools Is Captured in Up Again

A new documentary follows Czech figure skater Barbora Vránková through three demanding years as she pursues success on the ice, from her teenage beginnings as a national champion to training far from home. Up Again, directed by former competitive skater Eliška Cílková Andršová, premieres at the Ji.hlava documentary festival. Andršová says she first encountered Vránková at the rink. Her own skating background, she explained, gave her an understanding of the sport’s scoring system and technical language, helping her connect with the young athlete. Over time, the filmmaker says, she also built a relationship with Vránková’s family, who allowed the crew to document both the skater’s sporting life and ordinary moments at home. The film follows Vránková as she takes on increasingly difficult challenges, including time at a prestigious skating school in Italy and later training in the United States. Those opportunities bring greater pressure for the skater and her family. According to Andršová, a triple jump lasts only seconds, but demands years of physical work and mental focus. The documentary shows how thoroughly skating shapes Vránková’s routine. With little room for conventional schooling, her days include online classes, physiotherapy and intensive training. The camera stays close as she moves across the ice, capturing fast turns and the physical demands of practice. Sound is also central to the film. The repeated scrape of blades and other natural rink sounds return throughout the story. Andršová says she uses sound not simply as background, but as a way to explore performance, expectations and the search for a place in a world that judges people by results. The film’s title and recurring images suggest that, even when Vránková is away from the rink, skating remains the focus of her life.