Shot over the course of 14 years, Helena Třeštíková’s documentary Katka is a devastating portrayal of one’s woman’s battle with heroin addiction. It is also an exercise in restraint. The director takes a back seat to her camera, which becomes a trusted form of confessional for Katka, who checks in from time to time. As the camera lingers silently on the subject deteriorating in front of us, it is impossible to miss the physical disintegration as the darkly beautiful girl develops into a haggard woman riddled with scars and sores. Katka is trapped in a seemingly endless downward spiral of good intentions and bad decisions, with bouts of spirited hope providing occasional relief. Her surprising openness with the camera provides a sense of intimacy, and when we learn that she is pregnant with her abusive boyfriend’s child, we wish we could intervene. For Katka motherhood carries the promise of long-sought salvation; for us, in this case, we fear it foreshadows more heartbreak.  RM