File:72 Hours in Bangkok - 2 years old boy Nicolas lost in Bangkok.jpg

English: The director’s film debut wants to draw attention to the currently very acute issue of missing and kidnapped children in the world. Globalisation is leading to ever greater numbers of people on the move for different reasons – study, work, recreation – which, at the same time creates opportunities for organised criminal gangs to kidnap people, especially underage children in increasing numbers. It is the task of the relevant authorities in individual countries to ensure the protection of their citizens – children, not merely within the EU, but worldwide through effective legislation and co-operation with different non-governmental and non-profit making organisations.

The film has a deliberately „open ending“ with the intention of enticing the viewer’s imagination (will the story have a happy ending, will the boy meet his father again?) and at the same time to stir up a debate whether the protection of not merely one’s own children, but those of others is sufficient and whether the relevant organs of state power, or international non-governmental organisations have efficient tools at their disposal to respond actively against international criminal syndicates, or whether these means are utilised productively. The film is imbued with emotions (initial joy, consequent sadness, misfortune, … father and son intuitively bonding), which are greatly enhanced by the music of Andrea Morricone, Italian composer and conductor, well known for his film scores (he is a BAFTA award winner and received many other accolades incl. Golden Globe). He manifests an exceptional understanding of a child’s emotions and captures them in his musical instrumentalisation. His music composition expresses all the feelings of a two-year old lost child. Thus, his music brilliantly underlines not merely the storyline but also the underlying emotional subtext to the story. We also have to mention here that the author of the film‘s music intends to be personally involved in drawing attention to the issue of missing children.

In the Czech Republic, this issue is tackled by an organisation A Pathway from Crisis (Cesta z krize), z.ú., which is an apolitical, humanitarian and non-profit making organisation. It is a member of the European Federation for missing and sexually exploited children (Missing Children Europe). It runs a helpline 116 000, which is part of the European helplines 116 000, which co-operate especially in cases of international child abduction. They operate in all the countries of the EU. The above named organization co-operates with the Ministry of Interior regarding lost and missing children within the framework of the National Co-ordination Mechanism for the search for missing children. Thus, a link between the non-profit making sector and state administration is established. In the CR there are approximately 2.070.000 children living there, with the CR Police keeping a register of 5.500 missing children who go missing annually. There are other organisations involved in this field, such as Our Child Foundation (Nadace Naše dítě), in addition it is also possible to utilise The Schengen Information System in relation to abductions and searches for the missing.

It would appear that thanks to the above mentioned European-wide framework, the situation in the EU countries should be favourable. Yet, this is not the case, though the situation world-wide is much worse. Statistics are not unified; they are incomplete and rather an estimate, so it is rather difficult to obtain a comprehensive and reliable view of the matter. The mass media play a very important role in this direction and they now and again touch on this problem, yet they could be used more extensively during searches, and throughout the world also. Indeed, information at our disposal is alarming: about 1.000 children and youngsters (under 15 years of age) go missing in the CR annually; in France 35.000 in Belgium 2.500 and in the USA 800.000 – 1.300.000 childrens.