A new Czech comedy arriving in cinemas on New Year’s Day steps into sensitive territory with a story built around a fraudulent scheme to qualify for the Paralympic Games. Dream Team, directed by Jonáš Karásek and written by Petr Kolečko, follows a well-meaning father who is persuaded to assemble a basketball lineup of non-disabled players pretending to have intellectual disabilities.
The film’s premise closely parallels the real-life scandal that shook the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, where Spain’s gold-medal basketball team was stripped of its title after revelations that most team members did not have disabilities.
The cast of Dream Team includes Martin Hofmann, Jakub Prachař, Petra Polnišová, and Martin Polišenský, alongside Miroslav Krobot, Sara Sandeva, and Robin Ferro. Producers frame the film as an offbeat comedy built on chaotic situations, but the project also explores issues of ethics, parental devotion, and the pressure to win at all costs.
A fictional scheme rooted in an infamous real event
At the center of Dream Team is Marek (Hofmann), a tough-talking basketball coach who fails to advance his team into the second national league. Ready to quit, he instead faces a dilemma when he realizes that his son Šimon (Polišenský), who has an intellectual disability, dreams of playing for the national team at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Marek wants to support his son’s ambition, but he cannot assemble a roster that meets Paralympic eligibility requirements.
The turning point arrives when Marek’s eccentric neighbor Daniel (Prachař), a struggling theater director, proposes a reckless solution: recruit able-bodied basketball players and have them feign intellectual disabilities. Marek reluctantly agrees, driven by a desire to give his son a chance, and a mismatched group of players soon heads to Brazil under false pretenses.
The plot echoes the widely reported scandal surrounding the Spanish intellectual-disability basketball team at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. Shortly after the Games concluded, an investigation revealed that 10 of the 12 players on the gold-medal team did not meet eligibility standards.
Spanish journalist Carlos Ribagorda, who had infiltrated the team, revealed that proper medical and psychological testing had not been conducted, prompting the International Paralympic Committee to strip the team of its medal. The case sparked a broader debate about verification processes, national incentives, and the exploitation of Paralympic classifications.
Dream Team uses this historical backdrop not as a direct retelling but as a frame of reference. The film leans into comedy — particularly the absurdity and inevitable collapse of the scheme — yet acknowledges the ethical stakes. As the characters reach Rio, Marek begins to fully grasp the consequences of his decision, recognizing how far he has strayed from the values he wants to teach his son.
Creative team behind Dream Team
Kolečko, known for the hugely popular Czech Television comedy Most!, shapes Dream Team around a sports environment familiar to local audiences. Director Karásek’s previous credits include the Slovak revenge comedy Invalid, which also balanced humor and disability. The film’s cast reunites several collaborators from We’re Going to Team Building, another ensemble comedy featuring Hofmann and Polnišová.
The project also spotlights its original music. Xindl X, who composed the title track, said he was compelled to write the song immediately after reading the script. He teamed up with lyricists Jenda Vávra and Rony Janeček to produce a Czech-Slovak duet, performed with Emma Drobná.
According to the singer, the song uses sports metaphors to reflect broader ideas about life and competition. Its hip-hop influences mark a return to his early musical style, underscoring the energetic tone the filmmakers aim for.
Despite its comedic framing, Dream Team enters delicate territory by portraying characters who manipulate disability classifications—an issue that remains sensitive more than two decades after the Sydney scandal. At the same time, the story raises questions about the pressures placed on athletes, the allure of national prestige, and the fine line between ambition and exploitation.
Dream Team opens across Czech cinemas on Jan. 1, 2026.
