Wryly humorous and bittersweet, Home Care is an appealing humanist tale that puts a poignant spin on that perennial staple of the Czech cinema, the village dramedy. It captures the details of small-town life through piquant observation. The action centres on a dedicated home-care nurse in the South Moravian countryside who puts everyone else’s needs before her own. Vivacious 50-ish Vlasta (a tour-de-force from Alena Mihulová) travels all over the countryside, visiting a variety of charmingly eccentric patients, and dispensing compassion and conventional medicine in equal measure.

After Vlasta accepts a ride one rainy night from the local motorcyclist known as “Speedy,” it sets the stage for a shift in the action. It’s difficult to discuss what follows without spoilers; suffice it to say that it paves the way for director Slávek Horák’s underlying theme: an examination of what is important in life and the finality of human existence. Now Vlasta, whose entire life was devoted to saving others, must find salvation for herself.

Her journey to self-knowledge and self-actualization is sparked by her friendship with Mlada (Tatiana Vilhelmová), the daughter of one of her patients; she’s a sensitive woman who leads the rational nurse on an exploration of spirituality and alternative medicine. Despite being about illness, the film is always life-affirming; the action always feels emotionally honest, the comedy never pandering. With the great Boleslav Polívka as Vlasta’s husband.