directed by Lili Horváth, drama, 94 min, eng subtitles
written by Lili Horváth
with Kinga Vecsei, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Antal Zsolt
History sometimes repeats itself. As a nine-year-old, Maja was abandoned by her mother and placed in an orphanage. Now it’s ten years later and she keeps returning to the institution – to visit her own four-year-old son. Will she be able to take control of her life despite the unfavourable circumstances and her own self-destructive tendencies? She hopes that, one day, she will be able to look after her son herself. She’s familiar with the home – it’s where she met Krisz, her boyfriend and the father of her child. He’s a young good-for-nothing who doesn’t want to be bothered with any of this and would rather have his girlfriend under lock and key. It seems the only way out of this forlorn situation is to join a local community centre programme which aims to help the socially disadvantaged. In her bleak feature debut, Lili Horváth seeks to depict people’s struggle with their hapless fate and with themselves. It seems that Maja’s self-destructive tendencies are the only obstacle preventing her from taking her life into her own hands. Her struggles lead her to an unexpected opportunity and, suddenly, into an erratic love triangle.
Awards
Karlovy Vary IFF 2015 (East of the West Award, FEDEORA Jury Award)