CASFFA: The Hungarian Dressmaker

Ema a Smrthilav

Crystal Bear winner Iveta Grófová (Little Harbour, 2017) returns to CaSFFA with The Hungarian Dressmaker, inspired by Peter Krištúfek’s novella and script.

Set on the outskirts of Bratislava during World War II, the film follows Marika (Alexandra Borbély), a Hungarian dressmaker and widow of a Slovak soldier killed on the Eastern Front. With two-thirds of the Jewish population deported, Marika loses her job amid severe shortages of supplies.

Grieving her husband’s death, avoiding state police, and running the family farm, Marika finds Simon, the Jewish tailor's son, hiding in her barn. Risking their lives, she conceals him.

Returning to the director’s chair after seven years, Grófová’s third feature is an evocative illustration of the past, richly imagined and poignantly told.

World premiere: 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Australian Premiere.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

129 min

Cast

Alexandra Borbély, Nico Klimek, Milan Ondrík, Alexander E. Fennon

Director

Iveta Grófová