Maika

Elena is in her early thirties, happily in love and would like to start a family. When she unexpectedly reaches her menopause, her dream of having a child of her own would suddenly appear to be over. Out of the blue, however, the opportunity arises for her to implement a project with orphans in Kenya. And yet, in order to pursue this dream, she has to leave her previous life with husband Leon behind and venture into the unknown. Inspired by the real-life story of theater and opera director Elena Panayotova, director Sophia Zornitsa displays an impressive sensitivity for her main character in narrating the story of a woman who manages to transform her dreams from the impossible to the possible. And to create a, possibly even greater, happiness for society from the personal happiness that was believed to be lost. Predominantly shot in Kenya, the film also takes a critical look at the work of modern NGOs, primarily concerned as they are with questions of brand effect. With its fascinating images from cinematographer Krum Rodriguez, MOTHER combines the elegiac beauty of Bulgarian nature with the pulsating joie de vivre of Kenya.

Text: Joshua Jádi
English: Peter Rickerby

Obenkino: original version with English subtitles.

Weltspiegel (large hall): original version with English subtitles + German simultaneous translation