My Mother, The Monster

Olivér Rudolf, Zsigmond Kung

Producers

Genovéva Petrovits, Florent Coulon, Jörgen Andersson

Lab Edition:

2024

Production

Kino Alfa, Hungary; Vrai Vrai Films, France

Country

Hungary, France

SYNOPSIS

Éva is an unhappy wife and mother, suffering from the compromises she made in her life. She finds a scary monster mask that expresses her frustrations and suppressed desires. She decides to rebel against the world with the mask on. The visibility she gains, liberates her. Éva burns down her previous life and finds joy after long years of depression. She discovers a welcoming community in a drag bar where she sings as Monster Lady. While she is away, her teenage daughter is completely left alone.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

There’s a Hungarian song with the lyrics - “I want to do something in the world that no one has ever done before, but me.” This line strongly expresses our protagonist’s internal world. The heroic struggle of Éva against the feeling of insignificance. She is not alone. There are many people who want to escape the poisonous atmosphere of their lives and society. Any of them could be Éva, but not all of them have the courage to make it happen. This film is an ode to rebels and rebellion.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

○ Olivér Rudolf | Director-Writer
Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1991. He graduated from FreeSZFE in partnership with Filmakademie Wien. His short film Fonica M-120 premiered at Cannes Cinéfondation and was selected for the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2021. His feature film project My Mother, the Monster won a Creative Europe mini slate grant, took part in Full Circle Lab, won development support from France, Nouvelle Aquitaine region, and won the Eurimages co-production award at Sarajevo Film Festival in 2023.

○ Zsigmond Kungl | Co-Writer
Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1996. He graduated at the University of Theatre and Film Arts, Budapest in 2020. He is the permanent co-writer of Olivér Rudolf. After graduation, Zsigmond studied directing at FAMU International. His feature film project Andor, Liza, and the Boy, Who Didn’t Want to Have Sex was selected to the Script Station of Talents Sarajevo, and won the Romanian screenplay competition, Write a Screenplay For..., founded and organized by Cristian Mungiu.

ABOUT THE CO-WRITER

PRODUCERS

Genovéva Petrovits, Florent Coulon, Jörgen Andersson

PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE

Genovéva studied theater at La Sorbonne and then had a diploma of French language and literature in Budapest. In 2013 she completed the training programme Atelier-Ludwigsburg Paris. In 2015, she obtained an MA in Art Management at MOME. In 2019 she founded Kino Alfa production company and she has committed herself to producing authors from Hungary who wish to work with subjects reflecting in a subtle and personal way on the world we are living in.
We work with producers from France, Germany, Sweden and Romania. These committed partners understand the politicized conditions currently dominating the Hungarian Film Institute. We are also part of the community of Hungarian filmmakers who do films despite the system. We make it possible with joint local partners to finance low-budget films. Our recent production made within this structure is in post-production, entitled "A Hunt For Hedgehogs".

○ Kino Alfa - Budapest, Hungary
○ genoveva.petrovits@kinoalfa.hu
○ Genovéva Petrovits: +36205015531

○ Vrai Vrai Films - Saintes, France | florent@vraivrai-films.fr
○ Doppelganger - Stockholm and Sundsvall, Sweden | jorgen@doppelganger.se

PRODUCTION BUDGET

○ The production budget in USD: 1,181,600 USD
○ Confirmed budget in USD and source: 148,866 USD
MEDIA mini slate grant, Eurimages co-production development award, Nouvelle Acquitaine and Charente-Maritime development grant and producer’s own investment

LANGUAGE

Hungarian, English

GENRE

Drama

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