Section: POLSKIE HORYZONTY: The Female Gaze

Felvidék - Horná zem

Felvidék. Caught in Between

Vladislava Plančíková-Sarkány
Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2014, 76 Min

In her debut documentary film up-and-coming director Vladislava Plančíková-Sarkány researches her family history. She discovers that her ancestors were caught up in a Slovak-Hungarian conflict of interest that resulted in population resettlement. Alongside contemporary witnesses and archive images the film also makes use of imaginative animation techniques.

Mandala Pictures

The director's family has its roots in Upper Hungary (“Felvidék” in Hungarian, “Horná zem” in Slovak), a territory with a long history of cohabitation between Slovaks and Hungarians. The First Vienna Award, signed in 1938, together with the Potsdam Agreement from 1945, changed everything however, as strictly-enforced population transfers occurred; whilst some were forced, others were tempted with false promises. Later on the topic was simply treated as taboo. Many of those affected still carry open wounds today however, as illustrated by the highly personal conversations the director has with witnesses from the time. Indeed it would appear that only younger generations are able to approach this issue with an open mind, unhindered by considerations of nationality.

A sensitive, intimate reflection on a topic that remains both highly problematic, as well as poorly understood, the film is given an additional intensity thanks to the evocative, almost magical soundtrack. CF

Filmformat
DCP | Farbe / colour
Drehbuch
Vladislava Plančíková-Sarkány
Kamera
Dušan Husár
Ton
Igor Baar
Schnitt
Zuzana Cséplő
Ausstattung
Terézia Mikulášová
Musik
Jana Kirschner
Produzent
Tomáš Kaminský
Produktion
Mandala Pictures
Co-Produktion
Film & Sociologie, RTVS, Czech Television, Slovak Film Institute
Kontakt
Mandala Pictures
Tomáš Kaminský
Mariánska 18
90031 Stupava
Slovakia
Tel.: +42.190.820.16 74
tomas@mandalapictures.eu
www.mandalapictures.eu
Vladislava Plančíková-Sarkány

Vladislava Plančíková-Sarkány - born 1985 in Galánta, ČSSR. She studied journalism at the Comenius University Bratislava before taking up documentary filmmaking at the Academy of Performing Arts, Bratislava. Alongside her student films she has worked as a director on projects for the Slovak Public Service Broadcaster RTVS.

Movies
PAPA (2008, short, doc)
NAŠIEL BY SOM CVRČKA V TRÁVE (2009, short, doc)
A. KRAUS (2010, short, doc)