The Hungarian Dressmaker

Ema a smrtihlav

Does a mother’s instinct know borders? And does it have the means to defend itself in the face of the brutality of war – whose face, no matter how many tools change over time, remains unchanging? A stunning portrait of a brave woman who lives following her instincts demonstrates the way love even today can become both an anchor and a beacon in the darkness. Marika, a dressmaker who lives in a Slovak village near the border of Hungary during World War II, is forced to abandon the beauty of a Jewish dressmaker’s small atelier and take on a completely different environment; she must don the uniform that was left behind by her dead (Slovak) husband. In the warmth of the barn, one day she will discover a young Jewish boy in hiding – as if he were a lamb. When she takes him under her wing, she will learn in the most painful way that it is not only the Jewish identity under persecution but any deviation from the so-called “national” purity. A devastating drama from Central Europe – which in recent years has gifted us some of the most powerful period films, a film that is a must in today’s world, which simmers with the resurgence of nationalism.
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Iveta Grófová
Script: Iveta Grófová, Peter Krištúfek
Cinematography: Martin Štrba
Editing: Martin Malo
Sound: Matej Hlaváč, Tobiáš Potočný
Actors: Alexandra Borbély, Milan Ondrík, Nico Klimek, Alexander E. Fennon, Florentin Groll
Production: PubRes, Total HelpArt T.H.A., Campfilm, Radio and Television Slovakia, Fortuna Film und TV, Czech Television
Producers: Zuzana Mistrikova, Ondřej Trojan
Costumes: Katarína Štrbová Bieliková
Production Design: Tomáš Svoboda, Miriam Struhárová
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: Slovakia, Czech Republic
Production Year: 2024
Duration: 129'
Contact: REASON8 Films

Iveta Grófová

Iveta Grófová is a Slovak film director. She studied animation and documentary filmmaking at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. Her first feature film, Made in Ash (2012), premiered at Karlovy Vary IFF as the opening film of “East of the West” competition. Her second feature film, Little Harbour (2017), won Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Filmography

2012 Made in Ash
2017 Little Harbour
2024 The Hungarian Dressmaker