Peter Strickland’s “Katalin Varga” will be screened within Balkan Box selection. The film received multiple awards and recognitions, including Silver Bear at Berlinale 2009. Lead hero is a woman called Katalin Varga. Rejected by her husband and evicted from the village, she had no other choice but to seek her son Orbán’s biological father. Deciding to, once again, open up the dark chapter from her past, she takes her son and embarks on a journey through Carpathians. Her search leads her to a place where she became a rape victim eleven years ago, a place she swore never to set foot in again. After reaching the village, Katalin kills one of her rapists and despite the danger of being killed herself, she decides to continue her search for the other attacker. Her son starts doubting the purpose of their voyage. With blood on her hands, Katalin is at the edge of reason. The other assailant, Antal, is nowhere near the monster she remembers. In the meanwhile, Antal and Orbán become friends. When Antal suggests for the boy to move in with him for a while, Katalin simply doesn’t know what to do.
“Katalin Varga” is Peter Strickland’s first feature film. He is also signed as a screenwriter. Interesting fact is that he created a film in a language he doesn’t speak. The film was shot in Romania, in Hungarian speaking region.
