Clocking in at 155 minutes, Viktoria is as narratively ambitious as debut feature films come. The first picture from director Maya Vitkova, Viktoria is a lengthy and admittedly dense drama, but one that is both audacious in its length, and also decidedly boundary pushing in its subject matter.
Set in Bulgaria during the fall of the communist regime and birth of its democratic system, Viktova’s film at first introduces us to a woman named Boryana (played by the brazenly magnetic Irmena Chichikova) who, through sparse dialogue and even more sparse direction, reveals that she is at once both politically antagonistic towards her ruling government and also pregnant with a child she doesn’t want to have. With dreams of leaving her sterile life in the arms of a country she despises and a husband who is nothing but a crony for that very government, she tries everything in her power to end the pregnancy, only to birth a child of absolute wonder. Born without a belly button, her daughter Viktoria becomes the “Child of the Century,” and ultimately a piece of propaganda for the government, receiving gift after gift from the country.
Throughout this portion of the narrative, and ultimately the film as a whole, Vitkova intersperses both archival footage timestamping the narrative as well as bursts of stark surrealism into what is an almost Dardenne-esque bit of neo-realism. Very much rooted in the type of cinema coming out of Bulgaria’s neighbor to the north, Romania, Vitkova’s direction is dry and static, making these brief punches of surrealism create a world that is at once naturalistic and lived in at yet oozing satirical otherworldliness. A nightmarish segment like the moment in which Viktoria is named Child of the Century, set in a blindingly white hospital room with groups of doctors and government stooges splitting the frame, make the film seem almost Lynchian when paired up against the quiet realism of the previous segments.
When Boryana’s mother arrives on the scene, played wonderfully by Mariana Krumova, the film evolves from strict political satire into something much more ambitious. This picture is as much about a nation on the brink as it is the place of women in Bulgarian society and ultimately the film becomes a familial drama about deep-seeded pains. The lengthy runtime here ultimately hints the viewer into what is a scatterbrained meditation on life in Bulgaria, but with Vitkova’s eyes squarely on the feminine experience this is a singular piece of work. And thankfully, the performances help elevate the material as well.
Chichikova holds much of the film’s weight upon her shoulders, and is more than capable. As the film evolves we begin to unravel layer after layer of Boryana, and discover that she’s more than just a political dissident. Deeply troubled by a less than stellar upbringing as the film goes into length about, Boryana is a character full of nuance and Chichikova’s performance feels completely lived in and coming out of a place of truth and emotional texture. Daria Vitkova is great as Viktoria, and Krumova is a real revelation as Dima, with her moments with Chichikova’s Boryana being really stand out sequences. Vitkova’s turn as Viktoria is a powerfully nuanced turn for such a young actress, and there’s something to her characterization of Viktoria that feels entirely real and raw.
While the film’s run time will absolutely leave some viewers at a pause, this is just the type of quiet, emotionally resonant bit of world cinema counter programming that people will be craving as we head into the summer film season. Marking the debut of a new and singular voice on the world cinema stage (aided by Krum Rodriguez’s brilliant, award-worthy cinematography), Viktoria is an audacious, admittedly scattershot, drama about everything from Bulgaria politics to the female body. While it might not all work, the world would be a far better place if more young directors were this ambitious.
Set in Bulgaria during the fall of the communist regime and birth of its democratic system, Viktova’s film at first introduces us to a woman named Boryana (played by the brazenly magnetic Irmena Chichikova) who, through sparse dialogue and even more sparse direction, reveals that she is at once both politically antagonistic towards her ruling government and also pregnant with a child she doesn’t want to have. With dreams of leaving her sterile life in the arms of a country she despises and a husband who is nothing but a crony for that very government, she tries everything in her power to end the pregnancy, only to birth a child of absolute wonder. Born without a belly button, her daughter Viktoria becomes the “Child of the Century,” and ultimately a piece of propaganda for the government, receiving gift after gift from the country.
Throughout this portion of the narrative, and ultimately the film as a whole, Vitkova intersperses both archival footage timestamping the narrative as well as bursts of stark surrealism into what is an almost Dardenne-esque bit of neo-realism. Very much rooted in the type of cinema coming out of Bulgaria’s neighbor to the north, Romania, Vitkova’s direction is dry and static, making these brief punches of surrealism create a world that is at once naturalistic and lived in at yet oozing satirical otherworldliness. A nightmarish segment like the moment in which Viktoria is named Child of the Century, set in a blindingly white hospital room with groups of doctors and government stooges splitting the frame, make the film seem almost Lynchian when paired up against the quiet realism of the previous segments.
When Boryana’s mother arrives on the scene, played wonderfully by Mariana Krumova, the film evolves from strict political satire into something much more ambitious. This picture is as much about a nation on the brink as it is the place of women in Bulgarian society and ultimately the film becomes a familial drama about deep-seeded pains. The lengthy runtime here ultimately hints the viewer into what is a scatterbrained meditation on life in Bulgaria, but with Vitkova’s eyes squarely on the feminine experience this is a singular piece of work. And thankfully, the performances help elevate the material as well.
Chichikova holds much of the film’s weight upon her shoulders, and is more than capable. As the film evolves we begin to unravel layer after layer of Boryana, and discover that she’s more than just a political dissident. Deeply troubled by a less than stellar upbringing as the film goes into length about, Boryana is a character full of nuance and Chichikova’s performance feels completely lived in and coming out of a place of truth and emotional texture. Daria Vitkova is great as Viktoria, and Krumova is a real revelation as Dima, with her moments with Chichikova’s Boryana being really stand out sequences. Vitkova’s turn as Viktoria is a powerfully nuanced turn for such a young actress, and there’s something to her characterization of Viktoria that feels entirely real and raw.
While the film’s run time will absolutely leave some viewers at a pause, this is just the type of quiet, emotionally resonant bit of world cinema counter programming that people will be craving as we head into the summer film season. Marking the debut of a new and singular voice on the world cinema stage (aided by Krum Rodriguez’s brilliant, award-worthy cinematography), Viktoria is an audacious, admittedly scattershot, drama about everything from Bulgaria politics to the female body. While it might not all work, the world would be a far better place if more young directors were this ambitious.
- 4/29/2016
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
There is little navel-gazing in writer/director/co-producer Maya Vitkova’s Viktoria, in spite of the film’s specific focus and autobiographical elements. In fact, there is no navel at all on its principal protagonist, the young Viktoria (Daria Vitkova as a small child, Kalina Vitkova as a preteen and teenager, both nieces of the filmmaker). She is born in Bulgaria in 1979 without bellybutton or umbilical cord. Her birth falls on the anniversary of the Socialist Revolution, a pretext for the politically motivated anointment of the “Baby of the Decade” and adulation by the general population, at least until their system buckles. “We […]...
- 4/29/2016
- by Howard Feinstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Loosely based on a stranger than fiction story of a Bulgarian baby born without a belly button and umbilical cord, the expansive Viktoria is part-political allegory, part-coming of age psychodrama, and part-graphically sensual ode to the experiences of women. Set in the decade before the impending collapse of the socialist regime and the ensuing decade after, Maya Vitkova’s debut looks at the internal effects of an oppressive environment on the lives of three generations of women.
In one of many enigmatic storytelling touches, Viktoria painstakingly marks the time periods, opening with a long sequence establishing the political status quo through archival footage, but it belies the true intentions of the movie, which are less engaged with the intimate details of these periods of government and more interested in probing how these fluid governments influence individuals on a psychological level.
For nearly the first forty five minutes, Viktoria centers only...
In one of many enigmatic storytelling touches, Viktoria painstakingly marks the time periods, opening with a long sequence establishing the political status quo through archival footage, but it belies the true intentions of the movie, which are less engaged with the intimate details of these periods of government and more interested in probing how these fluid governments influence individuals on a psychological level.
For nearly the first forty five minutes, Viktoria centers only...
- 4/27/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
The 2014 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner, and the Sundance Institute has released the full line-up for the competition films that will be premiering!
This year there were 12,218 total submissions, and 117 films were accepted from 37 countries around the world. It looks like there's a lot of good selection of films this year.
The Sundance Film Festival 2014 runs from January 16th to the 26th, and the GeekTyrant team will be there to cover as many movies as we possibly can.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
The 16 films in this section are world premieres and, unless otherwise noted, are from the U.S.
“Camp X-Ray” — Directed and written by Peter Sattler. A young female guard at Guantanamo Bay forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch.
“Cold in July” — Directed by Jim Mickle, written by Nick Damici.
This year there were 12,218 total submissions, and 117 films were accepted from 37 countries around the world. It looks like there's a lot of good selection of films this year.
The Sundance Film Festival 2014 runs from January 16th to the 26th, and the GeekTyrant team will be there to cover as many movies as we possibly can.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
The 16 films in this section are world premieres and, unless otherwise noted, are from the U.S.
“Camp X-Ray” — Directed and written by Peter Sattler. A young female guard at Guantanamo Bay forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Payman Maadi, Lane Garrison, J.J. Soria, John Carroll Lynch.
“Cold in July” — Directed by Jim Mickle, written by Nick Damici.
- 12/5/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Sundance Film Festival continues to be one of the most popular, and arguably one of the most important, events on the industry calendar, launching as it does some of the most prominent independent films at the start of each year.
This year will be no different, with Sundance announcing last night the initial line-up of films screening in competition, led by Song One, starring Anne Hathaway; Camp X-Ray, starring Kristen Stewart; Infinitely Polar Bear, with Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana; Joe Swanberg’s Happy Christmas, starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, and Swanberg himself; The Skeleton Twins, with Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, and Ty Burrell; Life After Beth, with Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, and John C. Reilly; Listen Up Philip, with Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moss; Whiplash, starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons; and many, many more.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films,...
This year will be no different, with Sundance announcing last night the initial line-up of films screening in competition, led by Song One, starring Anne Hathaway; Camp X-Ray, starring Kristen Stewart; Infinitely Polar Bear, with Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana; Joe Swanberg’s Happy Christmas, starring Anna Kendrick, Melanie Lynskey, Mark Webber, Lena Dunham, and Swanberg himself; The Skeleton Twins, with Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, and Ty Burrell; Life After Beth, with Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, and John C. Reilly; Listen Up Philip, with Jason Schwartzman and Elisabeth Moss; Whiplash, starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons; and many, many more.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films,...
- 12/5/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
God’S Pocket
Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition section of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute said, “That the Festival has evolved and grown as it has over the past 30 years is a credit to both our audiences and our artists, who continue to find ways to take risks and open our minds to the power of story. This year’s films and artists promise to do the same.”
For the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected, representing 37 countries and 54 first-time filmmakers, including 34 in competition. These films were selected from 12,218 submissions (72 more than for 2013), including 4,057 feature-length films and 8,161 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,014 were from the U.S. and 2,043 were international. 97 feature films at...
Sundance Institute announced today the films selected for the U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competitions and the out-of-competition section of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, January 16-26 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah.
Robert Redford, President & Founder of Sundance Institute said, “That the Festival has evolved and grown as it has over the past 30 years is a credit to both our audiences and our artists, who continue to find ways to take risks and open our minds to the power of story. This year’s films and artists promise to do the same.”
For the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, 118 feature-length films were selected, representing 37 countries and 54 first-time filmmakers, including 34 in competition. These films were selected from 12,218 submissions (72 more than for 2013), including 4,057 feature-length films and 8,161 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,014 were from the U.S. and 2,043 were international. 97 feature films at...
- 12/5/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It’s among the two sections that we usually don’t put much focus on (yes, we love subtitles, but we’re more concerned, naturally more inclined to cover the deluge of American Indie film offerings) but among the dozen film selections in the World Cinema Dramatic Comp section we find the latest from Argentinean director Natalia Smirnoff (she gave us the Berlin Film Fest winner The Puzzle) who returns with Lock Charmer, we find the highly anticipated film from Hong Khaou (Lilting) and a title which we start speculating on last year in Stuart Murdoch’s God Help the Girl which stars Emily Browning, Olly Alexander and Hannah Murray (see pic above). Also worth the mention is the directing debut from writer Eskil Vogt – who co-wrote Reprise and Oslo, August 31st for Joachim Trier. Here are the dozen selected.
“52 Tuesdays” (Australia) — Directed by Sophie Hyde, written by Matthew Cormack.
“52 Tuesdays” (Australia) — Directed by Sophie Hyde, written by Matthew Cormack.
- 12/4/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
The U.S. and World Cinema Dramatic and Documentary Competition lineups for the 2014 Sundance Film Festival were announced today and just below I have featured pictures from the 16 films that will be competing in the U.S. Dramatic competition and they feature a lot of names you're going to recognize. The titles begin with Camp X-Ray, which stars Kristen Stewart as a guard in Guantanamo Bay, where she forms an unlikely friendship with one of the detainees. Jim Mickle made an impact earlier this year with We Are What We Are and he returns with Michael C. Hall with Cold in July. Fishing Without Nets looks to tell a story similar to that of Captain Phillips, only this time from the Somali side of things; God's Pocket is "Mad Men" star John Slattery's writing and directorial debut and he's lined up an impressive cast including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Richard Jenkins,...
- 12/4/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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