
Mothers
The story of two mothers who learn to let go of each other in order to grow.
Synopsis
Aldona is the single mother of a daughter, Migle, who is soon to become a mother herself.
When Migle comes to visit for the weekend during the last days of her pregnancy, Aldona tries to show how much she cares, but instead starts to control her daughter. Step by step, Aldona pushes the boundaries between the two, until she crosses the line.
MOTINOS
Lithuania | 2021 | 15 min
DIRECTOR / SCREENPLAY: Birute Kapustinskaite
PRODUCTION: Ruta Petronyte, Kestutis Drazdauskas – UAB “ARTBOX”
CAST: Aldona Vilutyte, Laima Akstinaite, Felipe Souza Melo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Vytautas Katkus LAC
EDITING: Gabriele Urbonaite
SCREENING: Thursday 24.11. / 17:15h / Zaal 3 & Saturday 26.11 / 13:45h / Zaal 6 / Dutch Premiere
Director’s statement
I guess we all have experienced motherly love that at some point becomes suffocating. By taking this theme and making a film out of it I was interested in a mother’s perspective. How does a mother feel, when her only child is about to become a mother herself? All the anxiety and the wish to control enables Aldona to hide from the vulnerability and solitude that is lying deep inside her. By choosing to take care of others sometimes we just hide our fear to meet ourselves. I experience the same subtle controlling patterns in my own relationships. The film is a perfect place to explore it, let others recognize themselves and – like the main character – find the strength to let it go and become free through accepting your solitude.
Director’s bio
Birute Kapustinskaite is a playwright and screenwriter for cinema, theatre and audio projects. In 2018, she received Lithuania’s national Golden Cross Award for best playwright. Birute also won the Best Screenplay award at the 2019 Aubagne Film Festival for the screenplay of the feature film “Sasha Was Here”. She teaches screenwriting at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, and at Vilnius University. The short film “Mothers” is her debut as a director.
Festivals & Awards (selection)
Alice nella Città, 2022 | Spirit of Fire Film Festival, 2022 | Vilnius International Film Festival “Kino Pavasaris”, 2022 | Ismailia International Film Festival, 2022 – Jury Special Mention | Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS, 2022 | FEST – New Directors/New Films Festival, 2022