
Ordinary Failures
dir. CRISTINA GROSAN
DUTCH PREMIERE
The unexpected small miracles of everyday life in a captivating apocalyptic fable. An extraordinary dystopian film awarded at the Venice Film Festival.
A troubled teenager, an anxious mother, and a recent widow see their day interrupted by a mysterious natural phenomenon. As their world descends into chaos, these three women struggle to find their place in life. Visually captivating, this apocalyptic drama is set in the near future where it seems time on this earth is about to run out, forcing the protagonists to stop and reconnect with themselves. The three stories run parallel over the course of a day, from an ordinary morning to mysterious explosions in the city, smoke and alarm, panic, and search for lost children. It’s an exciting and intimate character study with a dash of science fiction.
SHOWTIMES | Special Guest: screenwriter Klara Vlasakova
Friday, 24 November – 21:20
Saturday, 25 November – 16:45
BEZNA SELHANI | 2022 | 85 min | Czech Republic, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia
PRODUCTION | Marek Novak – Xova Film; Laokoon Filmgroup, Rosamont, Super film, Czech TV |
CAST | Tatjana Medvecka, Nora Klimesova, Beata Kanokova, Vica Kerekes |
SCREENPLAY | Klara Vlasakova |
CINEMATOGRAPHY | Mark Gyori |
EDITING | Anna Meller |
LANGUAGE | Czech |
SUBTITLES | English |
FESTIVALS & AWARDS (SELECTION)
Venice Film Festival, 2022 – World Premiere at Giornate degli Autori, Best Director Under 40 award | Gijon International Film Festival, 2022 | International Film Festival of India, 2022 | Cleveland International Film Festival, 2023 | Neisse Film Festival, 2023 – Best Production Design
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Barely managing: this seems to describe our daily life, while we try to handle whatever is thrown at us. To avoid breaking down completely, a widow hasn’t allowed herself to grieve. A queer teenager is struggling to be someone she’s not, just to please her parents. An unemployed mother is ashamed to ask for help. Caught up in their personal failures, they are unable to see the bigger picture. Something is happening outside. In the midst of a world collapsing, they need to find each other, slow down, and listen. Their struggle has a point. It is the ache of a new world being born.
DIRECTOR’S BIO
Cristina Groșan is a Hungarian-Romanian filmmaker and visual artist. In 2021, her debut feature “Things Worth Weeping For” premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival, then went on to be awarded Best Lead Performance at the Bosphorus Film Festival. As of 2022, the film is still on its festival circuit, and available on Netflix Hungary. The director is also keen on working on the short film form. Since graduating from university in 2012, she has directed 6 short films, which toured the worldwide short film circuit. Among those, her award-winning short “Holiday at the Seaside” was distributed in several territories and premiered online to more than 1 million views. Her second feature film ‘Ordinary Failures’ had its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.