Without Air

Director Katalin Moldovai makes her debut with Without Air, a tense drama that begins with a seemingly harmless incident but quickly spirals into a life-altering ordeal for Ana, a high school literature teacher. When Ana recommends Agnieszka Holland’s Total Eclipse to her 17-year-old students as a way to deepen their understanding of Rimbaud’s poetry, she is suddenly accused of misconduct. The accusation forces her into a difficult decision: should she stand firm in defending her teaching values, or retreat quietly to avoid further conflict?

What starts as a trivial misunderstanding escalates into an absurd struggle for Ana, as she tries to defend her professional integrity. However, her efforts are complicated by the gradual withdrawal of support from Eva, the school principal, straining both her personal and professional relationships. As local media picks up the story, the resulting scandal threatens to upend Ana’s life and also affects Victor, a student whose father lodged the initial complaint.

Without Air delves into complex themes of power, authority, and oppression, exploring what it means to be a teacher in a world where personal values can be weaponized. The film examines the consequences of societal judgment and raises pressing questions about responsibility, freedom of expression, and control dynamics.

DIRECTOR’S BIO 

Katalin Moldovai (Romania, 1982) earned a BA in Film, Photo, and Media Studies from Sapientia Transylvanian Hungarian University in Cluj-Napoca in 2013. She continued her studies in Hungary at Budapest Metropolitan University, where she received an MA in Television and Film Directing. During this time, she directed six short films and a documentary. Her most recent short film, As Up to Now (2019), was nominated for the Cinéfondation award at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. Without Air (2023) is her feature film debut.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

I wanted to show that when fear begins to spread within a group, even if the group was functioning quite well, behaviors change. I find this phenomenon strange, but it’s as if everyone starts trying to protect themselves, each for different reasons: for financial concerns, because they have children, because they’re afraid of losing their job, or to preserve a professional position, as is the case with the high school principal, who also has the threat of losing a grant hanging over her. This is how fear spreads. And the students end up being the biggest losers in all of this.