Strong women in the search for love and equal rights in a man-dominated world, this topic presented itself as a central theme by the competition program of the 16th Film Festival of Bratislava.
Nine debuts or second films of young filmmakers were shown in the capital of Slovakia. Five films stood out in the selection. In Bratislava the film was honored with the Prize for the Best Director.
This drama, centered round a pregnant student living in a suburb of modern Hanoi who wants to earn herself money for an abortion with prostitution, observes sensitively the internal disruption facing the difficult decision against the unborn life. Mina is well integrated. She has her own profession, is divorced and a single mother. For her parents, who are firmly rooted in the Pakistani Community, this is already a disaster.
Mina tries to deal with the expectations of her parents of a proper family life dominated by the men and their own desire. Finally she realizes her own thoughts and her behavior are still dominated by traditional family values. She must give up her former life. The directorial debut of the famous Pakistani-Norwegian actress is well performed and observes precisely the feelings of Mina.
The film received the prize of the international film critics. The big winner of the festival was Party Girl, a warm and tender portrait of a powerful woman pushing Samuel Theis directed together with Claire Burger and Marie Amachoukeil a warmhearted love letter to his mother living in the German-French border area.
