President of the Jury Award

Pragma

by Bianka Szelestey
University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest, Hungary

Jury Motivation by Gal Zigmond

Pragma is a touching story about the complicated relationship between a mother and her daughter. Lili lies about her mother’s cooking, symbolizing their lack of real connection, and this sentiment is evident in everything the film portrays. The cinematography captures the gloomy atmosphere of their home, reflecting the emotional gap and imbalance in their relationship. The script cleverly combines drama and absurdity, demonstrating how unvoiced feelings can grow over time.

Synopsis

Pragma is a mother-daughter story set in the course of a day. The repressed tension between Juli and Lili, and the lack of real, attentive love is symbolised by the daughter's inability to eat her mother's cooking. A drama with some absurd. At the core of the dysfunctional relationship dynamics is the grandmother, who raised the mother in a very oppressive way, with difficulty expressing unconditional love.

Director's biography

Bianka Szelestey was born in 1995, in Veszprém, Hungary. She had her BA and MA degree at Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Film Studies. She is currently a student at the University of Theatre and Film Arts, majoring in directing. She is an aspiring director, working on short films and video clips. She lives in Budapest.

Director's filmography:
2021 - Craze (Festival de Cannes – La Cinef Official Selection 2022, Sarajevo Film Festival Official Selection 2022)
2022 - Mintha kéne (Cinefest Miskolc Fipresci-award 2023)
2023 – Pragma (Sarajevo Film Festival Official Selection 2023)

Credits

Director: Bianka Szelestey
Screenplay: Bianka Szelestey|
Cinematography: Ádám Polhodzik
Producer: Attila Csáky
Sound design: Richárd Endrédi

Specifications

Original title: Pragma
Running time: 30'
Film type: Fiction
Country: Hungary
Completion date: June 2023