Synopsis
Being held as a slave in Europe today seems impossible. Yet it is the case for millions of people. Marish, 52, has been held captive by a family for 10 years and forced to work without pay. She has forgotten what freedom feels like and has lost all will to escape. Drawing courage from the presence of the filmmaker, she decides to escape the unbearable oppression and regain her freedom. This film tells the fascinating story of a human being who regains her dignity and her faith in life.
A word from Tënk
The situation seems unlikely: a filmmaker, a camera, a woman held as a slave and her boss caught in the act, consenting to the making of a documentary film. This is suppose to be the 21st century!
Bernadett Tuza-Ritter's first film is both powerful and touching. The constraints of the shoot required her to film only Marish's (or rather, Edith's) face in close-up, allowing us to scrutinise the protagonist's features, fatigue and emotions. This restriction leads to the film being shot behind closed doors, and the filmmaker sticks to it.
The presence of the camera triggers a series of decisions and actions. In this way, the desire for a film intervenes in reality. The tension of the narrative, the soundtrack, the "fragmented" information about Edith's past and the unexpected ending create an almost fictional aesthetic, a thriller.
Éva Tourrent
Filmmaker and Tënk France's Artistic Director
