11th(2009)
Katia\'s Sister
Mijke de JONG
- The Netherlands
- 2008
- 85min
- 35mm
- color
- 드라마
SYNOPSIS
Synopsis
Having emigrated from Russia some years previously, her mother tries to build up a life in Amsterdam and is drawn into the world of prostitution. Slowly, oldest daughter Katia follows her mother into the same obscure world. Our heroine, Katias Sister, adores her older beautiful sister Katia, but she is getting more and more lonely, having nobody to share her feelings with. Despite her non- judgmental attitude, she becomes increasingly isolated, creating her own protective universe in which she sacrifices a lot, even her own name, referring to herself only as Katias Sister.
Program Note
When the teacher asks the girl about her future dreams, she responds hesitantly that her dream is to become ‘Katia’s sister.’ The answer contains the girl’s loneliness and the darkness that lurks in her everyday life. The girl’s family moved from Russia to the Netherlands to find a new life, but the only way that her single mother could make a living in a strange land is through the sex trade. Her older sister, the ever-loved and worshipped Katia, gradually falls into the same path. The mother and Katia’s hardships in life cumulates to anger against each other, and the discord is passed onto the young girl. The girl endures the pains alone, growing more and more isolated and lonely. The camera follows the daily routine of the young girl and captures the fragile moments of everyday life. Immigrants always dream of a better life when they leave their home, but life in a strange land can never be fair to them. This is not only related to economic issues but the overall aspects of life. This singlemother family becomes increasingly isolated from the society, and blames the ensuing problems to the family. This leads to an isolation within the family, leaving the young girl alone in suffocating silence. The film limits the multi-layered problems of immigration in globalized society, women\'s labor, and its permeation into personal lives into a structured narrative; but it addresses such issues delicately and seriously by tracing the girl’s changes of emotion and identity. The poetic and sentimental images leave a deep impression to the viewers. (Amy LEE)
PROGRAM NOTE
Synopsis
Having emigrated from Russia some years previously, her mother tries to build up a life in Amsterdam and is drawn into the world of prostitution. Slowly, oldest daughter Katia follows her mother into the same obscure world. Our heroine, Katias Sister, adores her older beautiful sister Katia, but she is getting more and more lonely, having nobody to share her feelings with. Despite her non- judgmental attitude, she becomes increasingly isolated, creating her own protective universe in which she sacrifices a lot, even her own name, referring to herself only as Katias Sister.
Program Note
When the teacher asks the girl about her future dreams, she responds hesitantly that her dream is to become ‘Katia’s sister.’ The answer contains the girl’s loneliness and the darkness that lurks in her everyday life. The girl’s family moved from Russia to the Netherlands to find a new life, but the only way that her single mother could make a living in a strange land is through the sex trade. Her older sister, the ever-loved and worshipped Katia, gradually falls into the same path. The mother and Katia’s hardships in life cumulates to anger against each other, and the discord is passed onto the young girl. The girl endures the pains alone, growing more and more isolated and lonely. The camera follows the daily routine of the young girl and captures the fragile moments of everyday life. Immigrants always dream of a better life when they leave their home, but life in a strange land can never be fair to them. This is not only related to economic issues but the overall aspects of life. This singlemother family becomes increasingly isolated from the society, and blames the ensuing problems to the family. This leads to an isolation within the family, leaving the young girl alone in suffocating silence. The film limits the multi-layered problems of immigration in globalized society, women\'s labor, and its permeation into personal lives into a structured narrative; but it addresses such issues delicately and seriously by tracing the girl’s changes of emotion and identity. The poetic and sentimental images leave a deep impression to the viewers. (Amy LEE)
Director
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Mijke de JONGMijke de JONG
Born 1959 in Rotterdam. The interest of Mijke de Jong in social issues is an important theme in her films and her subtle directing of the actors characterizes her films. In Love Hurts(1993), which received the Golden Leopard Jury Award at the Locarno Film festival and the Dutch Film critics Award, we see a couple struggling with their relationship but also with their social engagement and the ‘yuppification’ of society. True stories often form the basis of her films and she often lets fictionalized documentary images be part of the story. Her film Bluebird(2004) about a twelve year old girl that falls victim to bullying, received the Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. Her last film Stages(2007), a film about loneliness, anxiety, struggle and love received the Special Mention-Filmmakers of the Present 2007 at the Locarno Film Festival.
Credit
- ProducerHans De WOLF
- Cast Betty QIZMOLLI, Julia SEYKENS, Olga LOUZGINA
- Screenwriter Jan EILANDER, Jolein LAARMAN
- Cinematography Ton PETERS
- Art director Jolein LARRMAN, Fleur ANKONE
- Editor Dorith VINKEN
- Music Leo ANEMAET
- Sound Mark GLYNNE, Joost ROSKAM
