Bibliotheque Pascal is a Hungarian/German and UK feature premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). This film is about our imaginations and how we can change our perception of reality to make it more palpable and such is the case for Mona, the protagonist in this drama.
Mona's reality is slightly skewed, highly amusing and alarming all at once. She is a part Hungarian/Romanian gypsy scheming to make a better life for herself. The story begins with Mona in a meeting with a welfare agency discussing her daughter who has been in child protection whilst Mona has been abroad in London, sold to the sex industry. Mona is asked to recount events that led to her current predicament and its here where reality and perception become blurred. The cinematography in this film, which I loved for its surreal moments works to highlight moments of Mona's altered reality.
Monas recollections begin with a scene set in a small village somewhere in Hungary where she recounts how she met the father of her child and in typical Mona style it's an extraordinary set of circumstances that lead to this event. Mona's tale continues to unravel as she recounts pertinent moments from the past and in one scene (which I really loved) we are transported to a local fair where Mona runs a one woman puppet show. The puppet show consists of a little polyurethane umbrella type structure that Mona uses not only for her play but as a shelter for her daughter. Mona spins the umbrella around to reveal different scenes from the tale she tells and the simplicity and creativity in this is absolutely amazing.
Mona's daughter also has a special gift, she is able to project her dreams for all to see whilst sleeping and this plot line is used throughout the film to reveal a little about her own reality and concerns for her mother.
In the final scene of the film we are given the picture perfect image of Mona and her daughter, or is it? They are keeping house in an extraordinary little apartment and nestle in for the evening which is just another example of Mona's twisted reality.
I loved the imagery in this film and the parallel's with Mona's imagination as these moments serve to lighten the mood of an otherwise bleak story.
- Highly entertaining, Mona is an enigmatic character!
http://charisse-movierevue.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment