Anna Rubi
Your Life Without Me
For their children to survive, a group of elderly mothers must fight the state.
SYNOPSIS
MAGDI (70), a strong-willed but lonely caregiver, faces a daunting reality as she grows older: if she were to pass away, her disabled son, FERI (39), would be left to the inhumane conditions of the Hungarian state care system, and would quickly follow her. Determined to secure a dignified future for Feri, Magdi unites with a group of mothers in the same situation. They take legal action against the state, demanding small-scale care homes for their children. Led by Magdi, the resilient community battles the cold absurdity of state bureaucracy, coping with loss and setbacks along the way. At home, Magdi struggles with her fear of isolation and time running out for her before she can find a solution for Feri. Meanwhile, ILDIKÓ, a judge and Magdi's staunchest ally from the group faces challenges, balancing her responsibilities towards her disabled son while dealing with the aftermath of her healthy son’s suicide attempt. As the lawsuit progresses, hope emerges with a positive verdict, only to be devastatingly overturned by the Supreme Court. However, in the midst of this heartbreak, Magdi's birthday celebration becomes a testament to the strength of their community as they decide to continue the fight.
DIRECTOR
Anna Rubi
PRODUCER
Áron Szentpéteri
CO-PRODUCERS
Annika Hellström
Erika Malmgren
STORY EDITOR
Julia Hack
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Somnus Film
CO-PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Cinenic Film
COUNTRIES
Hungary
Sweden
LENGTH
75 min
Anna Rubi
After building a career as a professional contemporary dancer, ANNA RUBI studied media design at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest and, in 2015, graduated from the Zürich University of the Arts at transdisciplinary studies (MA). In 2015 she directed the collaborative web-documentary NEW FLOWER (2016), exploring activism-infused public space art in the ever-urbanizing Addis Ababa. The project received the Z+ Fund and Showroom Award in Zürich. She directed the short fiction film THE LAST DAY OF THE EMPIRE (2017) with Júlia Halász, which debuted at Raindance Film Festival in 2017 and was screened worldwide, collecting several awards. Between 2017 and 2022, she was a video journalist for the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, extensively working with disabled communities and activists on short documentaries and campaigns. YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ME is her debut feature length documentary. Besides the Docu Rough Cut Boutique, the project was selected for the EsoDoc (European Social Doc) development program in 2019 and to Verzió DocLab in 2022.
I have followed the lives of MAGDI and ILDIKÓ for over six years. I met their group while working as a video journalist for the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU). I had documented dozens of cases before, but these women struck a different chord. Seeing them cornered into such a hopeless situation and still not accepting to be the victim of their circumstances, fighting till their last breath, filled me with awe. As my parents are growing old, I often ask myself: how would I take care of them if something happened? We all fear for our loved ones, yet, what I see is that there is less and less space for vulnerability and respect for the act of caring in the world. This is especially true in today’s Hungary, where I come from. For me, these women are fighting not only for their children's survival but also for all of us: to stay human in an increasingly authoritarian country drunk on power. YOUR LIFE WITHOUT ME is a character-driven documentary with a particular focus on sound design, immersing us in the children's sensual world and the mothers' inner dilemmas. It is a story about the strength and sacrifices of these women who find their voice through their community.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Áron Szentpéteri
ÁRON SZENTPÉTERI is a Budapest-based director and producer. He directed and produced the short film INVISIBLY (2017), which debuted at Cannes in the Cinéfondation selection 2017. The film went on to be screened at festivals worldwide, collecting several awards and was broadcasted by ARTE in 2018. THE HUNGARIAN PLAYBOOK (2022), an investigative documentary on the working of the Hungarian state propaganda machine, Áron co-directed with Bence Máté, also assuming the role of archive producer, was screened at FIFDH Geneva 2023. The film was broadcasted prime-time around Europe, among others, on ZDFinfo, TVN in Poland, SVT in Sweden, and many other channels. His debut fiction feature project, RAPESEEDS IN FLOWER, is in development and was part of the Torino ScriptLab 2022 program. Born in 1987, Aron holds a degree in cognitive science and an MA in film directing from the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest (SZFE), where he studied in the class of Ildikó Enyedi. Between 2017 and 2020, he was an assistant teacher to the directorʼs class at SZFE.
Production company profile
Budapest-based Somnus Film is co-owned by director Anna Rubi and director, producer Áron Szentpéteri. We have established the company in 2018 to create a space where we can support each other and like-minded independent authors in realizing their films. We like films that take risks, and engage with society in a unique voice. Somnus Film co-produces Your life Without Me with Gothenburg based Cinenic Film. Since Anna considers a special role for sound design, we are happy to have Gustaf Berger, the 2021 EFA winning sound designer on board responsible for the film’s sound. Before Docu Rough Cut Boutique, the project has so far featured in the EsoDoc (European Social Doc) program in 2019, and in Verzió DocLab in 2022.
Where are we at?
PRODUCTION BUDGET
260.000 EUR
NEEDED FOR COMPLETION
50.000 EUR
TERRITORIES AVAILABLE
Worldwide, excluding Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia
EXPECTED RELEASE
Early 2024
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