Experiencing Interruptions?

How did I get here?

My grandmother documented me with an Olympus camera my whole life and recently gifted me all her photos. Being confronted with these images made me realize that I have been taking our shared history for granted and that I have very few memories of it. My grandma and her next door neighbor raised me on and off until the age of 6, in Eger, a small Hungarian town, while my parents tried to start a life in the United States.

After being reunited with my parents, I grew distant from these two women, and I never really examined this period of my life. This documentary project is an attempt to reconnect with them as we collectively try to piece together the timeline of my childhood and the series of decisions that lead me to live separated from the rest of my family.

  • Dorottya Márton
    Director
  • Dorottya Márton
    Writer
  • Dorottya Márton
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Hogy is volt
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 1, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    Hungary
  • Language:
    Hungarian
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - SZFE
Director Biography - Dorottya Márton

Dorottya recently graduated from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, in documentary film directing. Her student films have been screened at Zsigmond Vilmos Film Festival (ZSIFF), The National Independent Film Festival (MAFSZ), and Malter Film Festival. Dorottya’s work is on the border between documentary and experimental film, she shoots and often sits in front of the camera herself, often using abstract elements or mixed media images in her work, dealing with deeply personal themes. She is currently in the process of developing her first feature length documentary.

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Director Statement

While this film deals with my personal history, I believe that any viewer can relate to its themes - we all have untold family histories and questions in our past. With this film, I hope to show that asking difficult questions can lead to catharsis, even if the initial questions are left unanswered. The film’s home video aesthetic hopes to express the deeply intimate relationship I reestablished with these two family members. I am still filming with them and plan to continue doing so until the end of their lives.