Monkeys in Winter

Colour, 35 mm
Bulgaria, Germany, 2006, 111 min
WP – World premiere
Section: East of the West - Films in Competition

Synopsis

Dona, Lukrecie and Tana – three women of different origins and destinies, whose stories unfold at different times… The tale of the Romany woman Dona begins in the 1960s. The only assets this beautiful and vital woman has are her three children fathered by different men. In order to secure a livelihood for them, she moves in with an older, but disabled man, who turns out to be a pervert… Ten years later, the ambitious Lukrecie is trying to avoid employment in the village. After she becomes pregnant by a prospective suitor, she meets an attractive young man who offers her a life abroad, something she had always dreamed of. Lukrecie resolves her situation in the most appalling way…Tana, the wife of a prosperous businessman, vainly longs to have a child. On the advice of a friend, she goes off to a spa, whose miraculous reputation is attributable to a skilful masseur. Her husband, however, is unmoved by the joyful news… Three stories offering three insights into the tragic outcome of relationships between men and women, which give rise to both longed-for and unwanted children.

About the director

Milena Andonova (b. 1959, Burgas, Bulgaria) graduated in film and television direction from NATFIZ (1982) in Sofia. Her degree piece, the short feature Days of Yesterday (Dni ot vchera) was screened at the IFF in Montreal (1990). She attended a six-month course in film dramaturgy as part of the Nipkow programme in 1998. The film Monkeys in Winter  is her feature debut.