Viktoria

Maya Vitkova : 2014

In 1979, ten years before the collapse of Communism in Europe, Boryana is determined not to give birth to a child in Communist Bulgaria. The only thing Boryana longs for is to escape to the West. But despite her attempt to protect herself from unwanted pregnancy, her baby survives. Unwanted, Viktoria is born with no umbilical cord to connect her to her mother and is declared the country's Baby of the Decade. Viktoria becomes a symbol of Communist Bulgaria. While growing up, she dominates her environment and is at subconscious war with her mother – the one who didn't want her. But on 10 November, 1989, when the political situation collapses, turning Viktoria's life upside down, the hardships of the new time bind her and her mother together. Told in three parts and spanning several decades, a mother-daughter story also working as a wry, philosophical fable with broad historical scope. Maya Vitkova's feature directorial debut premiered in competition at Sundance Film Festival 2014, with its European premiere in competition at International Film Festival Rotterdam 2014.