Virtual Friday Night Films at the Wende: Viktoria

Viktoria (2014) is director Maya Vitkova’s debut film about three generations of women in communist Bulgaria, and how their dreams and ideals alternately connect them to and alienate them from one another as the regime comes to an end around them. In 1979, Viktoria is born without an umbilical cord to her reluctant mother Boryana (and exultant grandmother Dima) and is consequently proclaimed “baby of the decade,” despite the fact that Boryana desires above all to flee to the West. Vitkova captures what unfolds through a beautifully shot narrative with a rich color palette, recurring symbols, and very little dialogue, all of which combine to successfully compel the viewer to ponder the implications of the three women’s choices.

Watch on Kanopy, free with a library card. Get immediate access to a LAPL e-card or LA County Library Digital Card.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.