“Mother,” a thought-inspired film about Theona Struger Mitewska starring Theona Lapas as Teresa, has rafted international buyers.
The film, premiered at the opening night of the Venice Film Festival, was sold in the first half of the TH Festival to Kinology (Nour Film), Germany & Austria (Square Lawn), Italy (Adler Entertainment), Middle East (Front Row Entertainment), Portugal (Noslusomund Audio Ebisunfilman) (TrigeNerland), Portugal (Front Row Entertainment), Middle East (Front Row Entertainment), and Middle East (Front Row Entertainment). Falcon), Exogoslavia (MCF Megacom), Czech Republic & Slovakia (Movie Europe), Bulgaria (Beta Film), Balticus Territories (GPI), Venerax (Imagine Film Distribution), Airlines (Skeye Infigt Entertainment).
Set in August 1948 in Kolkata (then Calcutta), India, the “mother” follows Teresa, the mother of the monastery of Loreto’s sisters. Filmed in English, the drama focuses on seven pivotal days of the life of a future saint when she faces a dilemma that challenges both her ambitions and faith.
Mitevska, who previously explored Mother Teresa’s life in the documentary “Teresa and I,” has been derived from extensive research, including interviews with the last living sister who witnessed the character of the saint. The director positions her protagonist not as a traditional saint, but as “almost CEO of a multinational company, mercilessly ambitious,” as he states in the director’s statement.
Speaking to Venice prior to Venice, Mitevska said her film aims to “decompose the perfect saint.”
“It was essential to show her humanity, not her greatness. Jealousy, desire, anger. If we don’t know what’s wrong, can we be open to seeing beyond the myths of men? Alexander Sokrov “created the ‘four characters of power’ about Hitler and Lenin, and everyone embraced it.
“Mother” is Entre Chien et Loup, Sisters and Brother Mitevski, and Rainy Days Prods. Produced by Frau Film, SCCA/Pro.Ba, and Raging Films.
