Adoption
In Márta Mészáros’ feminist masterpiece, a middle-aged factory worker and a rebellious teenager defy societal expectations and make their own choices.
Children are not playthings. They mess everything up. Although these statements are difficult to disprove, hearing them from your lover might still sting a bit. For Kata (Katalin Berek), it is a fatal blow to her dream. It makes little difference that her lover’s consent would only have been required for the project’s kickoff: she could easily have managed the phases following conception without the assistance of the reluctant sperm donor.
Anna (Gyönvér Vigh) also has a problem. She wants to get married, but while underage requires permission from her parents, who are less than enthusiastic. The two women at different stages in their lives meet, become friends, and attempt to puzzle out the problems in each other’s lives.
Director Márta Mészáros is the first woman to have won the Golden Bear at Berlinale, and Adoption is the first Hungarian film to have that honour. 50 years after its premiere, the jury’s decision still seems well justified. Just the hypnotic extreme extreme closeups could keep you mesmerised for another hour-and-half. The film even includes a spot of belt sander ASMR.
In a cinematic context, the story lends itself to a daringly feminist interpretation. It is a plain and sober depiction of women who act, feel, and decide, as themselves, for themselves. Men are not needed for anything, but they exist, and are loved.
Minna Saarinen (translated by Adrian Murtomäki)
Trailer
