By Dwight Casimere
Two films that caught my attention, because they deal with the issues of mental illness and depression among the elderly are Pink Moon from Director Floor van der Meulen and screenwriter Bastiaan Kroeger. Winner of the Special Jury Mention for Best New Narrative, this World Premiere is a joint internal collaborative production from Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovenia. It compassionately portrays the tragic story of a young Dutch woman, Iris (Julia Akkermans) on the fast-track in her career who is confronted with a widowed father, Jan (a riveting Johan Leysen) who has made the sudden announcement at a family dinner that he wants to voluntarily end his life.
The family is paralyzed by the jaw-dropping revelation. Her brother Ivan (Eelco Smits) accepts his father’s decision with begrudged resignation, but Iris is having none of it. She kidnaps her father and takes him to a remote mountain retreat two countries away, in order to attempt to convince him to reverse his decision. After a great deal of emotional jousting, the two finally have it out while shopping for items to repair a broken window (which happened during one of their rows). Jan stands firm on his decision, so Iris lets him go through with his wish to have one final family blowout of a party. Everything goes according to his wishes, or so it may seem. Iris may have the last word after all.
In Anna Jadowska’s brilliantly executed Woman On The Roof, a 60 year old Polish wife, mother and midwife, Mira (Dorota Pomykala) suddenly decides to break out of the boundaries of her humdrum existence by robbing a bank using a kitchen knife as a weapon. When she flees in retreat after imminent arrest, she quickly learns that her life is bereft of a lot more than money. Seemingly in the throes of depression, and possible displaying signs of early dementia, Mira reveals her inner turmoil as she grapples with her inner demons. Dorota Pomykala is absolutely riveting as she dominates each and every scene with her pensive portrayal of this tormented and complex woman. Her effort won her the Tribeca Festival Jury Award for Best Performance in an International Narrative Feature in its World Premiere at Tribeca. Hers is a bravura performance.
One very important footnote: I watched the film in its entirety without any English subtitles. Dorota Pomykala is in virtually every scene. Even without English translation, the depth of her emotion was palpable and I was able to glean the import and nuance of every scene. That’s just how powerful her capabilities as an actress were. Her performance was a triumph of the art of acting. See this and other award winning films on Tribeca At Home, streaming now through June 26 at tribecafilm.com.
