WILD ROOTS
by Hajni Kis
Hungary, Slovakia, 2021, 98
A father and daughter set off on a journey of discovery and forgiveness
When Niki finds out that her father is in town after being released from prison, she disobeys her grandmother's fierce objections and meets him in secret. Faced with his 12-year-old daughter, Tibor is forced to confront his role as a father and finally take responsibility. After 7 years without contact, the father and daughter get to know each other, whilst realising their strong connection and how powerful forgiveness can be.
Awards
Audience Award - CineFest Miskolc 2021
Best Actor (Gusztav Dietz) - Bosphorus IFF 2021
Fathy Farag Prize (Special Jury Prize) - Cairo IFF 2021
Best Film Award, Audience Award, Best Actor Prize (Gusztáv Dietz) - Riviera IFF 2022
Best Hungarian Film, Best First Film, Best Screenplay - Hungarian Motion Picture Awards 2022
Best Children's Film - KIKIFE International Children's FF 2023
Festivals
Karlovy Vary IFF 2021
CineFest Miskolc 2021
CineKid 2021
Bosphorus IFF 2021
Central European FF 2021
European Film Forum Scanorama 2021
Black Nights FF - Youth and Children’s FF Just Film 2021
Lublin IFF 2021
Cairo IFF 2021
Ale Kino! International Young Audience FF 2021
Santa Barbara IFF 2022
Sofia IFF 2022
MUSIC & CINEMA - Festival International du Film à Marseille 2022
Kino na Granicy 2022
Riviera IFF 2022
Filmfest München 2022
Busan International Kids&Youth FF 2022
Beijing IFF 2022
Finale Plzen Czech FF 2022
Jakarta Film Week 2022
Collegium Hungaricum Berlin 2022
European Union FF India 2022
KIKIFE International Children's FF 2023
Cast & Crew
Gusztáv Dietz, Zorka Horváth, Éva Füsti Molnár, Viktor Kassai
Production company: Proton Cinema Producer: Júlia Berkes, Balázs Zachar
Coproducers: Mátyás Prikler, Zora Jaurová
Hajni Kis
Born in 1990, Hungarian director and scriptwriter, Hajni Kis first studied philosophy before moving on to film. Hajni graduated from the University of Theatre and Film Arts (Budapest, Hungary) as a director.
She has won numerous awards with her short films entitled "Last Call" and "Beautiful Figure". The latter was nominated for the Student Academy Award and has been invited to more than a hundred film festivals all over the world. Her graduation movie, "Last Call" has also participated in prestigious film festivals such as the Sarajevo Film Festival winning the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Student Film Award in 2018; in addition, ARTE and, also HBO have broadcasted it.
She recently finished her first feature film with the title,"Wild Roots" as part of the First Feature program of the National Film Institute, Hungary. The film was already awarded at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and it won the main prize for the best "Work in Progress" film.
