mila
gripping magical realism about life and death
Mila (2003)
Genre: Drama
Production year: 2003
IMDB Link: N/A
Running length: 14 mins
Partial Funding: Norwegian Film Institute
Production company: Niebo Film
Format: mini DV
“If you gave someone your heart and they died, did they take it with them? Did you spend the rest of forever with a hole inside you that couldn’t be filled?”
Jodi Picoult – Author
Full short (norwegian version)
“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die. And the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
Mahatma Ghandhi
Themes of the movie
The main theme I wanted to express was of a spiritual realationship between birth and death. To quote Dalai Lamas words “Every moment of our waking and concious life should be a preparation for our death”. Where “Death” is only meant as a passage and not an ultimate ending.
Mila dives into her magical world, filled to the brim with magical hope. (Image taken from the short)
Synopsis
Mila who is only 9 years old is slowly fading away from cancer. As the girl has accepted it as a natural order of things, she is more worried about her mother who is not able to come to terms with losing her only child. Mila tries her best to help her, especially now that her mother is carrying her baby brother, someone she might never get to see. At the same time, she slowly starts to glide into a world of fantasy and beauty which opens up a new hope in her soul.
Mila falls asleep beside her mother, and even if her body has given in to the fight, her soul remains forever in her mother’s warm embrace. (Image taken from the short)
Awards & Nominations:
Best Director – Grand Off 2007 Warsaw
1st Place – 69. World Film Festival UNICA 2007
Special Regard – 13. Zoom Zblizenia Jelenia Gora
Special Regard For Cinematography – 69. World Film Festival UNICA 2007
1st Place – “To Love a Man” Oswiecim 2008
1st Place – 53. Ogolnopolski Konkurs Filmow Amatorskich Konin
Nomination to Off-skary Best Director – 13. Zoom Zblizenia Jelenia Gora
Nomination to Off-skary Best Director – MFKA QUEST 2007 Zielona Gora
Nomination to Off-skary Best Cinematography – 13. Zoom Zblizenia Jelenia Gora
Selections:
Grand Off 2007 Warszawa
Teheran International Film Festival
13. Zoom Zblizenia in Jelenia Gora 2008
The Norwegian Short Film Festival 2007
“Kochac Czlowieka” – Film Festival in Oswiecim 2008
Karachi International Film Festival 2007
Unabhangiges Filmfest Osnabruck 2007
Offskary 2008 Warszawa
53. Ogolnopolski Konkurs Filmow Amatorskich im. prof. Henryka Kluby
7th International Film Festival Era New Horizons 2007
MFKA Quest Europe 2007
69. World Film Festival of Non-Professional Films UNICA 2007
12th Teheran Short Film Festival 2007
International Philosophy Film Festival 2007
Mila welcomes the butterflies, one by one, as they prepare her for the ultimate passage of her soul. (Image taken from the short)
Cast & crew:
Director: Piotr Ryczko
DoP: Christian Koblizek
Script: Piotr Ryczko
Mother: Kristin Zachariassen
Mila: Trine Kjølstad
Lights/grip: Hilde Fynnset, Bjørn Amund Lien
Editing: Piotr Ryczko
Sound: Rune Rosseland, Harald Longva, Piotr Ryczko
Make-up: Monika Larsen
Music: Franz Shubert
Color Correction: Piotr Ryczko
Production manager: Beate Kynø
Script: Piotr Ryczko
Production: Niebo Film 2003
Mila rings her magical birthday present, the bells which she got from her mother. (Image taken from the short)
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