The Romanian Cultural Centre in London

Romania-UK / 2009 / 82 mins / Hungarian and Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by Peter Strickland. Starring: Hilda Peter, Tibor Palffy, Norbert Tanko

Banished by her husband and her village after an incident in her past is revealed, Katalin Varga (Hilda Peter) is left with no other choice than to set out on a quest to find the real father of her son, Orban (Norbert Tanka). Taking Orban with her under another pretence, Katalin travels through the Carpathians, determined to revisit the sinister chapter and exact revenge. This quest for redemption leads her to a place she prayed she would never set foot in again. The story that accompanies the making of ‘Katalin Varga’ is almost as remarkable as the film itself, with first time director Strickland achieving his ambition to make a feature film after receiving an inheritance from the death of a relative. Making superb use of its Transylvania locations, in Romania, this is a captivating and audacious work that confirms Strickland as one of the discoveries of 2009.
‘Katalin Varga’ is available to buy from HMV.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Play.com, as well as HMV stores nationwide. Prices start at £9.99.