Materna (film)

Last updated
Materna
Directed byDavid Gutnik
Written byDavid Gutnik
Jade Eshete
Assol Abdullina
Produced byEmily McEvoy
Liz Cardenas
Starring
Cinematography Greta Zozula
Chananun Chotrungroj
Kelly Jeffrey
Edited byElizabeth Rao
Brúsi Ólason
Music byAndrew Orkin
Production
company
Ten to the Six Pictures
Distributed by Utopia
Release dates
  • 15 April 2020 (2020-04-15)(Tribeca Festival)
  • 10 August 2021 (2021-08-10)(US)
Running time
105 minutes
CountriesUnited States, Kyrgyzstan
LanguagesEnglish, Russian

Materna is a 2020 American drama film co-written and directed by David Gutnik in his feature directorial debut. Starring Jade Eshete, Rory Culkin, Kate Lyn Sheil, Sturgill Simpson and Lindsay Burdge, the film won the awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography at the 2020 Tribeca Festival, where Gutnik was also nominated for Best New Director.

Contents

Cast

Release

Materna was scheduled to have its world premiere at the 19th Tribeca Film Festival in April 2020 before the festival was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic (COVID-19). In April 2021, it was announced that Utopia acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film. The film was released theatrically, on VOD and on digital platforms on 10 August 2021. [1]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Materna holds an approval rating of 71%, based on 17 reviews. [2]

Kelsie Dickinson of Screen Queens called Materna “nothing short of radical,” writing that it “leaves a lasting and profound impression.” [3] Alisha Netis of Black Girl Nerds wrote that the film is “raw and completely unfiltered” and “people need to see this.” [4]

Jared Mobarak of The Film Stage praised the film for the performances, writing, “You’re getting a masterclass in acting.” [5] Rachel West of Alliance of Women Film Journalists noted, “Materna’s strength lies in unifying culturally diverse stories” in “what is ultimately a unique and refreshing perspective on both motherhood and womanhood.” [6]

Rich Kline of Shadows on the Wall wrote, “Gutnik uses disarming filmmaking techniques to make the audience uneasy, forcing a response,” and that the film is “packed with skilled depictions of the tension between independence and vulnerability, taking almost surreal routes beneath the surface.” [7]

Jourdain Searles of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a thought-provoking debut", and wrote that the final, Kyrgyzstan-set story in the anthology is “deeply felt and closely observed," with “a richness that warrants its own film.” [8]

Nick Schager of Variety called the film “a tapestry of modern alienation,” arguing that the film "wisely doesn’t try to neatly resolve its multifaceted tensions,” and that the performances are "attuned to the material’s fundamental air of incompleteness and instability." [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Erbland, Kate (12 July 2021). "'Materna' Trailer: Four Women Are Bound Together by a Crazy Subway Encounter in Tribeca Winner". IndieWire . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Materna". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  3. ↑ Dickinson, Kelsie (7 August 2021). "'Materna' is a Complex Presentation of Modern Womanhood". screen-queens.com.
  4. ↑ Netis, Alisha (August 2021). "'Materna' Tells the Stories We All Know Too Well But Never Hear Out Loud". Black Girl Nerds .
  5. ↑ Mobarak, Jared (4 August 2021). "REVIEW: Materna [2021]". jaredmobarak.com.
  6. ↑ West, Rachel (30 July 2021). "MATERNA — Review by Rachel West". AWFJ .
  7. ↑ Kline, Rich (20 November 2020). "Materna — Review by Rich Kline". shadowsonthewall.co.uk.
  8. ↑ Searles, Jourdain (13 October 2020). "'Materna': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Schager, Nick (5 August 2021). "'Materna' Review: An Uneven Drama About Mothers and Children". Variety . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
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