‘Vagabondess’ Director Brigitta Kanyaro Explores Differing Views on Feminism, Motherhood, Migration
variety.comTara Karajica In Brigitta Kanyaro’s debut feature, “Vagabondess,” the Romania-native Austria-based director takes her protagonist Camelia, a millennial mom, on the road in a bid to prevent her daughter from meeting her biological father.
The road trip allows the film to explore issues of motherhood and migration in the age of fourth-wave feminism and TikTok. The film features in the Co-Production Market of Cinelink, the industry section of Sarajevo Film Festival, and is looking to woo co-producers.
During the pandemic, Kanyaro was frustrated because she was unable to visit her family in her home country. She used to dislike taking the bus to visit them under normal circumstances, but suddenly that bus ride sounded like a most welcome idea. “That in combination with the very specifically weird relationship I have with my mother – mommy issues – meant I wanted to explore this bizarre kind of sister-like relationship where boundaries are not set,” she says of the genesis of the project.
Kanyaro and her mother never felt represented when they migrated to Austria. “I understood that it’s a very distinct type of woman that people are attracted to on TV or in films.
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