Festivals - Fantasia 2020 : Marygoround, International Premiere

By Mulder, 12 august 2020

Marygoround doesn’t waste time bringing audiences into its unique universe. The world its characters inhabit is ever-so -slightly heightened. The grocery store where our protagonist Mary works pops with color and quirky personalities, hinting at Mary’s internal psychology. Despite living a confined, mundane life, something in Mary’s soul longs for vibrancy and excitement. Her journey, though colorful, is not without its insidious turns. She suffers through her metamorphosis, questioning her reliance on religious figures through a series of haunting hallucinations. And while she may make some bad decisions, you can’t help but root for Mary thanks to Grazyna Misiorowska’s lovable and mesmeric performance and director Daria Woszek’s sensitive and original worldview. So prepare yourself for Marygoround: a beautiful, unsettling and touching dark comedy about the importance of finding yourself at any age. – Logan Taylor

Synopsis :
Mary is coming up on her 50th birthday and is facing menopause. She begins hormone therapy to help with the transition, one that is all the more frustrating because she never had children of her own. In fact she never even had a chance- she’s never had sex. It’s no wonder she is surrounded by statues of The Virgin Mary, a clear but compelling representation of her hopes for a miracle. Perhaps Mary would have remained cloistered and downtrodden had her free-spirited niece Helena not shown up, needing a place to stay following yet another failed relationship. Helena’s arrival coincides with an awakening in Mary, one of burgeoning sexuality, bravery, and curiosity. Maybe it’s the hormones, or maybe it’s something far more mystical and powerful.

Marygoround
Directed by Daria Woszek
Produced by Marcin Lech, Dagmara Molga
Written by Sylwester Piechura, Aleksandra Swierk, Daria Woszek
Starring Janusz Chabior, Magdalena Kolesnik, Barbara Kurzaj, Grazyna Misiorowska, Pawel Smagala, Helena Sujecka, Agnieszka Wosinska, Sylwester Piechura
Cinematography Michal Pukowiec
Edited by Agnieszka Glinska, Agata Marciniak
Running time : 80mns

(Source : Fantasia 2020 official website)