Burdened by the Past
Judit Ember was an artist and sociologist. Her childhood experiences made her a sensitive person who grasps the complexity of social conditions in an emphatic way, yet her films were banned from screening in socialist Hungary and did not get to be seen by broad audiences. Her body of work transpires a strong personality who takes an unaccustomed path, challenges status quo, and was deeply concerned with human suffering. Asia Dér creates a deep and punctual film about Judit Ember, a filmmaker who did not compromise neither as an artist nor as a person. The film is seeking an answer to a difficult question: what is the price of artistic truth? How was someone able to make films in the 1970-80s in a way that they are more actual today than ever?
Asia Dér was born in Bratislava, but grew up in Budapest. After earning an MA degree in Aesthetics, she studied documentary film direction at DOCnomads — a joint master studies program of the Budapest, Lisbon and Brussels film schools, and finished magna cum laude. Her films have been screened at festivals in France, Brazil and in the Czech Republic. Her short film, Letters from Mom was nominated for the best short film award at the Hungarian Film Week. Currently, she works as a freelance documentary film director, is a member of Docnomads’ Alumni Association, and a chair member of Matchframe Productions, which aims to promote and support young documentary filmmakers in Eastern Europe.