Video Interview: Péter Kerekes – 107 Mothers

Slovakia’s official submission for the ‘Best International Feature’ category at the 94th Academy Awards is Péter Kerekes‘s 107 Mothers, which premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti, picking up a Best Screenplay award . In anticipation of For Your Consideration screenings, I had the opportunity to converse with Kerekes, a documentarian making his feature narrative debut. Shot over several summers in an actual women’s prison in Odessa, Ukraine, Kerekes discusses his approach to the material and the origins of the narrative. While most of the cast consists of non-professional actors playing themselves, Kerekes shares his casting process for his lead protagonist, and the considerable editing process while also sharing details about upcoming projects.