This free talk takes place on Tuesday, October 5, at 7pm in the Amphitheater of the Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center.

Roiling currents of familial and feminist rebellion connect two extraordinary films in the NYFF59 lineup. In Spotlight selection The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s electrifying directorial debut, a reluctant mother is haunted by a crisis in her past, while in Main Slate highlight Unclenching the Fists, the searing sophomore feature from Russia’s Kira Kovalenko, a daughter strains against the domestic tyranny of her father. Featuring powerhouse performances and distinctive visual vocabularies, both films offer a layered yet urgent examination of the societal and patriarchal expectations that constrain their independent-minded protagonists. This special conversation brings the two directors together to discuss their respective forays into filmmaking, the process of realizing their vividly drawn yet enigmatic heroines, and the use of fiction to transcend an untenable status quo.

NYFF Talks are presented by:


Free tickets for NYFF59 Talks will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning one hour prior to each event at the corresponding box office. Tickets are limited to one per person, subject to availability. For those unable to attend, video from these events will be available online on Film at Lincoln Center’s YouTube channel at a later date.