JENUFA
Can a century-old opera open a debate about motherhood in the 21st century? Europe’s youngest opera director, Veronika Kos Loulová, offers a contemporary reading of Janáček’s Jenůfa. She brings to the forefront the story of a young mother under social pressure, viewing it through the lens of postpartum mental health struggles, an experience shared by around one in five mothers. Yet most never seek help. In a society that continues to idealise motherhood, postpartum anxiety, depression and psychosis remain largely taboo.
Veronika invites women for whom motherhood brought fear, isolation and mental health struggles instead of expected happiness to become part of the production. Stáňa was hospitalised in a psychiatric ward and contemplated suicide after giving birth. Míša suffered severe anxiety from the moment she left the maternity ward. Others experienced depression or life-threatening psychosis. Now they bring their experiences onto the opera stage. As rehearsals unfold, their real-life stories begin to merge with the tragic fate of Jenůfa and Kostelnička. When the women finally step onstage alongside professional opera singers, their raw testimonies provoke laughter, resistance, emotion and fierce criticism.
Jenůfa follows women who choose to break the silence and traces their journey from isolation to public testimony. Through their stories, the film offers hope that recovery is possible and asks: Why is the fact that motherhood is not always a happy story still such a powerful taboo?
Veronika invites women for whom motherhood brought fear, isolation and mental health struggles instead of expected happiness to become part of the production. Stáňa was hospitalised in a psychiatric ward and contemplated suicide after giving birth. Míša suffered severe anxiety from the moment she left the maternity ward. Others experienced depression or life-threatening psychosis. Now they bring their experiences onto the opera stage. As rehearsals unfold, their real-life stories begin to merge with the tragic fate of Jenůfa and Kostelnička. When the women finally step onstage alongside professional opera singers, their raw testimonies provoke laughter, resistance, emotion and fierce criticism.
Jenůfa follows women who choose to break the silence and traces their journey from isolation to public testimony. Through their stories, the film offers hope that recovery is possible and asks: Why is the fact that motherhood is not always a happy story still such a powerful taboo?