Madalina, a resourceful first-gen immigrant teen lives in fear of her volatile mother. When Madalina brings home a poorly graded assignment, a dreadful night of immigrant anxiety takes over. Prepared to face her mother’s inner demons, Madalina discovers that her mom needs nurturing and protection, much like herself.
PREMIERE
2026 Fantasia Film Festival – Fantastiques Weekends | Canada
Written & Directed by Vjosana Shkurti
Produced by Vjosana Shkurti & Max Holzberg
Distributed by Welcome Aboard
Genre Fiction, Horror/Triller
Country Canada (Québec)
Year 2026
Length 15min
Formats DCP
Sound 5.1
Version STA, STF, Romanian
CAST
Madalina : Kalyna Nichita
Mother : Anana Rydvald
CREDITS
CINEMATOGRAPHY Alexia Toman
PRODUCTION DESIGN Alex Guevremont
PICTURE EDITING Elian Mikkola
SOUND DESIGN & MUSIC Sacha Ratcliffe
Supported by
Canada Council for the Arts
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec
PRIM Centre for Artists
MAINFILM – Tri-Cycle Program
ACTRA
"There is something cyclical about the title of Vjosana Shkurti’s latest film, Mother, My Child (2026). The words evoke a back-and-forth motion, inviting us to sway between generations—from parent to child and vice versa. While not every child necessarily embarks on the journey of parenthood in adulthood, the reverse is undeniable: every parent was once a child. Straddling the line between drama and horror, Mother, My Child places us in the shoes of a young teenager living alone with an authoritarian mother, over the course of a single night where no misstep will be forgiven. Playing with the stereotype of the controlling mother, the filmmaker initially leads us into familiar territory. There is a bad grade at school and, above all, an overblown reaction. The "monster" unleashes all her venom upon the anxious young protagonist; the antagonism is absolute. Then, in the dead of night, Shkurti finally reveals her hand. As the teenager seizes a moment of silence to slip out of her room, her mother lies curled up under the sheets, muttering in her sleep. The meaning of her vulnerable words will not be spoiled here, but the palpable suffering they convey is gripping—inevitably drawing us back to the title as the roles reverse. "
(translated from French)
- JASON TODD, Séquences : La revue de cinéma #347 - ÉTÉ 2024
Vjosana Shkurti 