Hollyshorts 2024- The Professional Parent (2024)

Fresh off the press, it's time to share some more of my recent coverage for the Hollyshorts Film Festival in LA!

Ingrid (played by Ela Lehotská) takes a young Roma orphan Samantha (Mariana Kroková) under her wing. This abrupt decision, exacerbated by the already rampant anti-Romani sentiment in the small Slovakian town where she resides further leads to a wedge being driven between Ingrid and her own family members. As the shadow of social services looms over her, Ingrid is desperate to keep her family and her sanity together, but is weighed down by the conflict of raising a child who is still yet an outsider to her and those around her.

Filmmaker Erik Jasaň conveys this conflict well, by showcasing the lone mother torn in providing for her biological child Martinka as well as the adopted Samantha, doing her best in nurturing both like a good parent would, yet often she has to even forgo the promised good night kiss due to late nights soliciting for a living. She now also has to deal with jealousy rearing its ugly heads between the step-sisters, particularly as Samantha isn’t too trusting either and expresses loneliness due to a dearth of a flesh-and-blood connection with her foster parent and sibling, as well as receiving the cold shoulder from Martinka’s grandmother who regards Ingrid’s actions to be selfish, especially since the family struggles financially. As a result, Ingrid is occasionally left to ponder over whether she is alone in her affections for Samantha amidst such a heartless atmosphere (save for Martinka who does attempt to break the ice innocuously during an awkward dinner when her step-sibling first arrives home).

It also touches upon themes such as privileges and luxuries afforded to Caucasian orphans, as white children at the orphanage have a higher chance at being adopted into well-to-do families as compared to Roma orphans who are discriminated upon and thus whose only option is to be packed off to live with legal guardians like Ingrid who aren’t usually well off themselves.

At times the short also feels reminiscent to its predecessors such as Mani Ratnam’s 'Kannathil Muthamittal'. Much like this short that acts as an in-depth exploration of the growing indifference of Slovakian citizens towards their fellow Roma brethren, the aforementioned feature length film that released in 2002 to critical acclaim similarly depicted the violent India-Sri Lanka conflict which led to ruthless bloodshed and displacement as well.

Another connection that Jasaň’s short shares with Ratnam’s work is that both protagonists (the naive but determined Sri Lankan refugee Amudha in 'Kannathil...' and the orphaned Samantha in 'The Professional Parent' respectively) long to run away from their new homes to track down their biological parents.

Ultimately like 'Kannathil…’, the strength of ‘The Professional Parent' too rests in its intent, since despite eventually ending on an ambiguous note or with characters at a crossroads, it leaves viewers with the meaningful message of always choosing compassion over segregation.