In 1981 Vienna, Perla, an exiled artist and single mother, struggles to support her daughter, Julia, a talented young pianist. When Julia’s father, Andrej, comes back into her life claiming to be seriously ill, Perla makes the dangerous journey back to communist Czechoslovakia, only to discover that Andrej wants to force his way back into their lives.

Perla, based on the director’s grandmother, has all the traits of a heroine of Greek tragedy. She is torn between men who try to manipulate her, and the demands of conflicting loves that threaten to pull her life apart. But for Perla, the struggle is simple but profound: The right to make her own decisions. Composed with impeccable long takes and eloquent silences, this is a quietly powerful study of a woman caught between two men, two countries, and two historical moments.