PRODUCTION / FUNDING Slovakia / Austria
Alexandra Makárová’s sophomore feature, Perla, to celebrate fearless women
- The autofiction drama about a painter torn between Czechoslovakia and Austria in the early 1980s will bow in IFFR’s Tiger Competition

Perla, the sophomore feature by Slovak-born, Austrian-based filmmaker Alexandra Makárová, which explores personal and social dynamics against the backdrop of Cold War-era Europe, combining themes of migration, exile and reconciliation, will world-premiere in the Tiger Competition of IFFR 2025 (see the news). Makárová debuted with Crush My Heart [+see also:
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film profile], described as an “Austrian Romeo and Juliet love story with Roma protagonists”. Her new film centres on Perla, a Slovak émigré painter living in Vienna in the early 1980s. A fiercely independent artist and unconventional single mother, Perla appears to have built a new life in Austria with her partner and her daughter, Júlia. However, her decision to secretly return to communist Czechoslovakia with her family to reconnect with Júlia’s father sets off a series of events that force her to confront the tension between her past and present lives. As Perla’s reunion with Andrej reveals personal and cultural dissonances, the story tackles topics of belonging, loyalty and the sacrifices required to create a sense of home.
Makárová describes the movie as a personal reflection on themes of identity and displacement, inspired by her own family history. “The film is not strictly historical,” she notes, “but instead uses the political context to frame a universal story about human connections, guilt and forgiveness.” While the story relies on the familiar dynamic of a love triangle, the narrative extends beyond this framework to explore a broader theme of a woman caught between two lives. According to the director, Perla is “first and foremost a deeply personal story, a love letter to my homeland and to memories of my childhood, both here and ‘there’. It is also a tribute to the women in my family who defied expectations in their youth, moving forwards with reckless strength and immense courage. Sometimes controversial, even brutal, but always filled with love for their children. While many parts of the story are autobiographical, others are fictional.”
The protagonist, Perla, draws inspiration from several women in the director’s family, particularly her mother, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Vienna. “Perla is not an exact portrait of my mother, but the dynamics of Perla’s relationships – with herself, with men and with her daughter – are very similar,” Makárová notes. “She is a character with a lot of depth and mystery, but is also divisive.” While the historical aspect is significant, she stresses: “Although I was as precise as possible in my research, Perla is not a documentary, but a fictional film. I quickly realised that I did not want to make a conventional historical movie.”
The title character is played by actress Rebeka Poláková (Nobody Likes Me [+see also:
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film profile]) as the Slovak father of her daughter. Austrian cinematographer Georg Weiss, who also lensed her feature debut, served as the cinematographer. The shooting has been realised according to green filming guidelines. Makárová won the IF SHE CAN SEE IT, SHE CAN BE IT screenplay competition with the script for Perla in 2020.
Perla is being produced by Austria’s Golden Girls Filmproduktion and co-produced by Slovakia’s Hailstone. The film has been supported by the Austrian Film Institute, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and ORF Film/Fernsehabkommen.
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