Hungarian filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó unveils his latest film, At the Sea, starring Amy Adams, which premieres In Competition at the Berlin Film Festival tonight. The movie, centered on themes of identity and family crisis, is deeply rooted in Mundruczó’s own experience after leaving his native Hungary due to political tensions and lack of support in the local film industry, marking a crucial phase in his career.
Having faced criticism from Hungary’s right-wing government and denied funding from national film bodies, the director found himself navigating a form of cultural exile. This departure sparked the initial inspiration for At the Sea, as Mundruczó observed the transformation of relationships both in himself and those he left behind.
“After I left, I started to recognize that I was changing so much and also the people I knew [in Hungary] had changed so much,”
Mundruczó reflects.
“I started to see how fragile all of these relationships are and how much work you have to give them to keep them as is.”
Collaboration and Cast Behind the Film
The screenplay, crafted by Mundruczó’s long-time collaborator Kata Weber, brings together a talented ensemble led by Amy Adams. Supporting cast members include Murray Bartlett, Chloe East, Brett Goldstein, Dan Levy, Redding Munsell, Jenny Slate, and Rainn Wilson. The film is produced by Ryder Picture Company, Alexander Rodnyansky’s AR Content, and Hammerstone Studios, with additional production from Ashland Hill, Proton Cinema, LB Entertainment, and Jeff Rice Films.
Exploring Life’s Midpoint in a Trilogy of Female Crises
At the Sea forms the second installment in a loosely connected triptych of films directed by Mundruczó, which examines crises experienced by women across different life stages. The first film, Pieces of a Woman, explored early adulthood, while the upcoming A Place To Be, featuring Ellen Burstyn and Pamela Anderson, will focus on later life.
“The same characters do not reappear in the three movies but it’s very important for me and Kata to articulate that there is this phantom thread,”
Mundruczó explains.
“With At the Sea, we started to wonder how we could put this middle-age identity crisis into a movie because there aren’t many movies about this topic.”
Amy Adams Portrays Laura, a Woman Facing Her Past
In At the Sea, Amy Adams takes on the role of Laura, who returns home to her family’s Cape Cod house after completing rehab. Once the prominent face of her late father’s acclaimed dance company, Laura wrestles with living under the heavy shadow of his legacy. Her struggles with functional alcoholism reached a severe point after a drunk-driving incident involving her young son, prompting a crucial turning point toward sobriety.
The film explores the challenge of reintegrating into a family unprepared for Laura’s transformation and the emotional fallout from her past choices.
“While it’s about the crisis of a middle-aged woman, everybody – men and women – all have this transformation in middle age when your identity changes,”
Mundruczó says.
“We all come to a place where we think about life after death and reflect on how you can connect with those closest to you. So, on that level, it’s a very personal film.”
Chloe East Brings Heat to the Role of Josie, the Teenage Daughter
Playing Laura’s daughter Josie, Chloe East delivers a standout performance as a youth forced into early maturity while her mother was in rehab. Josie assumes the caretaker role for her younger brother, which adds layers of responsibility and resentment toward her mother’s absence.
East, known for roles in Heretic alongside Hugh Grant and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, found Josie a unique and engaging character.
“She’s such a multifaceted, very different character,”
East describes.
“I also felt very personally connected to her and I felt very protective over Josie. I felt like I had a lot that I could pull in from my personal life, and I felt like I needed to play this character without seeming super maniacal. The whole thing felt like a big therapy session.”
Dance as a Silent Language of Emotional Expression
Dance plays a pivotal role in the film, serving as a non-verbal form of communication between Adams’ character and her daughter. As a former professional dancer, Laura and Josie convey complex emotions through movement rather than words.
“They communicate only through those silent moments, which is the language of this story,”
Mundruczó explains.
East’s personal background in dance helped her connect deeply with her character’s experience.
“I grew up in a family where not everything was fully fleshed out and talked about,”
she shares.
“I did a lot of dance growing up and I felt like that was my main way to communicate and really express myself and tell everyone how I was feeling. So, I was really grateful to read the script and feel like I was acknowledged as an actor.”
The choreography posed a challenge, as the film sought to avoid traditional Broadway styles and contemporary dance clichés. Mundruczó aimed for a distinct movement style that visually represented the character’s psychological state.
“We had to find the balance because we didn’t want it to be too Broadway or too contemporary. It was difficult to find the exact language for what was happening. It’s not perfect, but it’s dense and represents the state of mind of the character in that moment,”
he reflects.
Choreographer Meg Stuart Shapes the Film’s Movement
Choreographer Meg Stuart joined the production to develop the dance sequences and capture the nuance Mundruczó envisioned. Her spiritual approach helped fuse the storytelling with movement that focused on character rather than rhythmical patterns.
“She’s very spiritual and she joined us on the shoot and created this amazing dance with Amy and Chloe. For the final dance, I wanted to shoot it not as a dance sequence but rather wanted to focus on the character. I didn’t want it to get too rhythmical,”
Mundruczó says.
East, trained in technical dance forms, found the improvisational style required for the film’s dances to be both vulnerable and therapeutic.
“This kind of dance didn’t have a structure. You had to really let go and it felt very vulnerable but, again, was a very therapeutic experience. I think part of that is just letting go and for Josie, too, she has to let go. You can’t think in very linear, structured ways. I always felt I could express myself through dance, but I didn’t know I could do it in this way,”
East reveals.
Amy Adams’ Raw Performance Earns High Praise from the Director
Mundruczó applauds Adams for her courage and authenticity in confronting a role that delves into complex emotional terrain rarely depicted in Hollywood.
“Her performance is almost like a statement that you can do that,”
he states.
“She was really straightforward and wanted to be raw, simple and alienated. From a director’s perspective, she is a pure artist, and she knows more about the character than you.”
On-Set Bonds Form Between Adams and East
Co-star Chloe East describes working alongside Amy Adams as a rewarding and trustworthy experience. The connection they formed on and off camera enriched East’s portrayal of Josie.
East remarks that Adams was
“a scene partner who you could trust,”
and admires her subtle, layered approach.
“She’s just so nuanced,”
East adds.
“I look back at this whole experience and I have so much gratitude for the whole thing.”
At the Sea’s Place Within Cinema and Potential Impact
At the Sea tackles the often-overlooked subject of middle-aged identity crises, especially through a female perspective, combining dance and intimate family drama to tell its story. Through Mundruczó’s lens and Adams’ fearless performance, the film seeks to open a dialogue about personal transformation, grief, and reconnection.
The movie’s premiere at Berlin may attract audiences and critics interested in emotionally raw, character-driven storytelling that challenges traditional depictions of women’s lives in cinema. With its unique use of dance as a form of communication and its exploration of cultural exile, At the Sea promises to be a compelling addition to the ongoing conversation about identity and resilience across life’s challenging phases.
