Breakfast over the Bridge - Chapter 1

Breakfast over the Bridge - Chapter 1

"Breakfast over the Bridge" is a powerful and thought-provoking documentary that tells the story of the Maria Valeria Bridge, a vital link between Slovakia and Hungary that was destroyed in WWII and rebuilt more than 50 years later, through the lens of a unique social experiment. The film takes us back to October 11th, 2001, when the bridge was finally inaugurated and it also shows the personal struggles of the locals who fought for its reconstruction. But the filmmakers also arranged an 'open casting' involving the two towns on either side of the bridge, the selected people joined a stranger from the other community for a breakfast on the bridge, with the request that they take their time and engage socially with the other participant. The breakfast was a catalyst for social interaction, a chance for the participants to discuss the joys and difficulties of their countries, and as a result gain a deeper understanding of each other, and themselves. Through archival footage and personal interviews, the film delves into the complexities of identity, communication, and understanding across cultures. It is a powerful celebration of the human spirit, the enduring power of community, and the experimentation of social identity.

- Presented in Angaelica Film Festival, Pasadena, California, December 2021 and in Transcultural Exchange, Boston, Massachusetts, November 2022
- Screened in Hungarian National TV, Channel M5, February 2022
- Screened in Transcultural Exchange, Boston, US, November 2022
- Best documentary in Silence, ca touille!, festival of food and movies, Locronan, France, 2023

Country: Slovakia, Hungary
Year: 2022
Duration: 59'15''
Language: English, Hungarian, Slovak, Spanish, French 
Subtitles: English, Italian, Hungarian, Slovak
Production: Bridgeguard, Helix Pictures
Written, Directed and Edited: Mattia Mura

Breakfast over the Bridge - Chapter 1