The Crystal Bear is one of the Berlin International Film Festival's most coveted prizes. Each year, thousands of children’s and youth films from across the globe presented in the Generation section compete for this honour. What makes the Crystal Bear so special is its focus on films that address social, emotional, and cultural issues affecting children and young people with authenticity and sensitivity.  

Set in a world where, after a couple breaks up, they are required to exchange a body part, Wish You Were Ear explores how romantic relationships leave lasting impressions on our sense of self. In this way, individuals not only literally lose a part of themselves but also carry remnants of all their past relationships.  

The jury was deeply moved and inspired by the film’s creative abstraction and rich symbolism, noting “It was particularly the philosophy behind the theme that prompted us to reflect on how life shapes us and how we cope with change. The film confronts us with the inevitability of our mortality, while also reminding us that everything we experience continues to shape us long after.”   

In a previous interview, Balogh explained that her film sought to capture how we can – or cannot – come to terms with the changes left in the wake of past relationships, and how these changes inevitably become part of our self-image. “Some people experience transformation as a loss, while others feel that it has fully become part of who they are. I believe this is a profound process of self-acceptance, and that is what the film is about”, she said.  

The 11-minute diploma film was produced by MOME with support from the National Film Institute at MOME’s Animation department with the involvement of numerous current and former students. Its distribution and festival promotion are managed by MOME's Film Knowledge Hub in collaboration with the NFI. The sound design was created by József Iszlai, with editing by Judit Czakó and production by József Fülöp. 
 
The inclusion of Mirjana Balogh’s film adds to a long-standing streak of success: since 2017, MOME Animation diploma films have consistently been selected for the competition programmes of this highly prestigious film festival. Wish You Were Ear joins the ranks of films such as Réka Bucsi's Symphony No. 42 (2014), Katalin Lovrity's Volcano Island (2017), and Flóra Anna Buda's Entropia (2019), the latter of which won the Teddy Award.  Most recently, in 2023, Domonkos Erhardt's From the Corner of My Eye was featured in the Berlinale Generation 14+ competition programme, earning a Special Mention. 
 
According to Dr Zsuzsanna Vincze, head of the MOME Film Knowledge Hub established under the ‘University of the Future’ initiative, MOME Anim's emergence as an outstanding, globally recognised animation hub is the result of years, even decades, of consistent and dedicated effort. The key to success lies in seeking out and nurturing talents with unique perspectives, providing diploma film support that provides a professional production environment, and the dedication and professional humility shown by both educators and students.