Film Forum

On a summer day in 1945, an Orthodox man and his grown son return to a village in Hungary to (symbolically) bury their dead. The townspeople – suspicious, remorseful, fearful, and cunning – expect the worst and behave accordingly. With admirable restraint, director Ferenc Török paints a complex picture of a society trying to come to terms with the recent horrors they’ve experienced, perpetrated, or just tolerated for personal gain. A superb ensemble cast, lustrous black and white cinematography, and historically detailed art direction contribute to an eloquent drama that reiterates Thomas Wolfe’s famed sentiment: you can’t go home again.

Presented with support from the Joan S. Constantiner Fund for Jewish and Holocaust Film, Donated by Leon Constantiner and Family

HUNGARY • 2017 • 91 MINS. • IN HUNGARIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Reviews

“A fresh, intelligent cinematic approach to a difficult topic that takes on a transitional time in Hungarian history with subtlety and nuance. Featuring striking black-and-white lensing that imbues potent compositions with foreboding. Nothing in helmer Török’s previous filmography would predict his virtuosity here… (with) a fine ensemble cast.”
– Alissa Simon, Variety

“1945 is a knockout.  A subtly crafted masterpiece. A fantastically well made film… shot in masterly black and white by the most respected living Hungarian cinematographer. Creates an atmosphere of tense confrontation oddly similar to the American Western HIGH NOON.”
– Alex Deleon, filmfestivals.com