directed by Ferenc Török, drama, 91 min, eng subtitles, 16+
written by Gábor T. Szántó, Ferenc Török
with Péter Rudolf, Eszter Nagy-Kálózy, Bence Tasnádi, Tamás Szabó Kimmel
On a sweltering August day in Hungary in 1945, villagers prepare for the wedding of the town clerk's son. Meanwhile, two Orthodox Jews arrive at the village train station with mysterious boxes labelled "fragrances". The town clerk, Szentes, fears the men may be heirs of the village's deported Jews and expects them to demand that he returns the drugstore he acquired for his son, Árpád. Other villagers are afraid more survivors will come, posing a threat to the property and possessions they have acquired. Some are filled with remorse, while the thoughts of others turn to murder. Adapted from a short story by Gábor T. Szántó, 1945 is a restrained exploration of ugly group behaviour, shot in beautiful black and white.
Awards:
Washington Jewish FF 2017 (Best Narrative Fiction)
Miami Jewish FF 2017 (Audience Award, Best Film)
Jerusalem IFF 2017 (Yad Vashem Award)
Berlin Jewish FF 2017 (Best Director)