Directed by Dénes Nagy, drama, 103 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Dénes Nagy
With Ferenc Szabó, Tamás Garbacz, László Bajkó, Gyula Franczia
A slow, but intense story of the human condition, set in the most testing of environments: war. This is World War II, in the occupied Soviet Union. István Semetka is a simple farmer serving as a Sub-lieutenant in the Hungarian army. In the middle of a swampy forest, his company falls under enemy fire. As the commander is killed, Semetka has to overcome his fear and take command of the unit, being dragged into a chaos that he cannot control.
Natural Light is a rare kind of war movie: low on action, with the horrific main event taking place discreetly off-screen, and the silences between the sparse lines of dialogue are filled with tension. We are witnesses to a long, slow march towards an atrocity.
Awards:
Berlin IFF 2021 (Silver Bear for Best Director)