Gentle / Szelíd
Hungary, Germany 2022
Directed by László Csuja & Anna Eszter Nemes, drama, 92 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by László Csuja & Anna Eszter Nemes
With Eszter Csonka, György Turós, Csaba Krisztik
Top female bodybuilder Edina is ready to sacrifice everything to fulfil her dream: to win Ms Olympia. She submits her body to a relentless regime of training and dieting and, to pay for the supplements and steroids, she picks up a side job as an escort. When she falls for one of her clients, it throws her regimented life into turmoil… Far from being the usual kind of a sports movie about the cost of greatness, Gentle is a compassionate character study which explores the physical and emotional toll on female bodybuilders. The film uniquely defies expectations: not only in visiting the mirror-filled world of pumping iron and its endless voyeurism, but also in trespassing on the territory of its protagonist´s intimate fears and dreams.
Awards:
Cleveland IFF 2022 (Best Central and Eastern European Film)
GoEast FF Wiesbaden 2022 (Best Director)
Sundance FF 2022 (competition)