A Mediopolis (Leipzig)/Eurofilm Studio (Budapest) production. Produced by Peter Miskolczi, Alexander Ris, Joerg Rothe. Directed, written by Mari Cantu.
With: Peter Andorai, Erika Marozsan, Kati Lazar, Agi Szirtes, Naomi Rozsa.
The 1956 revolution against Stalinism in Hungary unfolds through the eyes of a brother and sister sequestered on an estate in the privileged Rosehill section of Budapest. Pic's thorniest challenge is appeal beyond regional markets familiar enough with historical events to appreciate approach. A tangential but critical Jewish-themed subplot will have specialty fest programmers taking a look, and item will play well on the tube.
Youngsters Panka (Naomi Rozsa) and Miska (Abel Fekete) seem to be average, mischievous kids, loved by Jewish bourgeois mother Teresa (Erica Marozsan) and watched over by superstitious nanny Roza (Kati Lazar). Yet the increasing stress and distraction of their father, prominent government official Gabor Palfi (Peter Andorai), is obvious. When they're forced to live in the servant's quarters, and walk out one day to find a Russian tank in the street, a major social upheaval for the adults becomes an mysterious adventure for the kids. Helmer Mari Cantu compares the long-gone official political world of "Rosehill" to the lost city of Atlantis, yet the sense of wonder generated by moppets' natural perfs is undercut by essential offscreen nature of action. Tech package is unobtrusively pro.
Camera (color), Tibor Mathe; editor, Matthias Behrens; music, various; costume designer, Gizella Koppany; sound (Dolby), Tamas Zanyi. Reviewed at Hungarian Film Week (competing), Budapest, Feb. 1, 2004. Running time: 96 MIN.
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Date in print: Mon., Feb. 16, 2004