A drunk ex-cop, a conspiracy theorist, and domestic magic walk into a bar—no, really.
Our hero, Lajos, a drunken ex-cop in his fifties, back from the jaws of death. His old friend Feri, who is always anxious and wrestling with bad premonitions; and his wife, Etus, who believes in both the omnipotence of love and the afterlife. And, of course, there's their close friend Tibi, in his twenties, who's obsessed with paranormal phenomena and conspiracy theories - especially since his parents were struck by a ball lightning bolt. The four-strong group of friends is bound together by a fascination with esotericism and spiritualism - they are joined by Etus's sister, the recently widowed Évike, who, thanks to Etus's domestic magic, is hopelessly in love with Lajos. Meanwhile, Lajos, who works as a security guard, is in deep trouble: he is granted a two-day reprieve by the underworld-connected art dealer Mr Faragó to settle his debt of millions.
Acting
Imre Csuja's magnificent wreck of a man—drunk, doomed, weirdly dignified
Writing
Balancing cosmic stakes with petty debts and marital séances
Direction
Fazakas finds beauty in Budapest's gray corners
Director
Péter Fazakas
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Para captures post-communist Hungary's spiritual vacuum, where esotericism exploded as organized religion collapsed—Tibi's generation literally grew up into conspiracy theories.
The title 'Para' is Hungarian slang for both 'paranormal' and 'paranoia'—the film refuses to distinguish which state its characters actually inhabit.
HU
