Inhabitants of a small village in Hungary deal with the effects of the fall of Communism. The town's source of revenue, a factory, has closed, and the locals, who include a doctor and three couples, await a cash payment offered in the wake of the shuttering. Irimias, a villager thought to be dead, returns and, unbeknownst to the locals, is a police informant. In a scheme, he persuades the villagers to form a commune with him.
Cinematography
Black-and-white mud poetry. Every shot is a painting.
Direction
Tarr's 10-minute takes will break your brain (in a good way).
Score
Mihály Víg's accordion doom haunts for days.
Director
Béla Tarr
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The famous cat scene used a real cat from a local farm; Tarr insisted on authenticity despite protests.
Shot during Hungary's post-communist collapse, the film mirrors real economic devastation Tarr witnessed in villages.
HU
