Two priests, one brutal officer, and a courtroom where mercy is the real rebellion.
The story takes place at the time of the defeat of the Hungarian War of Independence, when Csákberény came under the terror of the imperial soldiers. Two priests from the village are arrested overnight for reading the Hungarian Declaration of Independence. Although the Austrian soldiers enjoy their power, they are unable to identify with the repression. The purpose of the trial of a military imprisonment court is to obtain a confession, to prove that a violation of sovereignty has been committed.
Acting
Sándor Gáspár's stillness burns the screen.
Direction
Szikora traps you in the room—no escape, no relief.
Writing
Dialogue so taut it hums like a power line.
Director
János Szikora
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Haynau was a real Austrian general notorious as 'the Hangman of Arad'—this film stages his lesser-known judicial cruelty.
The entire film was shot in the actual village of Csákberény, nearly 170 years after the events, with local non-actors filling background roles.
HU
