directed by György Pálfi, drama/comedy, 75 min, eng subtitles
written by György Pálfi
with Ági Margitai, Józsefné Rácz, Eszter Ónodi, Ferenc Nagy
The village seems idyllic, but there are mysterious things happening. An old man sitting on a bench has the hiccups, a drunken youth snores on a carriage, a kind old lady picks lilies of the valley, women sew in the dressmaker's shop, men are bowling in a pub, the bees make honey, a machine harvests the wheat that will be made into flour in the mill , and then into dumplings in Grandma's kitchen and throughout it all a policeman investigates a murder...
With (almost) no dialogue in the movie, it seems the events surrounding the villagers, animals, and plants have no meaning. However, at the end of the movie there is a wedding where girls sing an old folksong which reveals the mystery... A film with the deceptive appearance of a documentary, where each scene contains clues to a detective story.
Awards:
Hungarian Film Week (Critics Award, Best Debut Film)
European Film Awards 2002 (European Discovery of the Year)
Cottbus FF 2002 (Special Prize, Audience Award, FIPRESCI Prize)
San Sebastian IFF 2002 (Special Mention)
Hong Kong IFF 2003(Golden Firebird Award)
Sochi IFF 2003 (Golden Rose)