East of the West - Competition 2009 / Utolsó idők / Hungary 2009
Lost Times is the story of young car mechanic Iván, who lives with his mentally disabled sister Eszter in a God-forsaken village on the Hungarian-Ukraine border. The wonderful, almost virginal natural landscape provides a stark contrast to the frustrations of village life. Áron Mátyássy’s debut is dominated by mesmerising camera work and a beguiling score.
1997. Iván is a young car mechanic living in a God-forsaken village in eastern Hungary. He looks after his mentally disabled sister Eszter and earns extra money smuggling diesel oil across the border from Ukraine. The siblings’ coexistence is disrupted one day by a tragic event – Eszter is raped. A police investigation gets under way; in the meantime, Iván starts up a relationship with young Ilus, who has just finished school and is planning on going to university. Iván plainly wants to leave his old life behind him, but will he be able to fulfil this ambition? The wonderful, almost virginal natural landscape provides a stark contrast to the frustrating and somewhat stereotypical life in the village. The mesmerizing images from cameraman Máté Herbai are enhanced by the beguiling score from composer and cellist Albert Márkos. Debuting director Áron Mátyássy also wrote the screenplay for the film.
90 min / Color, 35 mm
International premiere
Director Áron Mátyássy
/ Screenplay Áron Mátyássy
/ Dir. of Photography Máté Herbai
/ Music Albert Márkos
/ Editor Zoltán Kovács
/ Producer István Bodzsár
/ Production Unio Film
/ Cast József Kádas, Teréz Vass, Eszter Földes, Attila Kasvinszki, Mariann Szalay, Attila László
/ Contact National Film Institute Hungary, UNIO FILM Ltd
Áron Mátyássy (b. 1978, Budapest) studied film science at Eötvös Lóránd University and completed his studies in film direction under Ferenc Grunwalsky at the Hungarian Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest (2005). He made several short films, one of which, Minus (2006), won an award for Most Promising Talent at the Budapest Short Film Festival in 2007. His feature film debut, Lost Times (2009), won the main prize at this year’s Hungarian Film Week. The film also won Best Original Music and the Student Jury Award.
National Film Institute Hungary
Róna utca 174., 1145, Budapest
Hungary
Phone: +36 30 4414465, +36 146 113 20
UNIO FILM Ltd
Muskotaly u. 29, H-1118, Budapest
Hungary
Phone: +36 1 310 7000
Fax: +36 1 310 7001
E-mail: [email protected]
Annamária Basa
Áron Mátyássy
Film Director, Film Director
István Bodzsár
Producer
Csaba Papp
Film Institution Rep., PR & Marketing
First-hand brews throughout the year.
Be among the first to learn about upcoming events and other news. We only send the newsletter when we have something to say.
