Sunset

Synopsis

“Son of Saul director László Nemes deftly conjures the death throes of the Austro-Hungarian empire in an atmospheric mystery drama. Sunset is an occult mystery drama about the fin-de-siècle anxieties of the dying Austro-Hungarian empire. It takes place in Budapest in 1913, with a distinctly disturbing coda in the wartime trenches, a setting that is itself ambiguously real or imagined. All the fears and premonitions of war and the violent overturning of an old order are projected on to an elegant hat store in the city. Shot in what is becoming Nemes’ signature style: long takes, a persistent closeup on the lead character’s face, and a shallow focus that allows the surrounding reality to intrude only intermittently. The dialogue is often spoken in a subdued murmur, as if each speaker is in possession of a secret.“ (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian)

Around The World in 14 Films 2018, presented by Dietrich Brüggemann

With support of: Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (Ungarian embassy)