Gizella Koppány

19세기 동유럽의 작은 항구 마을. 9살 소녀 ‘라우린’은 아빠(아르네), 엄마(플로라), 할머니(올가) 와 함께 숲 속 오두막집에서 살고 있다. 선원인 아빠는 한번 집을 나서면 길게는 반년 동안 배를 탄다 아빠가 배를 타던 날, 엄마는 아빠를 배웅하고 돌아오던 길에 살인 사건을 목격한 후 그만 다리에서 떨어져 익사하고 만다 사고가 있은지 2년 후 할머니 올가는 아들이 바다로 떠나면 늙고 몸 불편한 내가 어린 라우린을 돌봐야 한다며 불안해한다 이제 배는 그만 타라는 할머니의 당부를 아빠는 무시하고 다시 떠나간다 라우린은 할머니와 단둘이 남게 되었다 아빠의 부재와 엄마의 죽음으로 라우린은 혼란스런 사춘기를 보내고 있다 한편 마을 목사 아들인 ‘반 리스’가 2년 만에 고향에 돌아와 초등학교 교사로 부임하게 된다 어려운 형편인 자신을 도와줘서일까? 라우린은 새로 부임한 선생님에게 호감을 느낀다 그러던 어느 날 라우린의 친구 스테판이 실종되면서 2년 전에 있었던 소년 실종사건의 악몽이 되살아난다

The seeming hopelessness of combatting an all-powerful government that will not tolerate political dissension is the focus of this excellent historical drama set in the mid-19th century in Hungary. In the opening scenes, Hungary has just lost its bid for independence from Austria and a Magyar officer, unable to bear the tragedy of defeat and what it means, says an affectionate good-bye to his beloved horse and then shoots the animal and himself. Two years later, Ferenc (Gyorgy Cserhalmi) is trying to eke out a living for his wife and her family -- and at the same time avoid any hint of sympathy for Hungarian independence because the Secret Police are everywhere. Just as life seems to be going well, Ferenc's former commanding officer (Lajos Oze) arrives and begins discussing revolution again -- a futile pursuit at this point in time. The next day, Ferenc is thrown into an insane asylum and everyone else is arrested as well.

A Budapest high school in the beginning of the 1960s. Dini suffers the torments of adolescence. His father had to leave Hungary after the uprise in 1956, and since then Dini's mother has had to take care of her two sons on her own. A friend of Dini’s father, Bodor, is released from prison and moves in with them. Dini and his brother are far from happy about this intrusion on their family life.

The man is promoted and given a new assignment at his work-place. At home, he stares at a video-cassette: it portrays his wife's face in countless versions, she is sometimes simply beautiful, then unfathomable, but it is mostly a sad, closed, lonely face.