A long, slow march toward atrocity.
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Hungarian soldiers in World War II patrol the icy forests of Ukraine in Denes Nagy’s feature debut.
Hungary’s most recent contribution to the implacable flow of war films pouring out of Eastern Europe is a far cry from the Russian tank operas and spectacular disaster films like
Battle of Leningrad. Denes Nagy’s sensitive first feature
Natural Light (
Termeszetes feny), bowing in Berlin competition, is the opposite of these: a slow starter high on atmosphere but low on action, whose horrific main event takes place discreetly off-screen.
The story salutes Elem Klimov’s 1985 anti-war masterpiece
Natural Light Review: Fixed Stoicism Shields From the Ravages of War Natural Light Review: Fixed Stoicism Shields From the Ravages of War
The immovable face of a Hungarian soldier patrolling Russian forests is meant to convey the horror and exhaustion of war in Dénes Nagy s cerebral yet unemotional debut.
Jay Weissberg, provided by
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Director: Dénes Nagy
With: Ferenc Szabó, Tamás Garbacz, László Bajkó,
Gyula Franczia, Ern?‘ Stuhl, Gyula Szilágyi, Mareks Lapeskis, Krisztián Kozó, József Barta, Aivars Kuzmins, Liene Kislicka, Csaba Nánási, Zsolt Fodor. (Hungarian, Russian dialogue)
Running time: Running time: 103 MIN.
FNE at Berlinale 2021: Hungarian Debut Natural Light Competes at Berlinale filmneweurope.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from filmneweurope.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
photo: Dobos Tamas
BUDAPEST: The first feature of Hungarian director Dénes Nagy,
Natural light / Természetes fény has been invited to the Main Competition of the 71st Berlin International Film Festival, which opens on 1 March 2021. The film is a Hungarian/Latvian/French/German coproduction. This is the first time two Hungarian films will compete for the Golden Bear.
Bence Flieaguf’s
Forest - I See You Everywhere also screens at the Berlinale. Ildikó Enyedi’s romantic drama On Body and Soul / Testről és lélekről was the last Hungarian feature participating in the Main Competition, winning the main prize in 2017.