1945

Synopsis

Based on the acclaimed short story “Homecoming” by Gábor T. Szántó.

1945 is about an Orthodox man and his grown son who return to a village in Hungary while the villagers prepare for the wedding of the town clerk’s son. The townspeople – suspicious, remorseful, fearful, and cunning – expect the worst and behave accordingly. The town clerk fears the men may be heirs of the village’s deported Jews and expects them to demand their illegally acquired property back.

Director Ferenc Török paints a complex picture of a society trying to come to terms with the recent horrors they’ve experienced, perpetrated, or just tolerated for personal gain. A superb ensemble cast, lustrous black and white cinematography, and historically detailed art direction contribute to an eloquent drama that reiterates Thomas Wolfe’s famed sentiment: you can’t go home again.

Festivals, Screenings, & Awards

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival – Critics Circle and Audience Award for Best Narrative

Jerusalem Film Festival – Yad Vashem Chairman’s Award for Best Feature

Miami Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award

Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama)

World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) – 1st Annual Justice Award

Miami Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award

FilmDer Neue Heimat Film Festival – Best Film

Budapest Titanic Int’l Film Festival – Audience Award for Best Film

Berlin Jewish Film Festival – Audience Award

Film by the Sea International Film Festival – Film and Literature Award

Ghent International Film Festival – Grand Prix

Hungarian Film Week – Best Actor and Best Original Music

Jewish Motifs International Film Festival – Warsaw Phoenix Audience Award

Traverse City Film Festival – Founders Prize for Best Foreign Fiction Film