Acting
Set between the First and Second World Wars, a “tale of an industrialist's rise to power and his destruction through his own greed” - BFI.
On New Year's Eve in 1956 the artist couple, the actor János and the dancer Viki are hastily packing. While they are waiting for the car, which is to take them across the border, their entire life is replayed in front of their eyes.
The head of the nunnery is dying, and the members are divided in two groups as the election of the new head approaches. Led by Virginia, the younger nuns stand up for changing the strict religious dogmas and would like a modern school with genuine science, a bathroom to be built, and a freer spirit. Their candidate is sister Magdolna, who went to secular universities, too. The seminarists, led by Király Erzsi, also rebel against the older nuns' strict discipline and the depressed atmosphere of the institution. However, Magdolna does not want to stay involved in the fight because she is deterred by Virginia's sinful attraction towards her and the tools Virginia is using to gain victory at any price.
A disowned son of a Greek aristocrat arrives in Hungary in 1949 over his family’s communist beliefs and starts work in the Lágymányos tobacco factory, where he falls for Gizi Weiss and fathers their first child in 1953. Fifty years later, the now-destitute “Ratkó baby” is whisked from the Baross Square underpass to Crete by a legion of lawyers to claim his share of a legendary inheritance.
Fodor, a script-writer of promising talent finds himself in a difficult financial situation. So he comes out with an absurd idea to make a film of. The director, with several scripts having been refused, likes it.
A Jewish ghetto in the east of Europe, 1944. By coincidence, Jakob Heym eavesdrops on a German radio broadcast announcing the Soviet Army is making slow by steady progress towards central Europe. In order to keep his companion in misfortune, Mischa, from risking his life for a few potatoes, he tells him what he heard and announces that he is in possession of a radio - in the ghetto a crime punishable by death. It doesn't take long for word of Jakob's secret to spread - suddenly, there is new hope and something to live for - and so Jakob finds himself in the uncomforting position of having to come up with more and more stories.
Emese, a wealthy old lady returning from Switzerland, invites her seven surviving classmates, all graduates of the 1930s, to a belated 50th reunion at her own expense. All but one of them live abroad, and they gather at the hotel on Margaret Island from all over Europe, where the hour of honesty arrives for all. During their days together, they confront themselves and their sins of the past decades. This is Hédi Váradi's last work for television, and her classmates Hilda Gobbi, Zsuzsa Gordon, Teri Náray, Juci Komlós, Erzsi Pártos and Zsuzsa Bánki all give excellent and long-lasting character performances.
Mrs. Fazekas and her three sons live in a tenement house in the outskirts. The eldest son, Fecó, is saving money in order to buy a washing machine for his mother, while her other two sons spend time by hanging around and playing tricks.
At Christmas Eve in 1944 the runaway Pintér and Gozsó get through the Soviet blockade around Budapest. Pintér intends to hide in a flat abandoned by his own relatives, but he finds his relatives called the Turnovszkys, who are hiding the Jewish Jutka as well. Love unfolds between Zoltán and Jutka.
Captain Kovács investigates the case of a taxi driver who was knocked down and later he disappeared without leaving a trace. Responding the call of the police six women present themselves: they all confess to be the fiancée of the driver.
Antal Tőrös, teacher of mathematics, does not like and trust people. No wonder he is not liked by anybody, either. Only his colleague, Klára takes a liking to him. Tőrös is in love with her, and to prove this, he tries to forget about his previous life-philosophy.
