Directed by Ferenc Török
Hungary, 2017
Hungarian (with English subtitles)
91 minutes
Critics' Top Ten Film of the Year!
Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes!
Los Angeles Times Critics Pick!
Based on the acclaimed short story "Homecoming" by Gábor T. Szántó
On a summer day in 1945, an Orthodox man and his grown son 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.
1945
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Awards
World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO) - 1st Annual Justice Award - "For raising awareness about property confiscated from Jews during the Holocaust and for ensuring that history is not forgotten."
Winner - Audience Award
Jewish International Film Festival, Australia 2017
Winner of Two Awards!
- SF Film Critics Circle Award
- Audience Award (Best Narrative)
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2017
Winner - Yad Vashem Chairman's Award - Jerusalem Film Festival 2017
Winner - Best Film
Der Neue Heimatfilm Festival, Austria - 2017
Winner - Audience Award
Washington Jewish Film Festival 2017
Winner - Audience Award
Berlin Jewish Film Festival 2017
Winner - Audience Award
Chattanooga Jewish Film Series 2017
Winner - Audience Award for Best Narrative - Miami Jewish Film Festival 2017
“We are proud of our audiences' selection of 1945 as this year’s Audience Award Winner for Narrative Film. There is not a frame in this astonishing spiritual journey that isn't a thing of heartfelt, breathtaking beauty."
Official Selection
Berlin International Film Festival 2017