Sturmland

Land of Storms

Szabolcs, a young Hungarian footballer, plays for a German team and is good friends with his roommate Bernard. But the training proves to be too hard for him and, after losing a game and quarrelling with Bernard, Szabolcs decides to return to Hungary. In search of a new start in life, he decides to keep bees on his grandfather’s farm. But then Áron, a stonemason’s apprentice from the nearby village arrives on the scene, and suddenly all thoughts of an uncomplicated life disappear. Together they renovate the dilapidated farm and before long their initially matey relationship turns into a love affair.

But while Szabolcs begins to accept his sexual identity, things soon become disastrous for Áron: the reactionary villagers get wind of their outrageous behaviour and even his mother turns her back on him. Bernard comes for a visit and tries to persuade Szabolcs to return to Germany. For a while, an idyllic ménage à trois ensues. But when Bernard leaves, Szabolcs decides to stay on with Áron: there’s no way he can leave him behind in such a repressed and intolerant environment.

Source: 64. Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin (Catalogue)