The Maiden Danced to death, 2011

The Maiden Danced To Death, 2011
Director: Endre Hules
Cast: Endre Hules, Bea Merkvi, Deborah Kara Unger, Boris Cavazza


Stage: Kino Dvor, local art theatre


The Maiden Danced to Death in short:There were two brothers - two dancers - in Communist Hungary. One defected, the other stuck it out. One gave his soul to commerce, the other to the Party. After twenty years, they meet again. And the dance begins.



Preps: I only heard the best critics about this piece and I am more than curious.


Reality: This piece is more than made excellent. It has several levels that one can dive into and search for inner wisdom to help in seeking the right way. Two brothers reunite after 20 years, one still in Hungary doing major projects with a dance group noone will sponsor and seeking the love he felt for dancing inside the management of the group, the other brother is a famous manager that replaced the love he had for dancing and dancing itself with high level management on global level. Which means that the same roots they once shared now turned into two completely different paths.

One story we follow is the reunion and the difficulties the two guys have when trying to act as if nothing happened (which is truly only on the surface), on the other hand trying to figure out the way to work together again.

It's a completely balcan perception that if you are abroad, you must have a lot of money, therefore you need to give it to your family. Regardless of the relationship you have with them, you are obliged to help them. In this sense, a true separation occurs when the supposeably richer brother refuses to do so at the beginning and then inclines to the emotions he feels (or is it the feeling of the guilt?) Of course he smells also money, he's not doing it just to please some historical emotions. On the other hand the project he's taking under his wing - cannot be delivered half way as the other brother perceives. The first one, with outdoor experience, knows that it takes dedication and non-diplomatic actions to make people to breathe for the project. On this path a voulter side of the brothers takes its stage moment. The relationship between them couldn't be more complicated. They are both filled with guilt and pride, the worst combination to have in business. However, they somehow manage to get over it and make it work - the dance has its important role here, as it acts as an accellerator of passion, emotions, and also tools to calm down and take a deep breath before acting.

The stage is more or less limited to the dance floor, where they are preparing the show. The other story we are following, is the relationship between long lost brother and his parents. Surprisingly, they are Slovene - what a concept. I am sure that all slovene people when seeing this, feel some sort of patriotism and pride :)
To stay on the safe side, the movie is definitely a hungarian one. However, it has a global meaning. It could be put into any environment worldwide.
In the scenes with father, the father figure is brilliantly played by Cavazza. Such a small, yet so exclusive, powerful one. I loved him, and the concept of the insulted family, he's trying to pull off as he fights with his lost son. It isn't until the end of the movie, where a sudden twist lets us know what the deal was and why he went away. Through the movie, you are just collecting pieces and guessing. Superb!

The third story is the love triangle between the brothers and the wife of one of them (mistress of another in previous periods of life). Flirtation, passion, hectic time when they argue one with another. Expressing love, gratitude, remorsement, sadness about the way things turned out and yet, a chance to escape they never take. A deep, passionate relationship that is depicted in a way that will shake your breath.

The piece, as in whole, one of the better ones this year. I absolutely adored it!


My personal rate: 9,5 (brilliant, in any aspect possible!)


The maiden on IMDB

Piran-Pirano, 2010

Piran-Pirano, 2010
Director: Goran Vojnović
Cast: Boris Cavazza, Nina Ivanišin, Mustafa Nadarević


Piran-Pirano in short:Piran – Pirano tells a story about three individuals and how their destinies are unusually intertwined. An Italian Antonio, a Bosnian Veljko and a Slovenia girl Anica face the terror of war as children and each of them becomes war’s victim in their own way. Half a century later their paths cross again and last days of war, fear, despair, love and inexplicable emotions live up again – this time because Antonio returns to Piran to see his place of birth once again before he dies.

Piran – Pirano
The film is set in a town with two names, with Slovenian one and Italian one. In a town where in a house two old men run into each other. Two men who were once joined because of the love for one girl and then separated by everything that separated people during World War II in those places: languages, ideologies (fascism, communism), and affiliation to different fighting sides (aggressors or partisans). It was because of love for the same girl that the young partisan could not shoot the young Italian, and it was for the same reason that they parted while running away from partisans. As old men they meet again, but they still do not understand each other, now only because they speak different languages. Recalling memories helps both of the men realize that this house, in which the Italian lived as a child and was banished from, and in which the partisan found his second home, actually does not belong to either of them. It is only a house of their many memories, reminding them the only thing left for them is to find “a place of rest “. Nevertheless, this is not so much a film of nostalgic past, but so much more about fundamental question: How to die in peace?



Stage: Theatre Vič, local movie setting
Preps: I need to see this as it is one of the most notorious ones at the movie festival in Slovenia, one of the latest movies anyway and directed by one of my favourite writers, Vojnovič. It cannot be bad at all.


Reality: Piran exceeds my expectations in whole. Lately the fashion has been filming movies about the war on balkan in the 90ties. It is extremely rare that the setting on this area is built on the ww2. In this case, this piece concentrates on the actions in the past that have a big effect in the present.

The scene with the both men blabbermouthing about the past and how it was, each in his own language, not being able to understand each other, and drinking at the same time - it is absolutely brilliant. The movie offers many variations or levels of understanding both parties and especially enlightens the problem of the people being on the wrong side, but not by their choice, but because born this way. Still not wanting to have anything to do with war, but paying for the political decisions of the country they lived in.

Anica's role here is somehow most vague - hidden in the clouds. I mean the scenario written for her was so poor that amazed me in negative sense. This young actress has such a potential it is virtually a shame just letting her wander through the scenes without any real text. I was really sorry to see her more as a puppet as an actress in this piece.




My personal rating: 8,0 (depicting past before WW2 is the hardest thing to do in balcan area, since all of newer movies (and the audience) are searching possible topics in the latest balcan war zone.)


Piran-Pirano on IMDB

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