World premiere
Kalman's Day
It’s a beautiful sunny autumn morning in a cosy house near a quiet lake. Kálmán doesn't know what love means anymore. His asexual wife Olga suggests redecorating in another attempt to save the relationship. Olga’s sister Zita comes to celebrate Kalman's name day with her husband Levente, who has a terrible pain in his stomach. Then, sensitive widower Erno knocks on the door. Olga has a strange dream where she sees misfortune for Zita and Levente. Trouble never comes alone.
The winner of Karlovy Vary and other festivals, Szabolcs Hajdu, acts as the twisted Kálmán in a minimalist, vivid and heartbreaking reconstruction of a theatre play with captivating long takes, meaningful dialogues, and impressive chimes of wind bells.
Edvinas Pukšta
Szabolcs Hajdu (1972) is one of the best known Hungarian writer-direc- tors of his generation. His films include Sticky Matters, Tamara and Off Hollywood and have premiered in Cannes (White Palms), Berlin (Bibliotheque Pascal) and Toronto (Mirage) among other festivals. Kalman’s Day is his tenth feature film. It is based on his ac- claimed theater play of the same name. In 2016, Szabolcs adapt- ed another play It’s Not the Time of My Life into a film which won the Grand Prix Crystal Globe for Best Picture and Best Actor prize at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Filmography:
Macerás ügyek (Tülikad asjad, PÖFF 2001), Tamara (PÖFF 2004), Fehér tenyér (White Palms, 2006), Bibliothèque Pascal (PÖFF 2010), Délibáb (Miraaž, PÖFF 2014), The Gambler (2015), Ernelláék Farkaséknál (It's Not the Time of My Life, 2016), Békeidõ (Treasure City, 2020), Kalman's Day (2023)