Northwest Film Forum

This impressive first film by Tarr heralded the arrival of one of late 20th century cinema's most compelling and original voices. Shot in a cinema vérité style, the film captures the lives of an ordinary family in a broken society. The housing shortage in Communist-ruled Hungary forces a young couple to live with the husband's parents in a cramped, one room apartment. The proximity of too many people in too small a space leads to tireless arguments and a feeling of unending hopelessness. Winner of the Hungarian Film Critics' prize for Best First Feature.