Want to imbibe some culture but haven't a clue what's going on in the city? This new artsy blog is meant for you then! First hand information delivered in English.
The Turin Horse - the official synopsis of the plot reads:
"In Turin in 1889, Nietzsche flings his arms around an exhausted carriage horse, then loses consciousness and his mind. Somewhere in the countryside: a farmer, his daughter, a cart and the old horse. Outside, a windstorm rises."
The screenplay was written together with László Krasznahorkai. The German philosopher suffered a mental collapse in 1889, 11 years before his death. While the causes of the illness are not known, one story goes that he saw a man whipping a horse in Turin and ran to protect the animal before collapsing. Tarr's film has little to do with Nietzsche and his breakdown except to use it as a way into the lives of the horse's owner, a farmer, and his daughter. 6 days…
This is Béla Tarr’s last shot. It got awarded at the 2011 Berlinale, Tarr and his team left with the Silver Bear.
One of the, or I even dare to say the internationally most well-known and acclaimed Hungarian director. You might adore his style or take every minute as a torture – but you definitely don’t remain neutral. That’s why he is a genius. I personally adore the meditative state he imposes on you to be able to receive what you see - he certainly touches the sublime with his simplicity.
His films are often accused of being utterly boring or an incomprehensible “arts movie”. It’s true: the movies are B&W, slow, oblique and usually quite long (Tarr got famous for his ca. 7-hour-picture, Sátántangó). As he says, he prefers to capture states instead of plots. He does not prioritize anything: peeling potatoes could be equally important as the theme of death. Don’t expect quick cuts, lengthy dialogues. We don’t get to know much about the characters, many stories remain untold.
Emptiness instead of a catharsis…The Turin Horse is about “the unbearable heaviness of human existence”.
Why literally NOBODY was happy for the prize
The subtitle for the section could be ‘Politics f*cked it up’. Theatr&… is a cultural blog and does not want to get involved into the current Hungarian free show called politics. Yet, in this case I feel appropriate to briefly inform you, dear reader, about the happenings. To make it short and bitter sweet: Tarr was offended, the regime was pissed off, the fans were disappointed.
Filmmakers (and the culture sector in general) feel uncertainty and fear – funds were cut down drastically and there is a growing censorship in all areas. The Turin Horse was originally set to be released in Hungary on 10 March 2011 through the distributor Mokép (the official Hungarian distribution company). However, in an interview with the German newspaper Tagesspiegel on 20 February, Tarr accused the Hungarian government of obstructing artists and intellectuals, in what he referred to as a "culture war" led by the cabinet of Viktor Orbán (Hungarian PM, fyi). As a response to these comments, Tarr was heavily criticized by the director of Mokép, Balázs Gulyás, and the domestic release of The Turin Horse was cancelled. (Finally they found a way around, so finally we do get to see our award-winning film within Hungary).
Later both Gulyás and Tarr distanced themselves from the above mentioned article. It turned out (what people familiar with Tarr’s works and ideology knew) that the quoted statements were not part of the interview at all. ‘I neither fight nor argue in such a manner’ says Béla Tarr. ‘It’s very humiliating that this stains the success of the film and lowers art to the level of politics’. Tarr is offended, in an interview he goes as far as to claim to regret all films he has done.
This might have been his last movie, yet he continues his own little wars. As a protest, he managed to postpone The Turin Horse’s participation at the Filmszemle, the official festival of Hungarian movies… So hurry up, you have only 3 days left, don’t lose your chance!
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The Turin Horse (Hungarian-French-German-Swiss co-production, 150 min, OV Hungarian) April 18+20. 18h and 20:30; April 19. 20:30. Belvárosi Mozi (Szeged, Vaszy Viktor tér 3.) Tickets: 990/800 HUF
