Lido Cinemas

“Natural Light is a hardcore auteur film, intense, slow and deliberately paced.” — Cineuropa

World War II, occupied Soviet Union. István Semetka is a simple Hungarian farmer who serves as a Caporal in a special unit scouting for partisan groups. On their way to a remote village, his company falls under enemy fire. As the commander is killed, Semetka has to overcome his fears and take command of the unit as he is dragged into a chaos that he cannot control.

The debut feature film by Hungarian documentary filmmaker Dénes Nagy is a sensitive and atmospheric anti-war that was inspired by Elem Klimov’s 1985 masterpiece Come and See. However, Nagy’s slow burn drama keeps most of the atrocities understated and off-screen, instead focusing on the moral issues of complicity and personal responsibility during times of war. A strangely beautiful and disquieting film.

Rating

Country

Germany, France, Hungary, Latvia

Language

Hungarian, Russian (English Subtitles)

Cast

Ferenc Szabó, Tamás Garbacz, László Bajkó, Gyula Franczia, Erno Stuhl, Gyula Szilágyi, Mareks Lapeskis, Krisztián Kozó, József Barta, Aivars Kuzmins, Liene Kislicka