Körhinta (Merry-Go-Round)

"Land marries land," preaches Mari’s father—a staunch defender of centuries-old traditions—as he seeks to marry his daughter off to a wealthy landowner. Mari, however, is in love with young Máté, who has no intention of giving her up without a fight… Fábri employs the familiar template of socialist propaganda—in which a "good" communist and an "evil" reactionary clash—as the backdrop for a sweeping love story. Through dynamic visual compositions, expressive editing, and evocative music, he elevates this simple framework into a complex character drama—transforming it, in fact, into pure cinema. Following its premiere at Cannes—where it drew enthusiastic praise from figures including François Truffaut—"Körhinta" (Merry-Go-Round) brought Hungarian cinema into the international spotlight. (Fruzsi Vajda)