LAND OF STORMS/ VIHARSOROK

Andras Suto, Adam Varga, Sebastian Urzendowski.
Hungary, 2014, 106 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Adam Csaszi.

Land of Storms begins like a sports film, a coach with the pep talk for his team, playing in Germany. They train, they communicate in the dressing room, in the showers, they watch pornography in the dressing room… The focus is on the Hungarian player who is good at football, but it is later revealed that the reason that he is playing is because of his father and his father’s big career.

In a shower sequence, the player begins a fight with his roommate, alleging that he is looking at him. This suggests that there will be sexuality themes in the film. And, indeed, they become the main subject.

The player goes home to Hungary, sets up in a farm that he has inherited, trying to manage by himself and thinking to repair it and to keep bees. One night, his motorbike is stolen but he pursues the thief and confronts him. The thief is a young man from the village, doing a trade apprenticeship, living with his mother and caring for her. He returns and offers to work on the repairs with the footballer.

The audience is not thinking that the footballer has a homosexual orientation but it manifests itself in his encounters with the young man. And the young man is bewildered, liking what he has experienced, but finding it, in the context of his very religious village, something that he cannot deal with. In a moment frankness, he tells his mother who actually informs the young men of the village with whom he plays football. The young man is a churchgoer, devoted to his mother, but when he is beaten up and burnt by his friends, he leaves his mother and goes to live with the footballer.

In the meantime, the footballer has communicated with his friend in Germany who then comes to visit. This makes for emotional complications, the visitor wanting to stay with the footballer, the footballer feeling that he should stay with his workmate because of what he has suffered. For a while, it seems that the three manage together but eventually the visitor returns to Germany.

Up till the final moments of the film, we assume that it is a sympathetic look at two men, their attraction, the relationship, gay sexuality. But in the final moments, there is a hugely melodramatic turn and we realise that this is a film against homophobia, as manifested by the mother, by the friends in the village, and by the young man himself who cannot deal with his own sexual orientation and attacks the man he loves. This means that the audience leaves the theatre jolted by these realities of homophobia.

1. The title? Weather? Emotional storms?

2. The Hungarian locations, the village, the isolated farm, the church, homes, the flat terrain?

3. Szabolcs and his playing football, the overhead view of the pep talk, the strong words of the coach, training, the locker room, games, Szabolcs not succeeding? The reaction of the coach, whether he should stay or not?

4. The camaraderie of the players, the shallower sequence, Bernard and his looking, the fight? The players watching the pornography on the television? The spirit of the group? The indication of the sexuality themes?

5. Szabolcs and his decision to return, the plane, the training, walking to the isolated farm? The transition from Germany to Hungary? His inheritance, the mess of the house, his decision to stay, washing outside, eating, sleeping? His bike? The thieves and his catching Aron?

6. Aron, his age, his apprenticeship, stealing the bike? Living with his mother, his care for her? The friendship with Brigi, kind-of girlfriend?

7. The friends in the town, their gatherings, playing soccer? Szabolcs and his playing with them? Their critical attitude towards him?

8. Aron, his helping with the house, the tiles, the beams, the work, the payment?

9. Szabolcs going to visit his father, his father’s career, the pressure on him to play football? The slap, love between father and son, preparing the big breakfast? The decision not to play or return to Germany? The later visit of the father, seeing the two men together, upset, driving into the countryside – and letting his son out and go back to his life?

10. Szabolcs and Aron, the bike rides, sleeping, Szabolcs’ approach to Aron, feeling him? The sexual encounter in the house? Aron’s reaction?

11. Aron telling his mother, his mother telling the others, the bashing and the burning? His attacking his mother? Her illness, going to hospital?

12. Bernard, the friendship in Germany, the sexual tension? Szabolcs bringing him, his coming to visit, his hopes? Staying, the talking, the bond, the sexual link? The touring the area?

13. Aron and his being upset, telling his mother that this was what he wanted, his return to the house, discovering Bernard, the three going swimming, the image of the three together?

14. Bernard, urging Szabolcs to make a decision, to leave? Szabolcs not leaving, his work with the bees, defending Aron, sense of protection? Bernard leaving?

15. Aron and Szabolcs, the sexual encounter, the sudden sight of blood, Aron killing his friend?

16. Aron, running, with the knife, uncertainty and the film suddenly ending?

17. The gay themes, sympathy for the relationships? Gay rights? Homophobia in the village? The ultimate homophobia with a Ron and his denying his
urges and killing the Szabolcs?