Land of Storms

"This is a love triangle that's fresh, engrossing and sumptuously shot. Freshman soccer player Szabi (András Süto) has moved from Hungary to Germany to become a professional athlete. While he usually gets along with fellow player and roommate Bernard (Sebastian Urzendowsky), a lost game and a quarrel compel Szabi to return to Hungary, where he has inherited his grandparents' derelict home. One night, someone tries to steal his old bike and that is how he meets Aron (Adam Varga), a young man from the village. What starts as a rough meeting changes when they begin to work together on the house. Their simple and basic life turns complicated when Bernard shows up from Germany. The locals start to react to the threesome. "Land of Storms" is a strong, personal story of sexual awakening, self-discovery and intolerance. Director Ádám Császi chose to concentrate on what the characters hide, revealing truths subtly rather than through visuals or dialogue, and all three actors give exceptionally strong performances. With his first feature, Császi convincingly reflects a topic that Hungarian cinema is unfamiliar with in a sincere and uncompromising gay love story.