Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.
In 1936, Irèn, a quiet Jewish shop girl is employed by her rich but sterile friend Szilvia to have a baby for her with her husband Ákos, so that the resulting child inherits the vast fortune. Their plan goes well, but as relationships between them change and fascism rises, many challenges emerge.
Set against an impending WWII, Márta Mészáros’ sumptuous drama was unfairly scorned by Hungarian viewers due to its subversive exploration of infertility. The tempestuous tension between Isabelle Huppert and Lili Monori invokes a deeply complex female friendship, full of both jealousy and empathy.