An adaptation of a dark Hungarian fairy tale collection, Star Farm, The Porcelain Doll brings to mind the surrealism of Luis Bunuel. The story takes place in a small Hungarian farming village during the Cold War era , where life is quiet and serene – until strangers come to visit, that is. A troop of soldiers is forced into a bizarre athletic competition with a 14-year-old boy. A Soviet functionary shows up with a plan to literally raise the dead. Two elderly people on the lam from the law show up looking for a place to hide. Employing non-professional actors, extreme camera angles and a general disregard for the “rules” of moviemaking, venerable director Pétér Gárdos creates a cinematic experience every bit as unique and haunting as its subject matter.

Pétér Gárdos, 48, has been one of Eastern Europe’s most visible directors for more than twenty years. After cutting his teeth in Hungary’s Newsreel and Documentary Studio, he directed a number of documentaries for Hungarian TV. His debut feature, The Philadelphia Attraction (1985), won the Special Jury Prize at the Montreal International Film Festival. The Porcelain Doll is his ninth feature.

Producer: Dénes Szekeres Screenwriter:
Péter Gárdos Cinematographer: Tibor Máthé Editor: Mari Miklós Music: Ágens Cast: Lajos Bertók, Sándor Csányi, Judit Németh, Bálint Péntek