Memories of a River
Encyclopedia
Memories of a River is a 1990
Hungarian
drama film
directed by Judit Elek
. It is a historical film set in 1882 and tells the story of the last trial in Hungary of a Jewish person for ritual murder.
David Hersko, a Jewish shepherd
, witnesses the attack of a young girl. His home is burned down and he finds shelter with the family of a Jewish logger. The loggers find the body of a young woman which they bury, going against local laws. They are charged with her murder and it is believed that they killed her as a ritual murder.
. In 1990 it won the Grand Prix at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival
.
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
Hungarian
Cinema of Hungary
Hungary has had a notable cinema industry from the beginning of the 20th century, with Hungarians who affected the world of motion picture both inside and outside the borders...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Judit Elek
Judit Elek
Judit Elek is a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. She has directed 16 films between 1962 and 2006. Her film Mária-nap was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.-Filmography:...
. It is a historical film set in 1882 and tells the story of the last trial in Hungary of a Jewish person for ritual murder.
Synopsis
In the 19th century Austro-Hungarian EmpireAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
David Hersko, a Jewish shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
, witnesses the attack of a young girl. His home is burned down and he finds shelter with the family of a Jewish logger. The loggers find the body of a young woman which they bury, going against local laws. They are charged with her murder and it is believed that they killed her as a ritual murder.
Cast
- Sándor Gáspár as Herskó Dávid
- András StohlAndrás StohlStohl András is a Hungarian actor.-Career:Stohl graduated from the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest in 1990. He became a member of the Katona József Theatre in Budapest. In 2001 he became a freelancer, after the leadership of the theater decided that his work on television was irreconcilable...
as Matej - Pál Hetényi as Csepkanics
- Zoltán Mucsi as Jákob
- Franciszek PieczkaFranciszek PieczkaFranciszek Pieczka is a Polish film and stage actor. A graduate of the Theatrical Academy in Warsaw, he first made his debut in the theatre in Jelenia Góra...
as Vogel Ansel - János Ács as Vay György
- Tamás Fodor as Eötvös Károly
- Róbert KoltaiRóbert KoltaiRóbert Koltai is a Hungarian actor, film director and screenwriter. He has appeared in over 90 films since 1967. He appeared in the 1976 film Man Without a Name, which was entered into the 26th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear for an outstanding single achievement....
as Scharf József - Andor Lukáts as Schwarz Salamon
- Georgiana Tarjan as Sára
Controversy
For the purposes of the film 14 sheep were spread with flammable substance, and then to the order by Judit Elek were burned alive. 69 scientists from the Jagiellonian University demanded from authorities of forbidding Judit Elek entry to Poland. Scientists wrote among others: "No director knowing her own worth would debase herself for using so primitive and cruel methods".Awards
The film won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 1989 Montréal World Film FestivalMontreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival , founded in 1977, is one of Canada's oldest international film festivals and the only competitive film festival in North America accredited by the FIAPF...
. In 1990 it won the Grand Prix at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival
Créteil International Women's Film Festival
The Créteil International Women's Film Festival is an annual event in Créteil, Paris, France founded by Jackie Buet in 1978 to showcase the directing talents of female filmmakers who, at the time, had difficulty getting their films adequately distributed. The first festival was held in 1979 in Sceaux...
.