7:00 pm Orphan movie by László Nemes Jeles, Hungary, 2025. 2 h 12 min, 9:30 pm Q&A after the screening. The Orphan (2025) is set in the spring of 1957, in Budapest following the suppression of the 1956 Revolution. It tells the story of 12-year-old Andor, who lives with his mother, when a stranger appears in their lives claiming to be his father. Set against the atmosphere of reprisals and dictatorship, the film unfolds as a bitter coming-of-age story.
Set in post-war Central Europe, the story unfolds through the perspective of a child who must navigate a reality shaped by absence. Without the protection and stability of a traditional family, the boy struggles to understand the adults around him and the complex society rebuilding itself after devastation. Through fleeting encounters, journeys, and moments of quiet observation, he begins to piece together a sense of identity and purpose.
Director: László Nemes Jeles
Writers: László Nemes Jeles
Stars: Barnabás Bojtorján, Andrea Waskovics, Grégory Badebois