Hollywood, 1942. The US government pressures Hungarian-born film director Michael Curtiz, who is about to finish shooting Casablanca, to accentuate the film's propaganda message in order to sway public opinion in favor of the country's intervention in the European war.
An unsettling feeling overwhelms a small Hungarian town when two orthodox Jews arrive with a mysterious trunk. As residents begin to speculate on the purpose of the visit of these two strangers, order starts to crumble in town with some pursuing devious plans and others finding remorse in their hearts.
In 1940 Budapest, a successful doctor leads a perfect life, unaware that his wife and his adopted son are planning to run away together.
Iván is living in exile from Hungary when he receives word that an old flame is ill. His return to Budapest rekindles old memories and reopens old wounds.
1942. Owing to a stolen mink coat, Süti, the young poet and journalist, gets acquainted with Katalin, the idolated singer. Before being drafted to labour service, he shows the actress the song he composed for her, entitled Smouldering Cigarette.
Anita and her married boyfriend, András, get involved with some heavy hitters who smuggle from the Ukraine into Hungary. The deeper into it they get, the more their relationship is strained; things aren't helped by the unexpected visit that András's pregnant wife pays Anita and her mother. At a nightclub, Anita meets Alex, a Ruthenian who's a collector of folk songs. The two of them begin an affair, and András may be left out in the cold, with the local mob still waiting for him to deliver the goods. How patient will they be, how desperate will András get, and how will Anita sort out loyalty and infatuation? (
A deep drama about life in Hungary after the WW2 until the revolt against Russians in '56. The main character is the head of the black market in Budapest. He thinks he can buy everyone and everything but at the end he must face that he can't buy life. A must-see for everyone. Casting involves some of the greatest Hungarian actors. The story takes place in the eighth district of Budapest focusing on the market place on Teleki square which is still working. The movie contains some archive footage of real fight during the revolution.