Opening 22 Nov 2018
Directed by:
Kornél Mundruczó
Writing credits:
Kornél Mundruczó, Kata Wéber
Principal actors:
Merab Ninidze, Zsombor Jéger, György Cserhalmi, Mónika Balsai
Aryan (Zsombor Jéger) is a young man from Syria who is fleeing via Serbia into Hungary along with others in the same dangerous predicament, including his father. He settles in a refugee camp, where Dr. Stern (Merab Ninidze) treats his injuries, which were caused by having been shot at the border. No one is more surprised than Dr. Stern when he witnesses Aryan suddenly floating in the air across the room; his injury has given him this power to levitate. Dr. Stern recognizes a good opportunity; he takes Aryan along on visits to rich patients and convinces them that Aryan has the power to heal them. At the same time he and the refugees are harassed by the camp director Lazslo (György Cserhalmi). It’s all a matter of money.
This is a mix of fantasy and reality: floating like an angel in a familiar and difficult politically real situation; I kept asking myself: where is this film going as the plot unfolds? Director Kornél Mundruczó is a native of Hungary with extensive experience in European theater including in Germany. In 2009 he founded an independent theater company, which so far has appeared in over 100 theater festivals. In 2017 he directed The Weaver (Die Weber) in Hamburg’s Thalia Theater, a play which was originated by Gerhart Hauptmann in 1892. This film title refers to one of the planet Jupiter’s 79 moons, called Europe, which has been singled out as possibly having the nearest environment necessary to sustain human life. Jupiter’s Moon played at 2017 film festivals in Cannes and Hamburg. (Becky Tan)
