An Hungarian youth comes of age at Buchenwald during World War II. György Köves is 14, the son of a merchant who's sent to a forced labor camp. After his father's departure, György gets a job at a brickyard; his bus is stopped and its Jewish occupants sent to camps. There, György find camaraderie, suffering, cruelty, illness, and death. He hears advice on preserving one's dignity and self-esteem. He discovers hatred. If he does survive and returns to Budapest, what will he find? What is natural; what is it to be a Jew? Sepia, black and white, and color alternate to shade the mood.

• DirectorLajos Koltai
• Release10 February 2005
• Genre
  War / Drama
• Duration2h 20m
• Budget$250,000
• Revenue$2,512,009
• Rate
  

  6.9
  83 reviews
• Productions

  Hungarian Motion Picture Ltd., Magic Media, EuroArts, Renegade Films, Hungarian Television, MDR, Cinema Soleil, Eurimages, Hungarian Historic Foundation, Ingenious Media, The Israel Film Council, MFG Filmförderung, The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, The Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary, Rabinovich Film Fund Cinema Project, Recanati Foundation