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Sunset to Be Screened on Feb 9
A Special Immersive Micro-historical Narrative of the Dusk of the Empire
In the “Tiantan Award” selection at the 9th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes won the Best Director Award for Sunset, thus becoming the focus among film fans. On February 9, the film will be screened on the special line of the Nationwide Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas (NAAC). It is the first film produced by Central and Eastern European countries to be screened this year.In the “Tiantan Award” selection at the 9th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), Hungarian director Laszlo Nemes won the Best Director Award for Sunset, thus becoming the focus among film fans. On February 9, the film will be screened on the special line of the Nationwide Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas (NAAC). It is the first film produced by Central and Eastern European countries to be screened this year.
Micro history: mysterious woman solving the puzzle of Budapest
From the perspective of a mysterious woman, írisz, Sunset looks back at the last moment before the collapse of Austria-Hungary, which was still in the golden age before World War I, as well as the chaotic society and lost humanity.
 
In 1913, Europe was at the dusk of civilization, with the imperial power on the wane. írisz Leiter, who comes to Budapest with great expectation to inherit her late parents' legendary hat shop, is driven out by the new owner of the shop. She accidentally learns that she still has a brother, Kaman Leiter in the world, who leads her to solve a slew of mysteries. However, scores of crises come on her heels, making the whole event even more complicated and obfuscating. She was left in the lurch, but bend on discovering the truth.
Is the glamorous hat shop the embodiment of beauty or the source of evil? After she knows a host of truths, what is head-on? Mysteries are about to be debunked, and the fall of the golden age is looming.
Immersion: Talented director maintain the style of the previous work
Laszlo Nemes, as a disciple of Hungarian director Béla Tarr, won the Grand Prix at the 68th Festival de Cannes, the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Oscar, the Best Foreign Language Film at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards and the Best Foreign Language Film at the 70th British Academy Film Awards for his debut film Son of Saul.
Cast & crew of Sunset at the BJIFF 
Laszlo, who stunned the film industry with his debut, also proffers an unparalleled aesthetic feast for us in Sunset. The exquisite hats of the nobles, the gorgeous and elegant pleated skirts of the lady hat owner, the hustle and bustle streets of Budapest, and the oil-painting-like scenes created by 35mm film attest to his idea "this is a very dreamy period."
Stills of Sunset
Laszlo continues the style of his previous work in this film. The whole film adopts the shooting method of shallow focus and follow-up shooting, bringing extreme immersion and the creepy feeling of peeping. The audience in front of the screen, like accompanying the heroine, returns to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 20th century and feels the extreme extravagance and darkness at the last moment of the empire and before the war.
European features: dusk of the Empire
Laszlo said: "This is a special film. I believe everyone has a feeling of walking in a maze after watching it, because the heroine herself actually seems to be in a maze. This is the film theme I want to express - mystery and loss.”
Stills of Sunset
The beginning of the 20th century was a prosperous period of European thought, art and science. After that, scores of intricate changes almost destroyed the European society at that time. When it comes to the original intention of the production of Sunset, Laszlo said frankly: "I am particularly concerned about the fact that human want to build all kinds of wonderful things, but they have an irrepressible desire to destroy them. That prompted me to make such a film."
Stills of Sunset
Before studying film, Laszlo had studied international relations and history. Therefore, as various mysteries are uncovered, the exquisite architectural scenery and background scenes close to history are also presented. By showing the fall of the well-established hat shop, the audience can catch a glimpse of Budapest on the eve of World War I and feel the dusk of the civilization, experiencing the dirt and violence behind its gorgeous prosperity.

Cast & crew of Sunset
The old days come to an end, and the new world is ahead. As the Lunar New Year of 2021 is approaching, let's walk into the cinemas of NAAC on February 9 to savor the unique aesthetic experience brought by the immersive micro-historical narrative on the big screen.
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