A Commonplace Story

With the trust gained during the making of On the Field of God in 1972-73, Judit Elek continued to follow the happenings in the small village. What started as a specific investigation into the predicaments and dreams of the younger generation turns into a pars pro toto panorama of People’s Hungary in various shades of grey – the economic reforms of 1968 and the cultural liberties supposedly connected to them certainly hadn’t reached vast parts of the nation.

A Commonplace Story is a film more of solidarity and compassion than indignation and anger, of listening more than talking. It is generous and curious, gritty, earthy and tender. As a result, it is maybe not surprising that the film was vilified by certain rank opportunists among the country’s major reviewers, after a public screening in Istenmezején where the villagers finally saw themselves on screen. The subjects were shocked by what the city slickers made of them in the round-table discussion among urban, middle-class film intellectuals following the presentation.

In the spirit of cinéma vérité, Elek had always planned to do a third film that would be about herself and her role in the making of the films, but it never happened.

– Olaf Möller

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