Without Air

Hungary today. A teacher with liberal beliefs fights for basic European values.

Ana Bauch is a popular and devoted literature teacher in a small Hungarian town. One day, in order to illustrate Arthur Rimbaud’s poetry to her students, Ana recommends Agnieszka Holland’s film ›Total Eclipse‹, about the poet’s relationship with Paul Verlaine. But the mere fact that the film is about homosexual love is enough to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the teacher. At first, this seems undramatic to her, but the supposed scandal draws ever wider circles. In a system where most people have conformed or simply given up, Ana must decide whether to fight for her values or run away, possibly abroad and to a new job. - This bold debut excoriates the anti-liberal and anti-rational climate that exists in a country in the centre of Europe and far beyond.

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