17/07/2006

As the only Hungarian feature selected for the 59th Locarno International Film Festival (August 2-12), Kythera by Péter Mészáros will take part in the competition section Filmmakers of the Present.

Winner of the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at Cannes in 2002 for After Rain, which was presented at over 50 international festivals, the director this time has chosen to write a feature inspired by one of the most famous paintings by artist Antoine Watteau: The Embarkation for Cythera (1718, exhibited today at the Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin). In ancient Greece, the island of Kythira housed a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite and symbolised amorous pleasures.

Set in the present day, Kythera proposes an acidic tale on the end of love – here for a young couple who spend their days watching advertising, trashy game shows and football matches on television.

Starring Kati Kovács, Nikolett Krajcsi, András Tóth and Petronella Tóth, this second feature by the director (after 1999’s A Bolond gránátalmafa) was produced by György Durst for Mediawave 2000 Ltd., the company that received acclaim at the most recent Hungarian Film Week for its Csoma’s Legendry by Tibor Szemzo (see news).

(Translated from French)