by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
Produced in 1969, the year after widespread student demonstrations in Europe, this amateur docudrama (made by students) is set in 1919 when the communists gained power in Hungary. Combining some brutal newsreel footage with debates held during this period, it becomes clear that the peasants of that day were worried about keeping their heads above water, while the upper crust -- still very much in evidence in the communist state -- had no such concerns. Needless to say, this film was banned in 1969.
