Kínai Védelem (1999)
Directed by Gabor Tompa
Genres - Drama |
Sub-Genres - Biopic [feature], Political Drama |
Run Time - 103 min. |
Countries - Hungary, Romania |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Gönül Dönmez-Colin
Kinai vedelem is based on the true story of Peter György, a Romanian of Hungarian descent from Transylvania, who spent twenty-two years imprisoned in a Gulag near the Ussuri river. During the border conflict between the Soviet Union and China, he was liberated by the Chinese and allowed to return home. He arrived in Transylvania with a roll of dollar bills and a piece of radioactive uranium; he had been instructed to inform the Romanians (and the representatives of the Ceausescu regime maneuvering between Moscow and Beijing) about the horrors of his imprisonment, as well as the economic and atomic potential of the People's Republic of China. The authorities were highly suspicious of him, and began following him everywhere. His money and papers were confiscated, and he became a victim of bureaucracy, a worse humiliation than what he had already endured. The film, which reflects the absurd realities of Romania under the regime of Ceausescu, is the first co-production between Hungary and Romania. It was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999.