#so I used to wonder if there ever existed good ''polish lesbian movie'' and here it is... but it's hungarian

[batri-jopa]

Hey, wait a minute, why are there two well known Polish actresses in main roles of Hungarian lesbian film that I never heard about before?🤨

According to Polish Wikipedia:

It was the first film in cinematography of Eastern Europe addressing the topic of female homosexual love. It is also considered one of the best on this topic ever created. The main roles were played by two Polish actresses: Grażyna Szapołowska and Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak. Jankowska-Cieślak's performance in this film brought her award for the best female role na 35. Cannes International Film Festival.

(...)

Polish actresses did not act in this film accidentally. Because of martial law in Poland actors boycotted state television; on the other hand, no Hungarian actress dared to commit to the film by Károly Makk. The international success of Jankowska-Cieślak was inconvenient for the then Polish authorities. They dismissed the director Drama Theatre Gustav Holoubek and they broke up the acting team in which the actress played. For the Polish lesbian community, the film became cult. The award in Cannes could have been an introduction to an international career for Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieślak. However, the actress did not receive any offers. She thought no producer was interested in her at the time. Many years later it turned out that Polish Film – the only institution in PRL (Polish People's Republic) that was authorized to contact foreign creators with Polish – was even inundated with letters and calls with proposals for the actress. All this information was blocked from above and the proposals were sent to the trash.

Oh. That's why...😑

EGYMASRA NEZVE (1982) dir. Károly Makk In 1958 Hungary, the body of Eva Szalanczky, a political journalist, is discovered near the border. Her friend Livia is in hospital with a broken neck; Livia’s husband, Donci, is under arrest. In a flashback to the year before, we see what leads up to the tragedy. Eva gets a job as a writer. She meets Livia and is attracted to her. Livia feels much the same, but as a married woman, has doubts and hesitations. In their work, they (and Eva in particular) bang up against the limits of telling political truths; in private, they confront the limits of living out sexual and emotional truths. (link in title)

[sublimereea]

I decided that I will write down all the movies and books I watch and read every month. That way it keeps me accountable, especially for the reading part, since I don’t do enough of it, and I can also track my stuff in one place. Maybe you guys will even find something you’ll really like, which is also a bonus for me. 

So, I will start with the books for January, which, I am ashamed to admit, is just one - Don DeLillo’s Point Omega . And yes, I know it’s a book with just like a hundred and something pages, i have no excuse. 

I like DeLillo because he makes you feel like the world is about to end any second. But not in a very crazy, SciFi way, just in a very ordinary way which makes you think about your own mortality a lot. His subject matters are real, or could be very real in a near future, and his characters are human and hurting just like the rest of us. Point Omega wasn’t even close to White Noise, in my opinion, but it’s nonetheless a short, good read that will leave you kind of empty and wondering about the meaning of life. 

I watched the entire season of The OA and it was just amazing. It’s only 8 episodes which feel like movies of their own. I adored this show. I really hope that they will make a second season. Please, watch this show, you will not regret it. 

I have watched 15 movies in total. So here they are, in the order I have watched them:

1. Captain Fantastic - I have raved about this movie a million times already. It has quickly become one of my favorite movies of all times, because it just makes me very happy and warm inside. The cast is so amazingly talented, and so beautiful, it will bring you to tears multiple times. So if you want to be happy and content with life, watch this movie. 

2. Nocturnal Animals - a good thriller, but it didn’t make me go “aaahhh” or anything. I enjoyed it, the revenge story is intense and rough, but this movie isn’t the best thriller I’ve ever seen. Amy Adams is ok, considering that she was amazing in Arrival, in my opinion. Jake Gyllenhaal (I can’t believe I spelled that correctly!) is also pretty ok, even though the only movie where I found him brilliant was Donnie Darko. So, if you wanna waste some time on the weekend, you could watch this one. 

3. Loving  - this movie touched me because the subject matter is sadly, even now of actuality. In this divided world, a black woman and a white man try to love each other and make a life. No, the story line doesn’t happen now, it’s set in the 60′s, but unfortunately racism still exists. So watch this movie, because I think it’s relevant. The acting was so good too. 

4. The Lure - now this is something else. A polish horror musical. Yes, you’ve read that right. It’s fun and quirky and weird and amazing. It’s about two killer mermaids who work in a night club and feed on human hearts. It’s bananas in the best possible way. 

5. The Girl On The Train - this is a very good thriller. It kept me with my eyes peeled in the screen wondering what the fuck is going to happen next. It’s not as good as Gone Girl, but it will keep you curious and alert, and that’s what a good thriller should do. The girl on the train is a ruined woman who witnesses what she should not, she’s an abused woman who doesn’t know that she’s abused. The movie is fast paced, and it caught my attention immediately. I really liked it. 

6. Train To Busan - holy shit, this movie! I never thought a korean zombie horror movie would make me as emotional as this one did. I cried like 5 times until it was finished. It’s about a zombie outbreak on a train. And about humans that learn how to be human. You’ll get what I’m saying when you watch it. 

7. The Handmaiden - another korean amazingness. And this one is an absolute stunner. From the story to the cinematography, absolutely fascinating and beautiful. It’s set in a gothic atmosphere and it’s about lesbians. It’s pretty much amazing and crazy. The actors are divine, and the story is one that you will remember. 

8. 10 Cloverfield Lane - this one is categorized as a horror movie on imdb, but I think it’s a thriller. I did like it, it is suspenseful and a bit fucked up. It has plot twists, which are always good, and I really liked the one room setting of the movie. I think it allows you to really notice the acting. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I did enjoy it. And no, it’s nothing really scary, it’s a good thriller. 

9. Morgan - this movie was pretty much a waste of my time. I watched it with the viking and with a male friend. They picked it because it’s about a robot with a conscience that decides it wants to fuck everything up. I’m fine with AI movies and that kind of stuff, I liked the girl that portrayed Morgan the robot in the movie, but it was just weak, no substance at all for my taste. Maybe you will like it, if you’re big on SciFi movies. 

10. Hacksaw Ridge - I cried my fucking eyes out. All the way through the movie, and especially the last hour of the 2 and almost a half. I also sobbed when it ended and they showed actual interviews with Desmond T. Doss. You can’t not cry when you watch this movie, especially if you know the real story behind it. It felt good to cry so hard, cathartic and refreshing. So watch Hacksaw Ridge, it’s one of the great American heroes, and I respect everything that happens in that movie. More or less, you know I’m not big on religion, and Doss was very religious, but nonetheless, a real human being who has taught people what it actually means to be human in horrid circumstances. 

11. Mirrors - this is an ok, I guess, horror movie. I have periods of time when I am a big fan of horror, and ones when I am really not. I decided to watch this one because I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. It’s not as good as everyone made it up to be, in my opinion, but it’s watchable. I really liked the fact that the mirrors are what is evil in the movie. It could give you some chills if you watch it at night and decide to go to the bathroom and glimpse in the mirror. A decent horror movie. 

12. Moana - Disney animation. It was cute, but meh. Unlike Toy Story or Shreck, my all time modern favorites. 

13. American Pastoral - this one is a toughie. I really, really wanted to love it, because I love love love Ewan McGregor, and I really would like to read  Philip Roth’s homonymous book. But it wasn’t really that good. The characters seemed bland for the story line, and also the story line seemed kind of rushed. The subject matter of the movie is very raw and interesting, I just wish it was better acted, and just kind of better all round.  

14. Manchester By the Sea - this one is a good drama that will make you feel heavy in your seat. You know? It will pull on your heart strings and make you feel uncomfortable all at once, and I feel that makes it a very good movie. Casey Affleck portrays the main character with respect and talent, and the cinematography is very thoughtful. The movie is extremely sad, but also heartfelt, so be ready to feel all of the feels. The movie shows that sometimes it’s ok when things aren’t always ok. Some people can’t always be ok. So watch it, you will appreciate it.

15. Moonlight - well, this one was just simple and beautiful as fuck. Soft and delicate, raw and incisive. All in one. Everyone loves it, so I will not insist on it in my own words. Watch it, you will not regret it. I am pretty sure it will win a million oscars, and I really want it to. It will also get a picture in this post, just because. 

So that’s all for January. 

Sorry if this was long as hell, but I really wanted to list everything in the post, and it will be monthly, hopefully. I also really want to read more books that I can then list here.. 

Let me know if you’re into this sort of thing, if you watched or read any of the movies and books. I’ll be doing the next one in February.