Süße Emma, liebe Böbe

Summary

Sweet Emma, Dear Böbe

Shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Russian disappears from the curriculum taught in Hungarian schools – young teachers Emma and Böbe have to be retrained to teach English instead. Every day, they are forced to fight for adequate income and a shred of social esteem in hostile Budapest. Neither shy Emma nor the seemingly more pragmatic Böbe are able to overcome the resulting loneliness and despair. Shot quickly and relying primarily on improvisation, István Szabó's film treats personal loss due to systemic change and focuses on those who are at risk of falling by the wayside in the new situation.

Source: goEast film festival 2019