Two sisters, one apartment, and the Hungarian government's most devastating weapon: memory.
Karoly Makk's heartbreaking story of two unmarried sisters who cast wistful glances back at their lives, but still believe in hope and love, earned an Academy Award Nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 1974. In this follow-up to the director's internationally acclaimed Love, Makk once again exhibits his extraordinary skills at drawing emotionally compelling performances from his talented female leads. Makk's film opposes the bleakness of the outside world with passion, love, and loyalty.
Acting
Mari Törőcsik's devastating wordless final scene
Direction
Makk's seamless flashbacks feel like memory itself
Production
Claustrophobic apartment becomes entire universe
Director
Károly Makk
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film was shot during Hungary's most restrictive cultural period; Makk had to submit script to censors who missed its political subtext entirely. The 'shopping' keyword refers to the sisters' desperate queuing for scarce goods—a daily humiliation that becomes tender ritual.
HU
