The Turin Horse (15)

Hungary | 2011 | 146’ | 15 | Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky | Hungarian and German with English subtitles | János Derzsi, Erika Bók

In Turin in 1889 German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche had a breakdown that left him subdued for the rest of his life. The details surrounding this moment are lost to time, but the story that emerged was that Nietzsche collapsed when he ran to protect a horse from being whipped. In his final film, Béla Tarr turns his attention to the poor creature and his owner. The film explores the arduous existence of the elderly man living in a remote farm on the Hungarian plains, toiling to source water and food for him and the horse, receiving visits from travellers driven by the constantly raging wind to seek sanctuary and speak to him. This immersive and fascinating film, which was banned by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, is a commentary on the universe’s indifference to humans, a high note for the visionary filmmaker to end his career on.