Plot Explained Spoilers guaranteed!
Plot Explained

Browse by genre

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021) movie poster

Plot Summary

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2021 · 95 min · Hungarian
Echo score 86
JustWatch #19,621 1
Starring
Andor Lukáts, Attila Mokos, Benett Vilmányi, Júlia Ladányi, Linda Moshier, Natasa Stork
Budget
$354M

A neurosurgeon travels to Budapest, hoping to reconnect with a mysterious woman who insists they’re destined to be together. As she explores the city and confronts her own past, the nature of their connection becomes increasingly ambiguous. She questions her memories and perception of time, blurring the lines between reality and a shared fantasy, ultimately challenging her understanding of love and identity.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021)

Where can you watch Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on OVID, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

Streaming availability powered by JustWatch

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

At a conference in New Jersey, acclaimed neurosurgeon Márta finds herself captivated by fellow doctor János. Their brief yet profound encounter convinces her that he is her soulmate, prompting them to arrange a second meeting at the iconic Liberty Bridge in Budapest a month later. Determined to follow her heart, Márta abandons her job in America and returns to her homeland of Hungary, only to be left disheartened when János fails to show up at their designated meeting spot.

Driven by confusion and a sense of longing, Márta goes to Budapest Medical University to confront János. To her dismay, the man she believes to be János denies ever having met her. Torn, she decides to remain in Budapest, where she secures a modest apartment and accepts a position at the same hospital as János. However, her colleagues are quick to criticize her for her unconventional methods and her tendency to propose alternative diagnoses for patients.

Her fixation on János intensifies as she becomes consumed with watching every video of him she can find online and follows him during his off-hours. As doubts creep in about her earlier meeting, Márta starts attending therapy sessions, seeking clarity on her mental state.

During a surgical procedure, Márta is frustrated with a fellow surgeon and insists that János take over the operation. This leads to an official introduction between them, and later that evening, Márta receives an invitation to János's book release. Excited, she returns home with a copy of his book, and in a moment of intimacy, she finds herself aroused by his words.

A young man, the son of one of Márta's patients, expresses gratitude by offering to take her to dinner. However, when he attempts to enter her apartment, she declines. Shortly after, Márta finds a message from János requesting to talk. They go shopping together, during which he offers to buy her a loudspeaker for her apartment. This sparks a more intimate encounter when János later visits, but in the morning, he mysteriously disappears.

Márta's friend and former colleague, Helen, comes to visit her in Budapest, encouraging Márta to reach out to János. During this meeting, Helen accidentally discovers János's jacket and phone in Márta's apartment, leading her to return these items to Budapest Medical University. Intrigued by what she finds, Márta secretly follows János home but retreats when she is confronted by a young woman claiming to be his daughter.

As János attempts to reconnect with Márta, he finds himself unable to enter her apartment. He confesses that he indeed remembers their New Jersey encounter, but he didn't take the meeting in Budapest seriously, fearing it might jeopardize his relationship with his daughters as a single father. In a poignant morning scene, János and Márta witness delivery men hoisting the loudspeaker up to her apartment, signifying their tangled lives and unspoken emotions.

Last updated: November 09, 2024 at 11:32

Was this helpful?

Plot questions answered

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why didn't János meet Márta at the Liberty Bridge in Budapest?

János didn't take the meeting seriously because he feared it would jeopardize his relationship with his daughters as a single father. He explains this directly to Márta later in the film - he viewed their brief encounter in New Jersey as a casual meeting rather than a binding commitment, and he was reluctant to introduce a stranger into his family life.

  • jános
  • márta
  • liberty bridge
  • budapest
  • meeting failed
Q2

Why does János deny ever meeting Márta at the conference?

János initially denies the meeting because he didn't view their brief encounter in New Jersey as significant enough to warrant a committed reunion. His denial is not about lying - he simply didn't take the Budapest meeting seriously, treating it as an impulsive promise made by a stranger rather than a genuine romantic arrangement.

  • jános
  • márta
  • denial
  • meeting
  • conference
Q3

Did the meeting between Márta and János at the New Jersey conference actually happen?

The film deliberately keeps this ambiguous. While János later admits he remembers the New Jersey encounter, the narrative never confirms whether Márta's perception of its significance matches reality. The story blurs the lines between memory and fantasy, leaving viewers to question whether Márta's romantic interpretation was a shared experience or a construct of her own mind.

  • márta
  • jános
  • conference
  • new jersey
  • memory
  • reality
Q4

Why is Márta so obsessed with János?

Márta's obsession stems from her profound conviction that János is her soulmate after their brief conference encounter. As a neurosurgeon, she's accustomed to logical analysis, yet she abandons rationality for what she believes is a transcendent connection. Her fixation intensifies as doubts creep in about the meeting's authenticity, pushing her toward increasingly obsessive behavior including stalking and watching his videos online.

  • márta
  • obsession
  • jános
  • stalker
  • fixation
Q5

Who is the young woman who confronts Márta at János's house?

The young woman claims to be János's daughter. Her confrontation with Márta adds complexity to János's character and explains his hesitation about pursuing a relationship - he was concerned about how introducing a new romantic partner would affect his role as a single father to his children.

  • jános
  • daughter
  • confrontation
  • home
Q6

Why does János disappear after spending the night with Márta?

János's sudden disappearance after their intimate night remains partially unexplained in the film. This mysterious departure contributes to the psychological tension and mirrors the earlier abandonment at Liberty Bridge, reinforcing Márta's instability and fear of rejection. The moment highlights the unpredictability of their relationship and János's own emotional ambiguity.

  • jános
  • márta
  • disappearance
  • morning after
  • intimacy
Q7

What does the loudspeaker symbolize in the film?

The loudspeaker represents the attempted communication between Márta and János - their inability to truly connect despite being physically close. When János offers to buy her a loudspeaker and the delivery men literally hoist it up to her apartment in the final scene, it symbolizes their tangled lives and unspoken emotions finally finding a channel of expression, though the message remains ambiguous.

  • loudspeaker
  • symbolism
  • communication
  • delivery
Q8

Why does Márta abandon her successful career in America?

Márta abandons her prestigious neurosurgeon position in America because she believes so strongly that János is her soulmate that she's willing to sacrifice everything - her career, her stability, and her life in America. This radical decision reflects both her romantic conviction and her psychological vulnerability, setting the tragic tone of her journey.

  • márta
  • career
  • abandonment
  • america
  • neurosurgeon
Q9

Is Márta experiencing reality or fantasy? Is the story real?

The film deliberately maintains ambiguity about whether Márta is experiencing reality or a psychological break. Her obsession, denial from János, memories that may not match reality, and the overall dreamy quality of the narrative all suggest she could be constructing an elaborate fantasy. However, the film never definitively resolves this question, leaving the interpretation to the viewer.

  • márta
  • fantasy
  • reality
  • psychological
  • delusion
  • ambiguity
Q10

What is the ending of the film about? What happens?

In the ambiguous ending, János finally admits he remembers their New Jersey encounter and acknowledges their connection, though he didn't take their Budapest meeting seriously out of fear for his family. On a quiet morning, they watch delivery men bring the loudspeaker to Márta's apartment - a visual metaphor for their fragile, tentative connection. The film ends without resolving whether their relationship will survive, leaving their future uncertain.

  • ending
  • ambiguous
  • final scene
  • loudspeaker
  • connection
Q11

Why do Márta's colleagues criticize her at the hospital?

Márta's colleagues criticize her for her unconventional diagnostic methods and her tendency to question established medical approaches. Rather than following standard procedures, she proposes alternative diagnoses for patients, which earns her professional criticism in the hospital environment despite her impressive credentials from America.

  • márta
  • colleagues
  • hospital
  • criticism
  • methods
Q12

What is Helen's role in the story? Why does she visit Márta?

Helen is Márta's friend and former colleague who visits her in Budapest to offer support and encourage her to reach out to János. During her visit, Helen accidentally discovers János's jacket and phone in Márta's apartment, which she returns to Budapest Medical University. This discovery leads to Márta following János home, where she encounters the young woman claiming to be his daughter.

  • helen
  • friend
  • visit
  • support
  • jacket
  • phone

Movie threads

More Movies Like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about obsessive love blurring reality like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time

Characters become consumed by a romantic fixation that questions their perception of reality. If you liked the psychological ambiguity and yearning in Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, explore these movies. They feature characters gripped by an enigmatic love, leading them to question their memories and sanity in similar slow-burn, melancholic dramas.

  • obsessive
  • psychological
  • dreamlike
  • anxious
  • yearning
  • introspective
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, dreamlike
  • Pacing: slow, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow a protagonist who becomes fixated on a person or a past connection, often one that may be partly or wholly imagined. The plot revolves around their pursuit, which functions as a psychological investigation into their own mind. The central conflict is internal, pitting desire against doubt, and the resolution is often ambiguous, leaving the nature of the connection open to interpretation.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core focus on love as an unsettling, psychologically destabilizing force. They employ a similar mood of melancholic yearning and anxious introspection, using a deliberate pacing to explore the fragile boundary between a powerful emotional bond and a dangerous obsession.

Slow melancholic journeys of self-discovery like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time

Contemplative stories of characters adrift in unfamiliar places, searching for meaning. For viewers who appreciated the slow pacing and melancholic mood of Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time, this collection highlights similar character-driven dramas. These movies share a focus on introspective characters in a state of transition, exploring themes of identity, memory, and loneliness in a contemplative way.

  • melancholic
  • introspective
  • lonely
  • contemplative
  • yearning
  • dreamlike
  • Tone: melancholic, introspective, lonely
  • Pacing: slow, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a character, often at a crossroads, who enters a new environment or returns to a familiar one. The external journey mirrors an internal one, as they wander and reflect, confronting memories and unresolved emotions. The plot is less about external events and more about the subtle shifts in perception and understanding that occur through quiet observation and introspection.

Why they belong together: These films are united by a specific emotional and stylistic blend: a deliberately slow pace, a melancholic and often lonely atmosphere, and a central theme of searching for one's place in the world. They offer a similar viewing experience that is patient, emotionally nuanced, and focused on the quiet moments of human experience.

If you liked this

Movies Like Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time

Similar movies to Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time (2021) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Preparations to be Together for an Unknown Period of Time in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

Plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Catch up on any movie in minutes, save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private, always.

Learn more about the app