Ten Thousand Days

In the 1960s, Hungary's second wave of collectivization frames the Széles family. István and Juli prepare for their son's departure to the sea, and István reveals that he recently attempted suicide. The family confronts upheaval and unresolved past while looking toward the future.

In the 1930s, István, an aging farmer, marries Juli who works as a servant for farmer Balogh. They choose the leftist Fülöp Bánó as the godfather of their child. The alliance foreshadows the social tensions that will shape their lives.

On New Year's Eve, István knocks the roof of Balogh's pigpen into the house, forcing him to apologize to the pig whose piglets have frozen. The event exposes István's volatile temper and the fragile balance in the farm community. It sets a tone of friction that recurs in their relationships.

A drunken Fülöp attacks István with a knife after a dispute about servility, and Juli's intervention leads to a vow among the couple never to hit each other again. They reconcile for a time, but the shadows of their volatile circle linger. The episode marks Fülöp's volatile influence over the household.

During a peasant strike by landless workers, István and Mihály Csere attempt to break the demand for better conditions. The brick factory workers, including Fülöp, beat the dissidents and tie the 'traitors' to a wheelbarrow as punishment. The scene demonstrates escalating class tensions on the eve of war.

Later, István again hits Juli when she tries to buy a horse, while Juli cannot sell their ox. The violence underscores the strain in their marriage and the desperation of their economic situation. The couple's bond remains fragile as external pressures mount.

Mama Széles sprinkles salt on the land to protect it from war, a ritual of hope while István and Juli farm with their own power. The pre-war harvest scene shows the couple's stubborn connection to the land. It foreshadows the looming upheavals that will reshape their fortunes.

As recruitment begins, István lies that he has eight children to avoid conscription, while Fülöp carries four. The lie reflects the precarious family choices under pressure and the different fates of the two men. This moment foreshadows the later political divide.

After World War II, Fülöp returns as a Communist agitator while the big estates are distributed into collectives. The peasants loot the granary, and the authorities begin forcing grain to feed urban areas. István and Mihály steal back their own share, ending up at the police station. Mihály almost strangles the policeman (his brother-in-law), but the policeman shoots Mihály, and István is deported to a labor camp for 852 days (1951-52) for complicity.

Thanks to prisoner József Bócza, Juli visits István in the labor camp. István tells her how Fülöp helped their son gain admission to university, a rare ray of hope amid hardship. The scene ties personal sacrifice to intellectual ambitions.

In 1956, counter-revolutionaries abduct and execute communists, sending a machine gun to István for guidance. István advises restraint and respect, and the revolutionaries force villagers to watch the executions at the church. Fülöp is spared, while others are killed, and István later hides the truth from Juli.

In the summer after 1956, while picking potatoes, Juli falls ill and Pista discusses the future with Fülöp. István tries to persuade others to join the union but ultimately signs the paper before taking his own life. His death is framed as a final act in a life bound to the land and its politics.

The film returns to the present as Pista narrates, concluding with his eventual arrival at the sea. He reflects that land's importance fades compared to the connection to family and memory. The sea becomes a symbol of freedom beyond the land's grip.