Sweet Emma, Dear Böbe

• Johanna ter Steege: Emma
• Enikö Börcsök: Böbe
• Péter Andorai: Stefanics

Sweet Emma, Dear Böbe is a Hungarian feature film from the year 1992.

Action

The film takes place in Budapest shortly after the political changes. Emma is a Russian teacher. Together with Böbe she had come to Budapest to study from the country years ago. However, the salary of a teacher is so low that it shares with Böbe a room in a home educators. Emma is afraid of the future. She has nightmares at night, where they from a sandy mountain slips naked into the depths of nowhere and takes hold. School life has changed for them. Once she loved her job, now after the fall of the Russian language is frowned upon as the language of the former occupiers and has no value. Students burn the Russian textbooks in the school yard. Emma and Böbe learn English in evening classes in order to work as an English teacher can. Also the relationship with the fellow teachers is clouded by suspicion and envy. In addition, Emma is in love with the headmaster Stefanics. Stefanics is considered womanizer who, however, would never separate from his family. After the turn he also fears for his job because he has made under the Communists career and does not want to deliver by a scandal with Emma reasons to be fired. Emma is desperate and is encouraged by Böbe. Böbe is fun-loving, unlike Emma. She dreams of a good life without financial worries. As a Böbe one day suddenly arrested by the police, Emma is completely alone. Böbe is accused of prostitution and foreign exchange fraud. In school, this will result in immediate dismissal. As Böbe finally returns from detention in the dorm, her room is already occupied by another co-teacher. Böbe throws himself out the window and dies. Emma eventually ends up as a newspaper seller on Budapest Central Station.

Background

The Dutch actress Johanna ter Steege is synchronized in this film by the Hungarian actress Ildikó Bansagi.

Reviews

" A dark film about a society in search of new values ​​that threaten to drown in materialism, before they could establish themselves properly. At the same time an image of people looking for happiness. A less spectacular film that describes the fears of people in a state of flux. "

Awards

The film was shown in competition at the Berlinale 1992. István Szabó was awarded a Silver Bear for Special Jury Award. Furthermore, the film at the Berlinale a received honorable mention by the Ecumenical Jury. The film was also nominated for the European Film Awards 1992 in the categories of Best Actress and Best Screenplay. Szabó was awarded the prize for his screenplay.