The Feature Film Competition entry of FilmFestival Cottbus will be released in cinemas across Germany on May 14: Orphan (ANDOR HIRSCH) by László Nemes.
Set in Hungary in the aftermath of the 1956 uprising, this powerful coming-of-age drama follows a boy who clings to the image of his missing Jewish father—until a stranger claims that identity and an existential conflict unfolds. Moving between myth and reality, the film explores questions of origin, belonging, and self-determination.
Inspired by the story of his own father, Nemes examines the transgenerational transmission of trauma and the lingering effects of violence in a society shaped by upheaval. Shot in atmospheric 35mm, the film creates a haunting world in which personal certainties begin to unravel.
FilmFestival Cottbus presented the film in its Feature Film Competition. ANDOR HIRSCH (ORPHAN) will now be available in cinemas nationwide.