On Body and Soul (2017)

This Hungarian film by Ildikó Enyedi constructs a lyrical narrative about two profoundly lonely individuals who discover an unexpected connection: they share the same dreams, where they are deer in a snowy forest. The director uses the oneiric metaphor to explore the emotional intimacy that both protagonists fear in the real world. María, with traits suggesting an autism spectrum disorder, is portrayed with dignity and precision — not as a problem to be solved, but as a person with her own way of perceiving and relating. Endre, her boss, is a man wounded by the past who has learned to live without expecting anything. The slaughterhouse where they work functions as a counterpoint: a place of death where something unexpectedly alive blossoms. The work environment includes scenes of animal sacrifice (realistic context, not gratuitous). The work contains adult sexual content, presented with artistic discretion but with sufficient clarity to demand maturity from the viewer. The arc leads towards an opening to true love — a slow, fragile, and costly process. It is European auteur cinema, contemplative and meticulously crafted, for an adult audience willing to be challenged by silence and human fragility.