Árpád Bogdán’s new film provides a dramatic depiction of sin, catharsis and rebirth. The story of Genesis is formed around the fate of a young Roma boy, whose childhood reaches a sudden and drastic end when he loses his family in a tragic and brutal attack. Already buried in her work, a young female lawyer succumbs to pressure from her superior and undertakes the defence of one of the men facing trial for the part he reputedly played in this infamous series of racist murders. It is while researching the case that she comes into contact with the young boy, called as a witness, and this chance meeting changes both their lives forever. A mysterious teenage girl also becomes involved when her boyfriend’s dark secrets come to light.

Árpád Bognár: Genesis

With strong biblical roots, the story is told via the journeys of very different individuals from completely separate sections of society whose paths never cross but whose fates become intricately entwined as they twist through the shadow cast by this horrendous crime. The protagonists in Genesis decide their various fates based on the universal human values of faith in life, solidarity and responsibility, and each is then presented with the chance of a new beginning, a new life.

After establishing a strong background in theatre and film, Árpád Bogdán made his feature-film debut with Happy New Life that collected a number of awards including Best First Film at Hungarian Film Week 2007 and premiered at the Berlinale, where it received special mention from the jury. Happy New Life went on to tour the globe and was extremely well received by audiences and film critics alike.

Árpád Bognár: Genesis

Genesis is a co-production from Mirage Film and Focusfox with funding from the Hungarian Film Fund, produced by Andrea Taschler and Gábor Ferenczy. The screenplay was written by Árpád Bogdán and further developed via the ScriptEast international screenplay-development workshop and the Hungarian Film Fund.

The director of photography is Tamás Dobos (Father’s Acre, Soft Rain), original soundtrack composed by Mihály Víg, who enjoys a long creative history with Béla Tarr, and the film was edited by Péter Politzer (Before Dawn, White Palms). The leading roles are portrayed by Anna Marie Cseh (Youth, Paths of Light), and Milán Csordás and Enikő Anna, who are both keen amateur actors.