Based on a true story, Land of Storms provides an unapologetically honest look into the struggles still faced by gay men in rural Europe. Szabolcs (András Süto) is a budding soccer star in Germany, but he decides to retire to his native Hungary after a tough loss and a fight with his best friend, Bernard (Sebastian Urzendowsky). While fixing up his abandoned farmhouse, he meets Áron (Ádám Varga), from a nearby town, and a mutual attraction forms. When word spreads about their affair, they must face the abuse and derision of the locals. After a late-night phone call, Bernard comes to Hungary to profess his love to his former teammate and to ask him to return home with him. Szabolcs must decide between the two men in his life and the two worlds he has come to know. Land of Storms is an unsentimental tale of gay self-discovery and small-town homophobia, and director Ádám Császi doesn’t shy away from blunt representations of hate and abuse in his realistic and emotional film. TLA Releasing (tlareleasing.com). —Bradley Donalson
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