In small-town Hungary, Ana is a beloved teacher of literature, who tends not to slavishly follow the official curriculum, but uses creative methods. In discussing the French poet Rimbaud, she assigns as optional homework the viewing of the film Total Eclipse (1995), which depicts Rimbaud in a homosexual relationship. While she has done that for many years without complaint, this time a conservative father happens upon his son watching the film on his computer, and he launches a complaint about the immoral material. A committee is formed to determine whether the film is age-appropriate.
Concerned with the school's upcoming 150th-anniversary celebrations, the school principal tries to sweep this under the carpet with a temporary reprimand. But Ana is standing on principle, and is worried about the implications of censorship, so she appeals. That brave and foolish move forces a bigger inquiry, which causes a bigger fuss.
I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the director said it was inspired by a real incident. Written during the COVID lockdown and shot in 2021, this film has become very topical, as issues of banning the discussion of sexuality in even high schools has emerged in various locations outside Hungary.
