Living Stones (Elö kövek) is the latest short by Jakob Ladányi Jancsó. It had its world premiere during the 2025 Berlinale Shorts. Béla Tarr was the executive producer, and the director has participated in several of his workshops. The storyline concerns a troubled young woman, Natasa (Lilla Kizlinger), who undergoes therapy at an unorthodox rehabilitation centre in the countryside. She has extended sessions with therapist Georg (Árpád Schilling). One of the methods employed by the institution is horse therapy. Initially, she is reluctant to give away more than bits and pieces of her past and dreams to him, but the introduction to equine treatment seems to be a breakthrough that could make her trust Georg.
Even though the film is set in a community with several cases, we are basically given a two-hander. We spend virtually the whole duration of the film with Georg and Natasa. Gradually, there are signs that the relationship between therapist and patient becomes fuzzy. Living Stones is the director’s graduation film from Free SZFE, which is a breakout from the state-run SFZE. For formal reasons, he graduated from the Vienna Film Academy. The details are discussed in my interview with Jakov Ladányi. Initially, he was a psychology student. A fact that is not surprising when watching the film. The brief runtime notwithstanding, the director manages to dig deep into the characters, especially Natasa.
The cinematic aspects of Living Stones
The profound portrait of the character is due to the precise writing by the director, together with Anna Emília Szűcs. Zsófia Ruttkay, known from György Palfi’s films, was the dramaturg of the piece. However, the cinematic depiction is, at least, equally important. The cinematography by Ádám Fillenz primarily consists of long shots, which give the actors ample space but also create a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere. Something that is also aided by the use of colour and the score by Petra Szászi. Treading further into the film would risk getting into spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that Living Stones is a supreme achievement, which hopefully will be screened in festivals all over the world.
Living Stones by Jakob Ladányi Jancsó - Disapproving Swede strong
Director: Jakob Ladányi Jancsó
Date Created: 2025-04-12 04:01
4
Pros
- Great acting
- Cinematography
- Script
Cons
- It could have been longer.