Flowers of Evil By David Dusa

The work of the Hungarian born David Dusa assumes a double mission: it is a charming love story and a political pamphlet at the same time, with great sweeping potential. The story involves the relationship of an intellectual Iranian girl who fled to France following the turbulence in 2009, and a boy who is a second generation immigrant. Their love develops with the troubled background of the news from Iran, but it remains no more than impressions of music, poetry and homesickness. Although the movie has not just nice but also beautiful moments, it is marred by repetition. Armin Franzen, the cinematographer, never stops using handy cam, even if it is not necessary. In addition to this, it seems as if the director couldn’t decide between the two topics which he was interested in, and the audience stays a little bit confused between the personal and the general sides of the film.

Although the script has some weaknesses, the news and amateur footage of the turmoil shocks the viewer, and creates the feeling of watching a kind of documentary. We can consider Flowers of Evil as a witness to the big technological and socio-psychological turns of the 21st century, and at the same time, it is a promising start for an ambitious director’s first feature.

by Janka Barkoczi