A Lélek órása

Summary

In the labyrinthine heart of a forgotten city, amidst the perpetual tick-tock of a thousand mechanisms, dwells Elek (Gyula Stella), a reclusive horologist whose life’s singular obsession transcends mere timekeeping. He is ‘A Lélek órása,’ the watchmaker of souls, who believes the intricate gears and springs of a human spirit can be discerned, and perhaps even mended, through the meticulous craft of his unique horological devices. His magnum opus, a contraption of brass and esoteric crystals, is rumored to not merely measure the passage of moments but to reflect the very cadences of one's inner being. Into his hermetic existence drifts Elza (Rózsa Szilassy), a young woman haunted by an ineffable grief, her spirit seemingly fractured by an unseen trauma. With her arrives Anna (Ila Lóth), her pragmatic, yet deeply worried companion, who views Elek’s methods with a healthy dose of skepticism, fearing for Elza’s fragile state. As Elek delves into Elza’s 'soul-watch,' its delicate balance disrupted by an encroaching shadow, he uncovers fragments of a past tragedy involving a charismatic but manipulative figure, perhaps a former suitor or rival (Gusztáv Vándory). The film unfurls not as a linear narrative but as a series of visual poems, each frame a meticulously composed tableau vivant, exploring the interplay between memory, fate, and the profound human yearning for inner harmony. Elek’s quest to restore Elza’s spiritual equilibrium becomes a profound meditation on the fragility of mental peace and the elusive nature of redemption, culminating in a poignant confrontation with the specters of her past, where the ticking of his mystical timepiece becomes the heartbeat of a soul striving for re-integration.

Synopsis