Dusk

In a rural region of Hungary close to the Serbian border, an invisible danger looms—as any villager can tell you. Figures sneak across the fields, unknown cars are spotted, dogs in yards behave strangely, and children are scared when it gets dark.

Sandor, a father of eight, has taken up a job as a “landguard” to protect the small community in which they live. He patrols the border with his car and night vision goggles, assisted by his eldest son, on the lookout for anything suspicious. Although we don’t actually see any intruders and they are only spoken about in veiled terms, the threat always feels tangible, especially for the children.

News reports that the father and son see on their smartphones at night provide some background to all the suspense. Wide, static shots combined with ambient sound create an ominous atmosphere: cars in the distance, crickets chirping at dusk, frogs croaking, and dogs barking in the darkness.