White Palms (DVD)

Having suffered as a boy under a brutal Communist-era coach, champion Hungarian gymnast Miklos moves to Canada years later in search of a new start... only to find himself unwittingly perpetuating the very same cycle of abuse among his own pupils. Redemption appears in the unlikely form of Kyle, a troubled, young Canadian teen with the potential to become a world champion. The friendship and rivalry between teacher and student - each played by actual gymnasts (one, Kyle Shewfelt, an Olympic medalist) - forms the basis of this gripping, resonant sports drama. Beautifully shot and edited, effortlessly evoking it's respective time-periods, and through them, the clash of different cultures and values, WHITE PALMS made it's international premiere in Directors' Fortnight at Cannes. Directed by Szabolcs Hajdu and starring Orion Radies, Silas Radies, Zoltan Miklos Hajdu, Gheorghe Dinica.