The Maiden Danced to Death

Plot Summary

The story of two brothers – two dancers – in post-Communist Hungary. One left, the other stuck it out. One gave his soul to commerce, the other to the Party. After twenty years, they meet again. And the dance begins. Steve, a dancer-turned-impresario, returns to his native Hungary after 20 years. He finds that the Communist regime that expelled him is gone, but his brother, Gyula, hasn’t changed. He still works with the same cash-strapped dance company they started together and is married to Steve’s former sweetheart, Mari. The two men’s rivalry is triggered instantly, but Mari challenges them to revive their last success together, a dance on the ballad “The Maiden Danced to Death”. If Gyula can make Steve’s exacting standards, Steve will promote a world tour, breathing new life into the sagging careers of both brothers.