Arquivo

Day in, day out, the same routine is repeated. Tobias Horvath gets up at 5:00 A.M., has a bath, shaves, has some breakfast, and leaves. He runs, then, to the main square in town to catch a bus. He closes his eyes and realizes the horror of his existence. For ten years, Tobias has worked in a clock factory and in the relentless sound of ticking, he sees life go by without much expectation. Born in Eastern Europe, Tobias grew up in poverty, the son of a mother who was a thief, a beggar, and a prostitute. He is not well acquainted with his father. One day, Tobias knifes his father in the back. Escape to Switzerland is his only way out. His hope in life now is to find Line, an ideal woman lost in his imagination. One day, however, his dream comes close to becoming real. Tobias meets Caroline, a former school pal, once more. His heart may beat faster, but meets with no response. Caroline is married with one daughter. A series of surprise events further obstructs their relationship, but Tobias cares not at all. He has little to lose. The film is based on the book “Ontem”, by Agota Kristof.