Having worked abroad for years, when István (45) and Gyöngyi (44) return to their hometown they learn that Gyöngyi’s cousin Ernő (46) was placed under guardianship and put in a psychiatric home. The couple seek the help of a young lawyer, Orsi (28). When she meets Ernő it’s difficult to tell if he is just an oddball or has a mental condition, but one thing is sure: he wants to leave the institution. They sue for the termination of guardianship, and a court will decide if Ernő is mentally fit to live freely.
As trials begin, Ernő’s appointed state guardian strongly opposes the case; he even revokes Ernő’s right to spend one day a week at the couple’s home. His threat is clear: either they retract the suit or they’ll find out if Ernő can last two years until a final verdict is reached. Ernő’s state quickly deteriorates, and the protracted process takes its toll on the couple’s unity too: István returns to Germany to work, but Gyöngyi doesn’t want to give up. Together with Orsi they discover that the guardian has embezzled Ernő’s property; if the guardianship is revoked, the truth will come out. However, as the case proceeds it becomes evident they are fighting something much bigger than one corrupt bureaucrat: it’s a failing system they are taking on, to eventually bring Ernő home.

My girlfriend works for a legal NGO, documenting cases. One day I drove her to a small town court. One of the plaintiffs, István, was too anxious to watch the trial, so we went for a walk, and he told me their story. I followed the case as appeals ensued; at the end I was even invited to the small celebration for Ernő’s “return”. The events stayed with me, and I approached them with the idea of a film.
Their story has a strong social element and poses an important ethical question: when can society strip a person of his freedom of decision? Yet, what intrigues me the most is, why did these two people without the material or cultural resources to stand a chance, still take up the fight against a Kafkaesque system, risking their future, their relationship, for a distant relative? Rapeseeds in Flower is a cross between a social drama and a courtroom drama. It takes us to the Hungarian plains, a rough and unforgiving country. Through the fight of a few committed individuals against a broken social system and the abuse of power, it tells a story of family, belonging and of human dignity.