Égetö Eszter (1989)

The TV adaptation of László Németh's monumental novel spans Hungarian history in the first half of the 20th century. Protagonist Eszter's more or less average life is just a frame for the story. The location is an imaginary dusty town in the Alföld, the plain south-east area of the country. Eszter was born and raised here by her father, a lawyer for the poor. After World War I she marries a young pharmacist. They move to a nearby village where she experiences the happiest period of her life. After returning to the city she bears a son and a daughter. However, Esther becomes estranged more and more from her husband and his environment. Towards the end of WWII the family splits up: Józsi flees for west with little Esther; Józsika stays with his mother. She qualifies herself for work and for living her life independently.