Sunshine

Sunshine

181 mins | Drama, History | Sept. 13, 1999

The story of a Jewish family living in Hungary—through three generations—rising from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. The patriarch becomes a prominent judge but is torn when his government sanctions anti-Jewish persecutions. His son converts to Christianity to advance his career as a champion fencer and Olympic hero, but is caught up in the Holocaust. Finally, the grandson, after surviving war, revolution, loss and betrayal, realizes that his ultimate allegiance must be to himself and his heritage.

Sunshine

181 mins | Drama, History | Sept. 13, 1999

Sunshine
The story of a Jewish family living in Hungary—through three generations—rising from humble beginnings to positions of wealth and power in the crumbling Austro-Hungarian Empire. The patriarch becomes a prominent judge but is torn when his government sanctions anti-Jewish persecutions. His son converts to Christianity to advance his career as a champion fencer and Olympic hero, but is caught up in the Holocaust. Finally, the grandson, after surviving war, revolution, loss and betrayal, realizes that his ultimate allegiance must be to himself and his heritage.
IMDb rating 7.5
Producers Channel Four Films, Dor Film Production Company, Alliance Atlantis Communications, Serendipity Point Films, Téléfilm Canada, The Movie Network, Eurimages, Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Bavaria Film and Television Fund, Hungarian Motion Picture Fund, ISL Film, InterCom, TV 2, Vienna Film Financing Fund, ORF, Starhaus Filmproduktion
Original title Sunshine
Directors Gabriella Winkler, István Szabó
Writers István Szabó, Israel Horovitz

Cast

Ralph Fiennes

as Ignatz/Adam/Ivan Sors

Rosemary Harris

as Valerie Sors

Rachel Weisz

as Greta

Jennifer Ehle

as Valerie Sonnenschein

Deborah Kara Unger

as Carole Kovacs

William Hurt

as Andor Knorr

Molly Parker

as Hannah Wippler

James Frain

as Gustave Sonnenschein

David de Keyser

as Emmanuel Sonnenschein

John Neville

as Gustave Sors

Miriam Margolyes

as Rose Sonnenschein

Rüdiger Vogler

as Jakofalvy

Mark Strong

as István Sors

Bill Paterson

as Minister of Justice

Trevor Peacock

as Comrade Gen. Kope

Hanns Zischler

as Baron Margitta

Katja Studt

as Kato

Buddy Elias

as Mr. Brenner