Places sometimes hold some of the strongest memories of all. In Stars of Little Importance, the directorial debut by Hungarian actor Renátó Olasz, we begin with a note that most of our protagonist’s core moments occurred in a small, non-descript pub: it was where he was conceived, and where he and his friends first fell in love. The film enjoyed its world premiere in Sarajevo’s main feature competition as the Hungarian representative, also boasting Béla Tarr as an executive producer. With a screenplay by Olasz and Anna Hámor, Stars of Little Importance invites us into the lives of an adult brother and sister, Milán (Olasz himself) and Bianka (Andrea Waskovics), returning home to the Hungarian countryside for Christmas.

In this directorial debut, Olasz hits his stride aesthetically. With the film shot in black and white (cinematography by Csaba Bántó), Olasz favours slow motion and long, winding shots that watchfully meander through each space, almost as if the camera were a separate character simply observing events. The narrative is where the movie loses most of its focus: the choice to split the work into three chapters otherwise feels unnecessary in its short running time, just as our attention is shared among many different encounters, preventing us from connecting closely with any specific character; the last chapter in particular feels disconnected from earlier interactions. The symbolic reappearance of a white horse wandering around the town sparks the imagination, but otherwise feels like an afterthought in this mostly realist film.

Despite struggling at times to keep us engaged with this ensemble, the filmmaker remains hyper-focused on cultivating a cinematic atmosphere that brings us into this specific moment in the siblings’ lives. Olasz pulls his characters – and, by proxy, us – to reconnect, emotionally and physically, with old friends in a fleeting way. For the duration, Milán and Bianka seem suspended in time, able to touch the past through encounters with their friends that stayed “behind” – a feeling of homecoming that, for many, is both relatable and endlessly bittersweet.

Stars of Little Importance is a Hungarian production by Kino Alfa. Its world sales rights are up for grabs.