Men with Balls

It took a lot of balls to make this documentary. Tennis balls, specifically. Welcome to the impoverished Hungarian village of Besence, population 126. There is 99% unemployment, and days are passed in an idle fog. Mayor Ignac, trying to appropriate funds for anything he can, manages to score funding for two projects: a horticultural garden and… a tennis court. Ever the optimist, he feels the court will build community spirit, and he even dreams of his villagers competing in tournaments and bringing glory (and maybe wealth) to the village. Enlisting a coach, the task now is to unify and motivate the residents, many of whom are embarrassed by the whole thing and fear Besence will become a national joke. Odd, funny, and occasionally outright surreal, the utterly unique MEN WITH BALLS sometimes feels like fiction. But, as we all know, only real life can be this quirky, touching, and strangely hilarious. These baffled and struggling villagers will win your heart as they meet what life tosses at them with a hearty “Balls to You!” (In Hungarian with subtitles) —C.R.