The Ambassador to Bern

August 16, 1958. The leafy streets surrounding the Hungarian embassy in Bern, Switzerland are quiet in the summer sun. Yet inside, Ambassador Mihaly Kornokai struggles to maintain order amidst increasingly bitter emotions. Ever since the Soviet suppression of the 1956 Hungarian revolution, tensions are high. In June, Janos Kadar, head of the new Soviet-friendly government, ordered the execution of former Prime Minister Imre Nagy, enraging Hungarian emigrés around the world. Now two armed men – former freedom fighters – burst into the Embassy, taking Kornokai hostage. Terrified staff members barricade themselves in and phone the police. Inspector Lambert leads the operation from outside, though his hands are tied for reasons of diplomatic immunity. Meanwhile, as the kidnappers communicate with Radio Free Europe, protests against the Soviet occupation of Hungary erupt in the street. THE AMBASSADOR TO BERN is a taut political thriller, both uniquely Hungarian and anticipatory of the many geopolitical uprisings to follow. (In Hungarian and German with subtitles) – B.B.