Rozsdás lóvé

One final bout, then a different life. That is the plan of Ricsi, the fighter at the centre of Rozsdás lóvé, known internationally as Dirty Change. In the 2025 Hungarian short, written and directed by Tibor Tasi, the young man must repay a loan shark’s debt inherited from his father. He and his girlfriend imagine a future away from illegal fights.

The story places cage fighting within a network of money, betting and criminal pressure. Alongside physical preparation come negotiations in which others try to determine what should happen during the match. The conflict therefore also concerns control over the fighter’s choices: his wish to stop clashes with the interests of those who continue to profit from his presence in the arena.

The film originated as a graduation project for the second unit directing master’s programme at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, SZFE. The course also trains filmmakers to stage action scenes and work with stunt performers. Rozsdás lóvé was among the graduates’ films presented at Budapest’s Uránia cinema on 1 October 2025, placing its production and training background within the filmmaking practice of staging action.

In the director’s statement published by the 2 Counties Independent Film Festival, Tasi describes his intention to connect martial arts with decisions that have personal consequences, working on both action and drama. In the film, that approach takes the form of a fictional story moving between a couple’s relationship, preparations for a bout and relationships of financial dependence.

Ádám Németh plays Ricsi, while Brigitta Szonja Nagy plays Julcsi. The cast also includes Róbert Kardos, Roland Rába, Péter Horkay and Barnabás Drobni. Produced by Attila Csáky, the short features cinematography by Gábor Málics and editing by Tasi himself. Its credits distinguish György Szántó’s stunt coordination from Zoltán Szántó’s work as fight master: two roles concerned with staging the combat.