Experiencing Interruptions?

Next stop

An elderly woman spends hours riding the bus every day, but when the bus driver uncovers the touching reason behind her daily journeys, it changes both of their lives.

How can two lost souls help each other step into the next chapter of their lives, leaving the past behind? The film is about empathy, attentiveness to one another, and the immense power of small gestures – which have the ability to change both their own lives and the lives of others.

  • Potonyecz Fanni
    Director
  • András Másik Szőke
    Writer
    Mastergame (2023), Susotázs (2018)
  • Zsolt Valkony
    Producer
    Aranyélet (2015-2018), A Király (2022)
  • Anikó Rakóczi
    Producer
    FOMO: Fear of Missing Out (2019), Three Thousand Numbered Pieces (2022)
  • Róbert Kardos
    Key Cast
    "Aranka"
    Lefkovicsék gyászolnak (2024), Last Chance (2022)
  • Ildikó Bánsági
    Key Cast
    "Aranka"
    Mephisto (1981), Confidence (1980), Erasing Frank (2021) Ma este gyilkolunk (2024)
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Következő megálló
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    Hungary
  • Language:
    Hungarian
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Budapest Movie Awards

    Best First-time Srceenwriter
Director Biography - Potonyecz Fanni

Fanni Potonyecz is a Hungarian director and actress. She holds a master’s degree in film directing from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, an acting diploma from Kaposvár University, and a BA in cultural and visual anthropology from the University of Miskolc. Her short film Következő megálló was produced in 2025 with the support of the Hungarian National Film Institute and AE Studio. As a director, she works on both theater and film productions.

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Director Statement

The short film The Next Stop was primarily inspired by my grandparents' love and the loss of my grandfather. It was deeply moving for me to witness the grief my grandmother felt after losing her partner of over fifty years. I had many conversations with her about this, and it was through these discussions that the idea to explore this theme began to take shape. The Next Stop is set in the 2010s. Its twenty-minute story is driven by the actions of the characters, meaning the film focuses more on visual storytelling rather than dialogue. The plot takes place in just a few locations, mostly on the bus driven by István and in the modest office at the station. There’s no need for many locations, as the central focus of this chamber piece is the relationship between Aranka and István, and their development over time. The story unfolds through István’s perspective, with the audience learning alongside him. This is crucial because Aranka's loyalty and her heartbreaking attempts to keep her husband's memory alive transform into a mystery, adding excitement, mystique, and unexpected twists to the short film. The unspoken elements heighten the tension. Additionally, István’s perspective brings humor and lightness to this dramatic narrative.

Another intriguing element is the male voice that comes through the bus’s loudspeakers. It’s a sound we could hear every day on our way to work, school, or the store, and it may seem trivial and indifferent until we realize its significance to Aranka in the film.

Through the characters the film offers a fresh take on an eternal theme that many of us can relate to: loyalty, love, loss, and rediscovery. I aim to create a lifelike portrait of this everyday miracle, with a conclusion that is both touching and inspiring. It’s rare to see a short film centered on two elderly characters, which is why it’s refreshing and needed to have their romantic story at the heart of the film. The Next Stop is a gently flowing, dreamlike story. Its visual world is minimalist and quiet, not trying to present love and loyalty in an ostentatious way, but rather speaking to the dramatic and extraordinary power within Aranka and István through its understated beauty.