I had a Dream about an Elephant
On the Slovak–Hungarian borderland, far from both Bratislava and Budapest, Mikuláš Vareha built his own "state within a state". The former policeman made his fortune on multimillion-euro tax fraud, handed out jobs, food and village parties, and became the "King of Zemplín" – worshipped by people the state had forgotten.
The film captures him after nearly a decade in prison. His kingdom lies in ruins, yet his ego refuses to surrender. He plans a comeback amid mud and rust – starting dead limousines, summoning his people, dreaming of a zoo with an elephant in the middle of the Zemplín plain. But his properties keep crumbling, and so does his body.
In early 2026, reality delivers an unscripted cut: Vareha dies suddenly while feeding his chickens. Everything he left behind passes to Daniela, the partner who stood beside him for decades – the only person whose voice he truly listened to. She does what he never could: she accepts the end. She auctions off the cars, sells the buildings, tears down what cannot be sold, and finally parts with the legendary petrol station where it all began. Yet in a tragicomic paradox, she commissions a larger-than-life statue for his grave, works on a book about his life, and lends her patronage to songs about the "King of Zemplín".
The empire ends up as scrap. The myth around him keeps growing. The film is a study of populism, of how a man like Vareha rises to power, and why his myth outlives him.
The film captures him after nearly a decade in prison. His kingdom lies in ruins, yet his ego refuses to surrender. He plans a comeback amid mud and rust – starting dead limousines, summoning his people, dreaming of a zoo with an elephant in the middle of the Zemplín plain. But his properties keep crumbling, and so does his body.
In early 2026, reality delivers an unscripted cut: Vareha dies suddenly while feeding his chickens. Everything he left behind passes to Daniela, the partner who stood beside him for decades – the only person whose voice he truly listened to. She does what he never could: she accepts the end. She auctions off the cars, sells the buildings, tears down what cannot be sold, and finally parts with the legendary petrol station where it all began. Yet in a tragicomic paradox, she commissions a larger-than-life statue for his grave, works on a book about his life, and lends her patronage to songs about the "King of Zemplín".
The empire ends up as scrap. The myth around him keeps growing. The film is a study of populism, of how a man like Vareha rises to power, and why his myth outlives him.
World Divided
In some places, division is not just a line on a map—it’s a scar that cuts through streets, rivers, and families. World Divided invites viewers into these cities and regions caught between history and hope. Travelling from the once-barricaded streets of Belfast to the ancient walls of Nicosia, through the fractured heart of Mostar, the silent currents of the Kurils, into the windswept deserts of Western Sahara, and to the unsettled lands of South Africa.
Each location is a mosaic of lives lived on the fault lines of conflict. Here, divisions have become part of the landscape, yet people continue to build, dream, and love within the shadow of invisible walls. We will hear stories of resilience and humanity, of those who confront these boundaries each day, not just as obstacles, but as a call to question, hope, and transform.
Through the six intimate stories, we will reveal what it means to live in a world split by history, belief, and power struggles. We will meet those who confront division every day, those who dream of unity, and those who resist change. Each episode will be a journey to understand how division shapes culture, resilience, and identity, and what it takes to imagine a future beyond the walls. With cinematic depth and a lens that captures the heart behind the headlines, World Divided will offer not just an exploration of conflict, but an invitation to see the humanity that transcends borders. For in every city and region where walls divide, there are bridges yet to be built.
Each location is a mosaic of lives lived on the fault lines of conflict. Here, divisions have become part of the landscape, yet people continue to build, dream, and love within the shadow of invisible walls. We will hear stories of resilience and humanity, of those who confront these boundaries each day, not just as obstacles, but as a call to question, hope, and transform.
Through the six intimate stories, we will reveal what it means to live in a world split by history, belief, and power struggles. We will meet those who confront division every day, those who dream of unity, and those who resist change. Each episode will be a journey to understand how division shapes culture, resilience, and identity, and what it takes to imagine a future beyond the walls. With cinematic depth and a lens that captures the heart behind the headlines, World Divided will offer not just an exploration of conflict, but an invitation to see the humanity that transcends borders. For in every city and region where walls divide, there are bridges yet to be built.