The film, set in the 1960s, is based on the novel of the same name by Hungarian writer Magda Szabo (no relation to the director), and portrays an evolving relationship between two women, a young rich writer played by German actress Martina Gedeck and Mirren's character, a dowdy elderly housekeeper who is suspected of hiding Jewish property stolen during the Second World War.

　　Speaking at a press conference on the evening of the Budapest premiere of the movie, the 66 year-old Mirren said that in the book the character she plays is a mystery. "No-one really knows if she is telling the truth, whether she is a Nazi or a heroine. She is very buried."

　　Mirren, who won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth, said that for her, "the meaning of the film is somehow buried deep in my parents' history, my grandparents' history and the history of Europe."

　　"As it is a story about Hungary and Eastern Europe and the struggles of this part of the world in the 20th century, I felt a huge sense of responsibility as an Englishperson to correctly and truthfully inhabit the character. To appear in this film was a way of honoring the suffering, courage and nobility of those older generations who sadly we are in the process of losing," she said.

　　Mirren, whose father is of Russian background, wore no make-up for the role and said she was amazed when she put on her costume for the filming.

　　"When I wore my headscarf and heavy boots, I looked like an Eastern European. Perhaps because of my ancestry, I recognized myself in some deep fundamental way," she added.