EAST-WEST PASSAGE (2010)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

East West Passage / Kelet-nyugati atjaro (2010)

Director: Zsigmond Gabor Papp


Interview with the Director,
related to the 41. Hungarian Film Week and his documentary,
East West Passage

The Director's thoughts on his film:

"I think, the story of releasing the refugees from the DDR in 1989 is one of its kind and something great what Hungary should be proud of. We showed an example to Europe about democratic thinking.
As a 22 years old university student in that time, even though I wasn't part of the movement, but still it was one of the most important moments of my life. I was proud of being Hungarian.
The reason I made this film is because most the Hungarians have already forgotten our country's great achievements in history, and personally I wanted to experience its uplifting atmosphere one more time."

Filmhu: How did you choose your staff?

Director: We know each other very well, one phone call was enough: "Kati / Zoli / Csongor, we're shooting!"

Filmhu: What was your best experience throughout the shootings?

Director: The hospitality of one the german families. On that day we already had two interviews in two different parts of Germany, drove 1000 km, and when we arrived at 10 pm, two beautiful guest rooms and a fantastic dinner was waiting for us. We truly had a feeling that those people wanted to give something back in return what they've got from Hungary 20 years ago.

Filmhu: What was your worst experience then?

Director: The exact opposite of what I've just said before: the ignorance of one of the german families. It was our last day, and we were pretty tired. The shooting with them took half a day, we really did our best to create a very sympathetic picture about them, and they didn't even bother to offer one glass of water.

Filmhu: Are there any scenes that were recorded more times than the others?

Director: It's a classic documentary, every single scene was recorded only once.

Filmhu: In which A category film competition would you like to see your film?

Director: Somewhere in the east part of Germany of course, in Leipzig maybe.

Filmhu: Howmany viewer would make you happy?

Director: In the TV maybe 500 thousand.

/Source: www.filmhu.hu, http://magyar.film.hu/filmhu/magazin/papp-gabor-zsigmond-mi-mutattunk-peldat-europanak.html/



In Zsigmond Gabor Papp's documentary East West Passage we see the story from two points of view.
From one side there are Germans hoping to escape. Beside each individual's life we learn about the whole East-German community.
On the other side decision-maker politicians talk about the Government and its diplomatic steps' real reasons behind the movement.

The documentary is a real history lesson with archive documentary material and without claptrap!

/Source and more information (in Hungarian): www.filmtett.ro/

AMERICAN TORSO (1975)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

American Torso / Amerikai anzix (1975)



Director: Gabor Body

Gabor Body is one of the most outstanding personalities from the Hungarian cinema.

He became a great source of inspiration among filmmakers and film-lovers.

By some he's called radical, and by others the most daring innovator of our time.

Body's film were made in that time when the communism dominated in Hungary and every creative art was under strict control. The regulations said that the cinema should be there for the masses to strengthen the political influence. Experimental films had no chance, film artists were under close surveillance. For that reason for the Body-type-of-filmmakers was difficult to put their ideas onto the big screen.

"He joined the "Studio Bela Balazs" in 1971 (established in 1959, named after the Hungarian scriptwriter) where behind doors experimental films were made despite of the communism outside. It was the meeting place of liberal thinking directors and writers. In 1973 Body set up the "experimental film group K3" as a platform for true experiments."

"From 1971 to 1975 he studied at the Hungarian Film Academy. His diploma work was "American Postcard" (aka American Torso) which after its completion in 1975 won the main award at the Mannheim Film festival in 1976."


American Torso takes us back in 1865. It's about two hungarians meet in the Civil War. The two men represent two different stories. One story is based on Ambrose Bierce's novel "George Thruston", the other is on the Hungarian War of Independence in 1948.
Body's talent create a beautiful of picture of a true friendship of two completely different persons in the middle of changes.

With his films that present fresh and useful discoveries of its time Body's achieved great development in the Hungarian film industry.

/Source and information: www.bodygabor.hu/

LAST REPORT ON ANNA (2009)

3rd Hungarian Film Showcase in London

"Somewhere in the World"
22-28 June 2010

Last Report on Anna (2009)

Director: Marta Meszaros

Q & A with the director (by Aniko Goracz, 15th October 2009, Hungary, source: www.magyar.film.hu)

Q: Was your intention with Anna Kethly to show a positive female character from the 20th century's Hungary to your audience?

A: When I make a film I have no intention to creat a heroic example. I start to work on a screenplay only if I have a feeling that there's an interesting person in the story, and if as a director I'm able to add something to it. This time I had two main goals: to create a realistic picture about the 70s, about its depressing atmosphere and of course to introduce Anna Kethly, her amazing personality, who was always loyal to her own beliefs and in many aspects she was a romantic politician. She has chosen this profession not for the money or the career, but for the ideas she had faith in.

Q: You had previous films that were based on famous women's lives. Is this only a coincidence that your main character is woman in your new film?

A: Well, journalists like to say things like that I'm working only with female heroes. But the truth is that I don't care for the gender, but the personality. I have to say that women in Hungary are very poorly treated in politics, as well as in the world of art. It is very hard to be a writer or politician, than in Poland for example, where we've seen women in wide range of positions, from the national bank to the town hall's chair in Warsaw. Kethly was the one and only woman in the parliament for quite a long time in the 20th century.

Q: Beside your regular actors we see new faces as well in the "Last Report on Anna". How have chosen the right actor to the right character?

A: I do like to work with the same actors in my films. Lili Monori's emphatic appearance has been essential, and it was very important for me to see her on the screen in the key moments of the story. Zsuzsa Cinkoczi's character is simple, but strong personality.

I haven't worked with Eniko Eszenyi before, but while writing the screenplay I knew already, that she is the perfect person to play Anna Kethly. To play someone interesting, feminine, independent and strong, the actor has to have the same attributes in some aspects.

Adel Kovats is thrilling by playing Kethly's antagonist. Erno Fekete is the male protagonist in the film, not very well known, but also a great talent.

Plot: Hungary's most influential emigre politician, Anna Kethly fought dictatorship in her whole life. A young historian-turned-agent from Budapest is given the task to entice her to return home. History, adventure and love entwine to create a compelling end enjoyable story of everyday betrayals and exceptional fidelity.

Eniko Eszenyi, the award-wining actress is the protagonist of Meszaros's film

Profession
1983 - resident member of the Vígszínház
1991 - guest director of the Budapesti Kamaraszínház
1992 – director of the Vígszínház
1996 – guest director in Prague and in Bratislava, in Warsaw and in Washington

Eszenyi Enikő as a director won the award of the best director of the year on several occasions both at the Hungarian Theatre Festival and at the Critics Special Award.

She made her debut with her first production, Leonce and Lena that won seven prizes of the Hungarian Theatre Festival including the best direction and the best production of the season.



The success of this first production recurred in the coming-up seasons: in 1992 West Side Story, which Enikő Eszenyi directed in the biggest theatre of Budapest, in the Vígszínház with an auditorium of 1200 seats won the award of the best direction, and her production of Kate of Heilbronn by Heinrich von Kleist won the award of best production and direction of the year in 1995.


The director Eszenyi Enikő’s unique talent is that she has a special gift to work with actors in a way that will surely be a fascinating and unusual experience for each of them. She has the talent to bring out the hidden potentiality that is inherent in an actor.


Seeing Eszenyi’s production, we will surely admire again and again the brilliant acting, no matter if it is a minor role or a lead. What else could prove this better than the numerous awards that the actors and actresses won after working in Eszenyi Enikő’s productions. With the first production of Leonce and Lena, three actors, Attila Kaszás, Vera Pap and Péter Vallai won the prizes of best actor and actress and best supporting role of the year, while after the production of Kate of Heilbronn, Antal Cserna received the award of best supporting actor at the Hungarian Theatre Festival.

(Source: the information about the actress-director Eniko Eszenyi is from her own website, for more information please visit www.eszenyi.hu)