Hungarian film/literature seminar
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- DirectorGéza von RadványiStarsArtúr SomlayMiklós GáborZsuzsa BánkiA band of runaways and orphans of the war scour the countryside in search of food and shelter. They invade and then taken in by a musician and former concert pianist who's hiding out in a ruined castle. After the initial altercation between them the gang accepts his guidance and he wins their respect by protecting them from the elements. However, disgruntled townsfolk want to chase away the gang who has been - in their search for survival - laying waste to their crops. A battle ensues ending in the death of a little boy - and resolution.1947
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsMari TörőcsikImre SoósÁdám SzirtesIn a rural scenery in the throes of difficult changes lives a humble but promising young farmer girl called Mari Pataki. Her father forbids her from seeing the man she loves. The father, above all preoccupied by work on the fields and prospective wealth, decides to give his daughter in marriage to an old but rich man with whom he does business. Land marries land, he says. This seems to be the unyielding rule of the Hungarian peasantry. But the young lover is ready to stand up to any challenge to keep Maris love.
- DirectorPéter BacsóStarsFerenc KállaiLajos ÖzeZoltán FábriBanned for over a decade for its outspoken criticism of the post-WWII communist regime in Hungary, Péter Bacsó's 'The Witness' has since then achieved unparalleled cult status in its native land. Known as the best satire about communism, 'The Witness' has become a cult classic, which was also well received by critics and general audiences alike when it was finally released outside of Hungary. Its candid and realistic portrayal of the incompetent communist regime has earned great acclaim for both the director and the film itself when it was shown at Cannes Film Festival in 1981. 'The Witness' takes place during the height of the Rákosi Era, which was closely modeled after the ruthless and brutal Stalin regime. The film follows the life of an ordinary dike keeper, József Pelikán, who has been caught for illegally slaughtering his pig, Dezsõ. Instead of doing hard time for his "heinous" crime, Pelikán is elevated into an important position, generally reserved for the communist elite. Of course, Pelikán is utterly clueless about his newfound luck, not to mention his new job. Even his new benefactor, the mysterious Comrade Virág, is reluctant to reveal the real reason behind Pelikán's preferential treatment. Thus, begins Pelikán's hilarious adventure deep within the "sophisticated" communist society. One failure after another the incompetent Pelikán is elevated higher and higher on the communist echelon, all the while remaining completely clueless about his promotions. Until one day, when he gets called for to return the "favour" by falsely testifying against his long-time friend in a mock-up show trial.
- DirectorBéla TernovszkyStarsMiklós BenedekGyula BodrogiIlona BéresAn agent delivers plans to save mice from a feline syndicate dedicated to eradicating rodents.
- DirectorIstván SzabóStarsRalph FiennesRosemary HarrisRachel WeiszThe fate of a Hungarian Jewish family throughout the 20th century.
- DirectorNimród AntalStarsSándor CsányiEszter BallaZoltán MucsiA tale about a strange young man, Bulcsú, the fellow inspectors on his team, all without exception likable characters, a rival ticket inspection team and racing along the tracks - and a tale about love.
- DirectorKrisztina GodaStarsJudit SchellKata DobóSándor CsányiDora rejects all men when she discovers that her fiance has been living a double life with another women throughout their relationship (he was married). But with her biological clock ticking, Dora feels the urge to have a baby. She places an ad, searching for sex with no strings attached. When she finds that her choices are limited to three men: Tamas, Ali, and Peter, Dora realizes that her plan is not as simple as she had anticipated.
- DirectorKrisztina GodaStarsKata DobóIván FenyöSándor CsányiAt the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, the Hungarian water polo team faces off against the Russians in what will become known as one of the bloodiest matches in the sport's history.
- DirectorKornél MundruczóStarsZsófia PsottaSándor ZsótérLili HorvátThirteen-year-old Lili fights to protect her dog Hagen. She is devastated when her father eventually sets Hagen free on the streets. Still innocently believing love can conquer any difficulty, Lili sets out to find her dog and save him.
- DirectorLászló NemesStarsGéza RöhrigLevente MolnárUrs RechnA Jewish-Hungarian concentration camp prisoner sets out to give a child he mistook for his son a proper burial.
- DirectorIldikó EnyediStarsAlexandra BorbélyGéza MorcsányiRéka TenkiWhen slaughterhouse workers Endre and Mária discover they share the same dreams, where they meet in a forest as deer and fall in love, they decide to make their dreams come true, but it's difficult in real life.
- DirectorGábor HerendiStarsErvin NagyAndrea PetrikTibor GáspárErnõ Blaskovich lost everything after the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Kincsem, a magnificent horse gives a purpose of his meaningless, self-destructing life. He gets a chance to gain everything back: revenge, love and fame.
- DirectorÁdám CsásziStarsKelvin AcquahÁgota BenedekDávid CsányiA white Hungarian director rehearses a play with five young Roma actors. His play tells their real-life stories of abuse, drug addiction, and crime. However, instead of representing the truth of their experiences, it only capitalizes on their pain and exploits them. The actors quit the play, only to find that their white director has already sold the show to Berlin's biggest theatre and the premiere is looming. Their rehearsals turn into a surreal exploration of racism and white guilt, blurring the lines between fiction and reality - and the play and the film itself. The film features an all-Roma creative team and is based on an actual play written by them about their real-life stories, presented in Deutsches Theater, Berlin. It asks the question of whether left-wing white intellectuals trying to help people of color actually end up helping to perpetuate systemic racism. Can the artistic representation of Romas, the biggest ethnic minority of Europe, ever be done without falling back on racist stereotypes?
- DirectorFerenc RofuszA fine day in the life of a fly presented completely from the fly's point of view. A fine day until something dreary happens, that is.
- DirectorGéza M. TóthStarsÁkos AmbrusImre MadácsiAtti PacsayFive minutes before his big performance, the Maestro and his persistent mechanical assistant are getting ready. As the clock ticks, life at the top is not all it seems.
- DirectorBarnabás TóthStarsZsolt KovácsJudit PogányAn elderly couple in the traffic. The wife chitchats, warns, controls. She is a policeman, a GPS and a commentator, all at once. The husband growls or strikes out. This is how their world works. But life is a constant replanning...
- DirectorKristóf DeákStarsDorka GáspárfalviDorottya HaisZsófia Szamosi'Sing' is a childhood drama with a lot of music, set in 1990s Budapest, Hungary. Inspired by a true story, it follows an award winning school choir and the new girl in class who just might uncover the ugly secret behind their fame.
- DirectorBarnabás TóthStarsPál GöttingerGéza TakácsAndrea OsvártDuring a professional conference in Prague, two interpreters in the Hungarian booth realize that only one person is listening to them. They vie for her attention.
- DirectorLászló KalmárStarsPál JávorKatalin KarádyÉva SzörényiThis adaptation of Lajos Zilahy's novel about a fatal love triangle was the first film of Katalin Karády who became a star overnight.
- DirectorIstván SzötsStarsAlice SzellayJános GörbeJózsef Bihari
- DirectorFélix MáriássyStarsGábor RajnayMiklós GáborMária MezeiSet during Christmas Eve in 1944, the film follows the story of Pintér and Gozsó, who manage to get through the Soviet blockade around Budapest. Pintér seeks refuge in a flat he believed was abandoned by his relatives, only to discover that the Turnovszkys are hiding there, along with a Jewish woman named Jutka. As the narrative unfolds, a love story develops between Zoltán and Jutka amidst the backdrop of war-torn Budapest.
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsMari TörőcsikMária MezeiKároly KovácsYoung maid Anna starts to work for the noble Vizy family. Mrs Vizy is proud of the hardworking servant but doesn't treat her well. Her nephew seduces Anna with sweet words, but leaves her as soon as she gets pregnant. The humiliations of Anna finally lead to a tragic ending.
- DirectorFrigyes BánVladislav PavlovicStarsSándor PécsiMari TörőcsikKarol MachataA comedy about a lost inheritance, love and a red umbrella, which, according to a local legend, belonged to St. Peter himself.
- DirectorFrigyes BánStarsGyula BenköMarianne KrencseyMargit BaraThe old, sickly Demeter Lapussa is a tyrant in the family. He forces his granddaughter, the beautiful Henriette, to marry baron Hátszegi, although the girl loves the penniless Vámhidy Szilárd. The two lovers attempt to commit suicide, then are torn away from each other.
- DirectorViktor GertlerStarsAndrás CsorbaIlona BéresErnö SzabóMichael Tímar, captain of the St. Barbara, marries the daughter of a Turkish aristocrat on the run. While skilfully managing his wife fortune, Tímar is torn between the demands of bourgeois civilization and the ideal of freedom.
- DirectorLászló RanódyStarsAntal PágerKlári TolnayAnna NagyFor many years, the Vajkays have been desperately hoping that their unfortunate, ugly daughter will finally find her mate and happiness. Even now, they send Pacsirta away for a few days to visit relatives and introduce her to the widowed father of three. The lonely couple reunite with their old friends. They go to the theatre, which they haven't been to for years because Pacsirta can't stand the smell of theatre. After the performance, Vajkay is invited to the casino by his former table mate. The old man, who has given up everything years ago, now spends the night having fun, and at dawn, in a moment of bitter sobering up, he and his wife face for the first time their ruined lives, their lost happiness sacrificed for their daughter.
- DirectorZoltán VárkonyiStarsMária SulyokVera SzemereTibor BitskeyA family struggle during the 1848 Hungarian revolution against the Habsburg Empire.
- DirectorZoltán VárkonyiStarsFerenc BessenyeiIván DarvasZoltán LatinovitsBased on the novel by Mór Jókai, the film revolves around several decades of life of a noble family Karpati, during the first half of the XVIII century.
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsMari TörőcsikSándor PécsiLászló KozákIn Budapest, two rival gangs of young boys lay claim to a vacant lot. The hostilities escalate yet never quite boil over into actual violence. The film poignantly portrays the struggles and resilience of youth amid the harsh realities of war.
- DirectorZoltán VárkonyiStarsIstván KovácsVera VenczelImre Sinkovits1552, the great Turkish Empire wants to conquer Europe, and the world. The last stand is Hungarian Kingdom, and the castle of Eger. The brave soldiers decides they will fight till the end of their lives.
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsZoltán LatinovitsImre SinkovitsMárta FónayThe Tót family resides in Northern Hungary. The couple has a daughter and a son, the latter a member of the armed forces. When his weary major is ordered to take a vacation, the son talks him into a visit to his family home. Comedy endues when the Tót's go overboard trying to make things pleasant for the visiting major in hopes of an easier life for their son the soldier.
- DirectorGyörgy RévészStarsZoltán LatinovitsÉva RuttkaiMari TörőcsikBased on the autobiographical novel by Frigyes Karinthy in which the author shares his experiences on finding out having a brain tumor and undergoing brain surgery in the 1930s.
- DirectorKároly MakkStarsLili DarvasMari TörőcsikIván DarvasThe wife of a political prisoner tends to her mother-in-law and keeps from the old woman the truth about her son, whom she believes is in New York making a film.
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsMari TörőcsikÉva VassÉva PapMail to author for translation Mikor a zarda fonoknoje meghal, az utodlas kerdeseben ket partra szakad a kolostor. Virginianak lenne a legtobb eselye, akit nemcsak a fiatalok, hanem a konzervativabb apacak is tamogatnak. De Virginia bizonytalan, szemelyes erzelmei is befolyasoljak egyik tarsa irant, vegul az eloallt helyzet sulya alatt osszeroppan.
- DirectorMarcell JankovicsStarsGyörgy CserhalmiAnikó NagyErzsi PártosA traditional Hungarian poetic fairytale that describes the epic adventures of a young shepherd through love, war, magic and death.
- DirectorKároly MakkStarsMargit DajkaIldikó PirosElma BullaThe story of two elderly sisters who exchange letters, and through brief flashbacks we see glimpses of their younger years.
- DirectorGyörgy RévészStarsZoltán LatinovitsIván DarvasTeri TordaiA Hungarian scholar enters a strange world of animal experimentation and murder, after he is invited to visit Pendragon Castle, belonging to an eccentric reclusive earl.
- DirectorZoltán FábriStarsLajos ÖzeLászló MárkusFerenc BenczeIn Budapest in 1944, a watchmaker, a book seller and a carpenter are drinking in a bar with the owner, when they are joined by a stranger. The watchmaker asks a hypothetical question that will change their lives.
- DirectorAttila DargayStarsJudit PogányJózsef GyabronkaTeri FöldiFamous, great hunters, better stay away, here comes Vuk! (They say he is cunning as a fox!)
- DirectorMarcell JankovicsStarsGyörgy CserhalmiVera PapGyula SzabóIn this dreamlike Hungarian folk myth, a horse goddess gives birth to three powerful brothers who set out into the Underworld to save three princesses from three evil dragons and reclaim their ancestors' lost kingdom.
- DirectorKároly MakkStarsJadwiga Jankowska-CieslakGrazyna SzapolowskaJozef KronerPolitical and sexual repression in Hungary, just after the revolution of 1956. In 1958, the body of Eva Szalanczky, a political journalist, is discovered near the border. Her friend Livia is in hospital with a broken neck; Livia's husband, Donci, is under arrest. In a flashback to the year before, we see what leads up to the tragedy. Eva gets a job as a writer. She meets Livia and is attracted to her. Livia feels much the same, but as a married woman, has doubts and hesitations. In their work, they (and Eva in particular) bang up against the limits of telling political truths; in private, they confront the limits of living out sexual and emotional truth.
- DirectorBéla TarrStarsMihály VigPutyi HorváthLászló feLugossyOn the eve of a large payment, residents of a collapsing collective farm see their plans turn into desolation when they discover that Irimiás, a former co-worker who they thought was dead, is returning to the community.
- DirectorBéla TarrÁgnes HranitzkyStarsLars RudolphPeter FitzHanna SchygullaA naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction.
- DirectorLajos KoltaiStarsMarcell NagyBéla DóraBálint Péntek14-year-old György's life is torn apart in WWII Hungary, as he is deported first to Auschwitz and then to Buchenwald, where he is forced to become a man in the midst of hatred, and what it really means to be Jewish.
- DirectorIstván SzabóStarsSándor CsányiIldikó TóthKároly EperjesYoung honest public official is sworn in after his predecessor had to leave due to a corruption scandal. Soon, the young idealist discovers just how far-reaching the corruption is in his town and how easy it is to become corrupt yourself.
- DirectorJózsef SiposStarsEszter Nagy-KálózyGyörgy CserhalmiMari TörőcsikTwenty years after their last meeting, a lonely woman is reunited with a man who broke her heart, stole her money and escaped with her sister.
- DirectorMarcell JankovicsStarsGyula BalázsiPéter BenköÁgnes BertalanAdam's and Eve's epic journey throughout history trying to find the meaning of human life. Do we grow in wisdom as centuries pass, or just drift towards an inevitable doom?
- DirectorIstván SzabóStarsHelen MirrenMartina GedeckKároly EperjesAn author forms a strange bond with her eccentric maid that will have a lasting effect on both women.
- DirectorKároly Ujj MészárosStarsMónika BalsaiSzabolcs Bede FazekasDavid SakuraiLiza's a nurse, seeking love. Her only company is a long-dead Japanese pop star, who turns her into a fox-fairy out of jealousy. Now, every men who desires Liza shall die horribly. Can she overcome the curse?
- DirectorAlex HelfrechtJörg TittelStarsÓlafur Darri ÓlafssonFiona ShawOlivia WilliamsA 12-year-old boy rebels after a brutal government labels his father a traitor and imprisons him.
- DirectorÉva GárdosStarsKrisztián KolovratnikRéka TenkiJános KulkaA murder mystery set in Budapest, 1936. Just as Hungary was preparing to allign itself with Hitler, a young beautiful girl is found dead and no one wants to investigate - except Gordon a crime reporter who has a gut feeling that things are not what they seem.
- DirectorIldikó EnyediStarsLéa SeydouxGijs NaberLouis GarrelJacob Störr, a sea captain, makes a bet in a café with a friend, to marry the first woman who enters the place. And in walks Lizzy.
- DirectorMarcell JankovicsLajos CsákovicsStarsTamás SzélesIn medieval Hungary, Toldi, an incredibly strong nobleman commits a careless murder and is forced to go into hiding. He has to redeem himself by defeating a champion, despite his brother's plans.