Discoveries from Hungary World Cinema

This is a satirical comedy poking fun at favouritism. Kis Jenő proposes to Malvinka each year, but in vain, as the mother of his beloved considers him hopelessly unfortunate.

The film is set in Budapest, 1924. Laundryman Ede Minarik's only passion is football. His dream is to see his team, Csabagyöngye, qualify for the first division. For this goal he would be willing to sacrifice everything he has. But he has nothing, even footballers just barely. The team is just like the times. But still, "we need a team!"

Documentary about the Italian men that visit Hungary to meet girls and the Hungarian women that fall in love with them.

In the once prosperous village of Duka, in Vas county, with its fertile border, only five families are now engaged in agriculture. Of the one hundred and fifty peasant families, these are all that remain today. How did fate choose them and how long can they survive this struggling existence?

Selfie Academy's dream couple, Anabell and Romeo are the most popular influencers in the country. They have a joint account and need 12.763 to reach one million, which would be a national record. During a cozy date night at the movies, Anabell makes a strange discovery: She finds an engagement ring in the popcorn box. In the crossfire of flashing cell phones, Romeo gets down on one knee. They are on cloud nine, along with their followers, and have no clue that in a few hours their perfect life turns into a nightmare.

The film is a lyrical series of associations compiled from documentaries. Márkus, the actor is shut in his own flat by his wife by accident. While learning his part, on the wings of poetic intuition his imagination tours the great landscapes of the soul, the mystery of human existence.

Miklós Mészöly's short novel Film aims to show the last few hours of an elderly couple's life. The last moments of two people who, in the midst of historical storms, inhumanity and loss of values, remained together in the strange grip of love and dependence. The most moving is the formulation of the fundamental question: can we and can we say goodbye with dignity, how much we are lost and vulnerable when we set off into the unknown.

Peter takes his British friend Adam on a personal but political tour around Budapest. In an underground club, Adam makes a move at Peter — who now has to come clear with his own feelings.

György Kovásznai co-directs his last film “Reportrait” with Elek Lisziák, a series of interviews about various sociological subjects based on the concept of “Anima Veritae”.

The mother loves her daughter; the daughter loves her mother. The tragedy of misunderstood love. The adaptation of Magda Szabó's novel translated into twelve languages.

The actress is always lonely, she has nobody to love. She adopts a young boy from the orphanage, who formerly arrived on Earth by a flying suitcase and a policeman took him to the orphanage. The actress would be willing to adopt him, but there is no hope for this at the beginning.

The relationship between a man and a woman is an evergreen subject, the subject of countless tragedies and comedies. This programme tells hilarious stories, most of which are very much of today, but which go back to the Garden of Eden: if men had not written the story of creation, would Eve have been the cause of the "Fall"? The debate is indecisive, since women and men always look for the fault in each other and not in themselves. The fault is never in the "apple". And Adam and Eve always eat the apple together.

A chronicle of the establishment of the Aliance of Young Democrats. The film follows young politicians (Viktor Orbán, Gábor Fodor, László Kövér, Péter Molnár, József Szájer, Tamás Deutsch), the founders of the new, independent political organization.

When Panni visits her father in the summer, the teenage girl becomes suspicious of Attila's aloofness, which is in fact a cover for his cancer. The secrecy drives a wedge between them.

Árpád Bogdán's debut film seduces you with stylized visuals and an intensity that gives you an insight into the director's mind. His profound knowledge of the subject is evident throughout a film that is bereft of sex and violence. There is a poetic feel to the images that include a horse running wild on the streets of Budapest before it is caught and led into a horse trailer. The sequence is an eerie symbolic reminder of earlier visuals in the film of the young boy fleeing from parents/elders being arrested by police with the mother figure urging the child to run before he himself is caught and taken to an orphanage, psychologically scarred...(c) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944188/reviews

András Rajnai's Greek Mythology - Gods and Heroes series. The story is set at the beginning of time on the edge of the universe. Based on stories from Greek mythology, titans, cyclops and gods fight each other. It is also the time when Hellas is created in the sky, placing Zeus on the throne of Olympus.

Eve, the old professor zsongják beautiful wife surrounded by colleagues. When the professor's going away for a conference abroad, intensifying the suitors attempts. Eve, however faithful to her husband, so that the denials are increasing. Oddly enough, the rejected accidents ...

It is a musical comedy about the difficulties of forced education. Kati is scheduled to learn agriculture though she is a lot more interested in maths.

The film is a musical comedy about the life of soldiers.

Socialist industry manufactures only those products absolutely required by workers, citizens purchase only those items essential for their everyday lives – claims the film, thereby differentiating the operational principles of domestic industry and trade from those of capitalist countries.

Caligula, governor of Syria, is ordered by the emperor to take his statue to the temple in Jerusalem. The governor becomes a point of conflict between the will of the emperor and the Jewish community, which opposes it, and with crystal-clear logic he ends up refusing to obey the order.

Is there life after death? Are we alone in the universe? Where do half a pair of socks go? This evening, we finally get some disturbing answers to the big questions of existence. Comedian Zoltán Kőhalmi, who has already successfully tackled his everyday problems and childhood traumas, now entertains the audience with his real doubts and anxieties. Can a comedian joke about death when he is still alive? Can the audience laugh at him when he is dead? The Benefits of Pessimism is a funny show by a sad clown, where even those who think there's nothing to laugh about can laugh. The show is enjoyable for the optimistic audience, and even for the die-hard optimist, but don't count on it.

The film is made up of two independent episodes, which only have the basic setting in common. The little schoolteacher in Free Saturday, when she wakes up in a hotel room with 100 marks in her handbag, invents the "quickest way" to get to her flat. The newlyweds in The Council Fairy Tale find the "surest way" to an apartment by moving into the council building. There is no doubt then, what is the common default position, the impossibility of getting an apartment...

A story about the Hungarian pioneers summer vacations.

Shot in B&W, Gyula Gazdag's film follows the surreal and often comic quests of young Andris, an orphan searching for a father who doesn't exist, and Orban, a government clerk who's had enough of oppressive bureaucracy.

A story about family ghosts, wild pigs and the end of the world, which we all imagine differently. The drama Wilderness is an existential grotesque about building and breaking down family myths, love, memory and impermanence.

András and Péter are two young men trying to make it big with their rock band in Budapest in the early 1980s. When the opportunity arises to attend the wedding of András's cousin in Transylvania, they decide to take it as a chance to raise some money. Once there, they embark on an unexpected adventure.

Like the twining vines of the honeysuckle, each of the three stories in this film follow a character whose growth is impeded by the clouds of society hanging over their heads. From a Hungarian taxi driver torn between the preservation of his family and the unexpected humane responsibility found in the clandestine activities he does for profit, to the Hungarian teenager of a single mother whose idea of life goals and success seems perpetually defined by the missing figure of a role model, and finally to the young Indian Carnatic singer who amidst personal and national turmoil decides to sacrifice the one thing that defines her - her talent, Honeysuckle aims not to narrate or condescendingly offer a message, as much as it seeks to illustrate the many life directions available, and the way none of them are good, in a world severely lacking a moral center.

Sent on a spy mission to the estate of Count Toprini, Lieutenant Imre is helped by the count's wife who is unhappy in her marriage.

Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape" produced by Hungarian Television

Abel, 12, has to face the fact that his parents are living in two completely different galaxies of the universe. Now he has to decide which one he belongs to.

Miskei, the popular and dynamic president of a co-op falls in love with Mari, the attractive wife of the elderly Pató. The deeply feeling woman is fed up with the service beside the haughty land holder, she is longing for tenderness and a child. The passion of Miskei is growing when he sees how crudely, humiliating Pató treats her. During a powerful summer shower, when chance brings them together in an abandoned press house, he storms on Mari confessing love. The woman refuses him bitterly. Miskei calms down and he keeps on expressing his love and high esteem with the woman by steadfast and tiny compliments. Early one morning Mari leaves her husband and sets off to the city to learn and to begin a new life.

The Monarchy leads a repressive campaign against a Serb village, where an Austrian officer was killed.

A love story between a young, policeman and a Chinese immigrant girl, who speak no common language.

A man who leads a lonely existence with his young daughter accidentally gets involved with a robbery before a manhunt ensues.

Lugosi works in the locomotive factory, earning little. He does not feel at ease in the world. One reason for his discontent is that his wife - a tractor factory worker - earns more than he does, and another is that she has even had her innovation accepted, while his has not. And because trouble doesn't come alone, poor Lugosi gets involved in a sabotage case.

One day, two unsuccessful rock musicians, Ede and Zaki, come across a competition. To commemorate the anniversary of the Institute for the Blind, they have to write a musical piece for the blind. Since there are no other candidates, they get the job. In two nights they put the piece together. However to their great disappointment, they find that they also have to teach the blind kids to perform it, if they want to get the money. Unwillingly they are submerged into the world of the blind; just like the spectator. While Zaki works on the musical in a studio, Ede starts rehearsing with the blind youths. A strange competition starts among the blind girls. They all fall in love with Ede, and the blonde Edith makes up her mind to approach him. But he fails as a director. He has no idea how to handle these people, so he soon gives up. However...

The Art of Dubbing…, a documentary about Hungarian dubbing, was made with the participation of dozens of well-known actors and professionals working in the field. The documentary is a fitting tribute to the legendary Hungarian dubbing actors and actresses and the dubbing profession. The film also talks about the origins, golden age, present and possible future of Hungarian dubbing.

As a free adaptation of Voltaire's classic, our Candide tries to win the beloved Cunégonde's heart in different contemporary settings. In the 13 episodes he finds himself in challanging situations, and has to face the cruelty of the world. He follows Master Pangloss's instructions to always stay optimistic, while travelling the world from a Californian start up company through North-Optimistan into deep space. As the novel itself our adaptation is a political and religious satire of our times.

This “Béla Tarr-esque” short presents a small pub right before closing time. The story is about a chess game which turns bad after the final move.

Landslides is a special movie theater experience based exclusively on a slideshow of still photography, and music. Photographer Vancsó Zoltán uses cinema as an irregular photo gallery to invite viewers for a close to 70-minute meditative journey. So there is no need to prepare for dialogue or an explicit story: the experience is based on photographs, taken mostly in forests, using a special, stunningly impressionistic technique, and a matching, meditative soundtrack, jointly created with Tius.

Lohmann's son is kidnapped. The un-known kidnappers get a thirty-thousand-jewel from the West German millionaire as ransom. The eager police lieutenant-colonel, Gálffy finds that the traces lead to a mysterious, elegant blonde, who is naturally a brunette.

Using high-school students, Hungarian director Ferenc Kardos re-created the 1848 revolutionary period in that country's history which was dominated by the poet/soldier Sandor Petofi (1822-1849). Petofi wrote many epic poems which inspired Hungarian nationalism, the most well-known of which is Up Magyar! The students were encouraged to improvise without costumes or scenery, and did so with gusto.

Early Hungarian film from Michael Curtiz

Laci and his sister meet their father on the weekends. This time the father's new girlfriend is coming with them to the beach.

Misi Mókus was born in the spacious, comfortable den of a huge tree in the forest with his four little brothers and sisters. He was the liveliest and the biggest of the four. He could be distinguished from his siblings not only by his features, but also by a peculiar characteristic: his tail was black. Although there are species of squirrel that have black fur, Misi's family belonged to the red squirrel family. Father Squirrel was angry enough to say - Red squirrels have red tails. If it's black, it's caused by some bad spell.The parents asked Uncle Squirrel Squirrel for advice on what to do about Misi's boys' black tails. The wise old Squirrel Squirrel predicted good luck for his boys.

1708 János Bornemissza became the master of stras of Blind Bottyán from a raiding Kuruk. His weapon is driven by patriotism and love for Anna Bíró, the most beautiful girl in réthe. The captured Count Starhemberg takes the Labanc general to the Prince himself, and thus becomes Rákóczi's lieutenant. In the meantime, Réthe falls into the hands of a Laban for treason, and Anna is sent to the stocks. Suhajda, the lecherous hajdú, now thinks he can get the girl for himself. Anna sends a message to John with her brother, and at the call of the prisoners, Rákóczi's army marches. They encounter the enemy along the Váh. The Kuruks celebrate their victory with the wedding of Anna and János.

From the music of American composer Colin Stetson, Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi crafts a story of a man in a cap abound in the nighttime forest along with his pet dog. This short film is part of the 2x25 Project of Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Awards. The project commissioned 25 composers to compose a short piece of music, after which 25 filmmakers made short films that are the ultimate symbioses of music and cinematography, fitting completely within the DNA of the festival. The result: 25 exceptional films where the music inspired the form, narrative and texture.

This film constructs an anguished hymn to peace using pieces of movie newscasts, photographs, and monuments about those who have fallen in the Great War.

Edit Gyömrői, a young psychoanalyst, is confronted with a particularly difficult patient in the form of Attila József. The poet is in a constant state of low spirits and suffers from severe stomach problems. The analyst, at the dawn of her career, wants to prove that she can cure him, despite József's unpredictable and sometimes alarmingly intrusive nature. However, she does not take into account the poet's deepening romantic feelings.

For his film Sára interviewed women who as young girls had endured difficult surroundings and constant denigration in the labor camps. The trilogy showcases uniquely female experiences. We will find out what happened to women who gave birth in the camps and what kinds of survival strategies they employed to get through the 12-hour workdays and the near-starving conditions.

The film, set in 1956, stars Gyula Káli, a young man from the countryside who moves to Budapest and sees only one opportunity for success: to become a ping-pong champion. His work and his private life are determined by a strict training schedule, which he refuses to interrupt even for the days of October. It is only as a champion in 1957 that he wonders: will his achievements make up for the sacrifices he has made to achieve his goal?

A 55 year old man loses his mother, his only support and care. A Gypsy girl with questionable past joins him on his desperate cross border journey during which they develop a friendship and "come of age" - each their very own way.

The uplifting story of an unusual friendship between an elderly man trying to get out of a nursing home and an impulsive teenage girl on social work who decides to help him.

The film is about a father’s heroic struggle and inner journey, over the course of which he realizes he cannot save his daughter from everything. When death finally appears at her side in the figure of a gallant groom, he comes to understand that resisting a greater power is futile. Our hero makes peace with his fate and with his loss.A father runs to the doctor when birth is happening earlier. All the elements are against him while he has fantasies about how hisdaughter will live as an adult. Early Wedding is a folk custom in Eastern Europe. When a young girl dies without a husband the family organize a wedding and they marry her to death.

Different genres of short stories about the lives of the city, the people of Budapest presented an individual point of view.