Film Festival Dedicated To 60th Anniversary Of 1956 Hungarian Revolution

In commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution in 1956, the Cultural Service of the Embassy of Hungary in Brussels, the Balassi Institute, is organizing the Hungarian Freedom Film Festival at Cinéma Vendôme between the September 7-13, which will be projecting feature films on the revolution.

The Hungarian Freedom Film Festival will be the opening event of the large-scale program series organized by the Cultural Service of the Embassy of Hungary to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and War of independence in 1956. Several events – concerts, exhibitions, memorial point inauguration – will be parts of the program series in Belgium and Luxembourg.

The Film Festival will be hosted by Cinéma Vendôme in Brussels, where the opening projection and the preceding reception will be held on September 7, with the opening film of the festival the film Children of Glory will be screened. The Hungarian ambassador in Brussels, Zoltán Nagy will open the event, in the presence of Mr Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in charge of Beliris and the Federal Cultural Institutions.

At the festival, the following films will be screened: Whooping Cough (1987), Time stands still (1982), Eldorado (1988), The unburied man (2004), Daniel takes a train (1985), The last report on Anna (2009), Diary for My Mother and Father (1990), Love (1970).

The films, made in different decades and from diverse points of view, recall the events and the spirit of the revolution saluting the courage and determination of those who fought for the freedom of the country.

This program is being realized in the framework of the Memorial Year of 1956 and with support from the Memorial Committee dedicated to the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight in Hungary.

The Program of the Hungarian Freedom Film Festival

Children of Glory/ Szabadság, szerelem (2006) – 07 September 7 pm
2h 3min | Drama, History, Romance, EN subtitle, 12

In 1956, Karcsi Szabó had been named captain of the national water polo team than would represent Hungary in the Olympics held that summer in Australia. However, many of Szabó’s countrymen had more on their minds; Hungary had fallen under the oppressive rule of the Soviet Union, and a growing number of Hungarians were demanding independence. However, the uprising is crushed by the Soviet war machine, and matters become worse for the Hungarian people. When Szabó and his teammates discover that Hungary will be competing against the U.S.S.R. in the Olympics, they see an opportunity for a symbolic victory over their oppressors…
Director:  Krisztina Goda Stars: Kata Dobó, Iván Fenyö, Sándor Csányi

Time Stands Still (1982) – 08 September 7 pm
1h 43min | Drama, EN subtitle, 12

Time Stands Still (Hungarian: Megáll az idő) is a 1982 Hungarian film about two brothers and the woman they both love, all living in Budapest during the uprising of 1956. Popular among audience and critics it won the Award of the Youth at Cannes, the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the award for Best Director at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Director:  Péter Gothár, Stars:  Anikó Iván, István Znamenák, Péter Gálfy

Eldorado/ Eldorádó (1988) – 09 September 7 pm
1h 44min | Drama, EN subtitle, 12

Eldorado (Hungarian: Eldorádó, also known as The Midas Touch) is a 1988 Hungarian drama film written and directed by Géza Bereményi. The film was entered into the main competition at the 45th edition of the Venice Film Festival. For this film Bereményi won the European Film Award for Best Director at the 2nd European Film Awards. Director: Géza Bereményi, Stars:  Károly Eperjes, Judit Pogány, Enikõ Eszenyi.

Daniel takes a train/ Szerencsés Dániel (1985) – 10 September 3 pm
1h 27min | , Drama, Thriller, EN subtitle, 12
Comedy
In December 1956 there is a chaotic situation in Hungary. The revolution is put down by the Soviet army. People leave the country in large numbers for fear of revenge. A young soldier who also took a part in the revolution, takes a train to Vienna together with his friend.
Director:  Pál Sándor Stars: Péter Rudolf, Sándor Zsótér, Katalin Szerb

The Unburied Man/ A temetetlen halott (2004) – 10 September 7 pm
2h 7min | Drama, History, EN subtitle, 12

The life story of Imre Nagy is one of the defining stories of 20th century Hungarian history. He was the first communist leader to become the symbol of a national revolution, who, in addition, withdrew from the Warsaw Treaty and stood up for democracy based on a pluralist party system. Many argue that the role he assumed in the revolution of 1956 and his continued loyalty to the notion of the revolution, which prevailed until his death, did not clearly follow from his communist convictions and his past experiences in Moscow. Director:  Márta Mészáros, Stars: Jan Nowicki, György Cserhalmi, Marianna Moór

Whooping Cough/ Szamárköhögés (1987) – 11 September 3 pm
1h 31min,  Comedy, Drama, EN subtitle, 12

The story of 10-year-old boy and his family against the backdrop of the bloody events of 1956, in Budapest. Children do not yet understand what is going on, but they’re happy because the schools are closed. But gradually, to adults and children comes the understanding that something terrible is happening. Disappearing relatives, friends, and even some killed. An army arriving to put down the counterrevolutionary rebellion. Director:  Péter Gárdos, Stars:  Mari Töröcsik, Dezsö Garas, Judit Hernádi

The Last Report on Anna/ Utolsó jelentés Annáról (2009) – 11 September 7 pm
1h 43min | Drama, Romance, EN subtitle, 12

This film is the first one since the political changes in Hungary to deal with the topic of informants. It vividly depicts the atmosphere of Hungarian society in the seventies. The protagonist is Peter, a literary critic, is tasked by the secret police to persuade Social Democratic politician, Anna Kethly, who has been living in exile in Belgium for decades, to return home. Kethly, once a minister in the government of Imre Nagy, has been fighting since 1956 to preserve the memory of the revolution and to unmask the true nature of the Kadar government. The meeting between Anna and Peter is a duel of minds, summoning up old memories and historic eras, while bringing deeply buried emotions to the surface.
Director:  Márta Mészáros Stars:  Enikõ Eszenyi, Ernõ Fekete, Zsuzsa Czinkóczi

Diary for My Mother and Father/ Napló apámnak, anyámnak (1990) – 12 September 7 pm
1h 59m , Drama/Biography, FR subtitle, 12

This story follows a young student, who is orphaned as she grows to adulthood in the shadow of the 1956 Hungarian uprising. Coming from the Communist intelligentsia, she sees her friends and family reacting differently. Her lover, a married factory manager, supports the patriots and later assists fellow workers in staging a strike. Meanwhile her sister and others express anger at being forced from their homes during the revolution and continue to express a hatred for the rebels afterwards. But in the end they realize that for all people, real life is not possible after the revolt and its brutal suppression by the Soviets and their collaborators.
Director: Márta Mészáros, Stars: Mari Törőcsik, Zsuzsa Czinkóczi, Jan Nowicki, Ildikó Bánsági, Adél Kováts

Love/ Szerelem (1971) – 13 september 7 pm
1h 25m, Drama, EN subtitle, 12

Love (Szerelem) is a 1971 Hungarian drama film directed by Károly Makk, based on two short stories by Tibor Déry, Szerelem (1956) and Két asszony (1962). It stars Lili Darvas and Mari Törőcsik. The film was selected as the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 44th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. Today, Love is considered a classic of world cinema by critics including Derek Malcolm and Roger Ebert. The film was selected for screening as part of the Cannes Classics section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Director: Makk Károly, Stars: Darvas Lili, Törőcsik Mari, Darvas Iván