The 13th edition of Hungarian Film Festival, Los Angeles for feature films, will open on November 13th at Laemmle’s Royal by screening of The Notebook, directed by Janos Szasz, as Hungary selection for the Foreign Language Film OSCR. Festival continues until November 21st at Laemmle’s NoHo 7.
THE NOTEBOOK
November 13 7:00PM
Director Janos Szasz and Star Piroska Molnar will attend
Laemmle’s Royal
11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West L.A., CA 90025 – 310-478-3836
Other screening of THE NOTEBOOK at Laemmle’s NoHo 7 – 5240 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601
Nov. 14 7:15PM
Nov. 15 5:00PM
Nov. 16 1:00PM
Nov. 17 1:00PM
Nov. 18 5:00PM
Nov. 19 5:00PM
Nov. 20 5:00PM
Nov. 21 5:00PM
THE NOTEBOOK Le Grand Cahier (A nagy füzet)
(2013, feature, 35mm, colour, 100 min.)
Co-produced with Germany, Austria, France
2013 – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Crystal Globe (main prize)
A fascinating and hard-hitting adaptation of the controversial first novel by Hungarian writer Agota Kristof about 13-year-old twins forced to spend the last years of the Second World War with their cruel grandmother somewhere near the Hungarian border. The term bewitching was never so apt as in the case of this new film by renowned filmmaker and theatre director János Szász.
In a village on the Hungarian border, two young brothers grow up during war time with their cruel grandmother and must learn every trick of evil to survive in the absurd world of adults.
Towards the end of World War II, people in big cities are at the mercy of air raids and death by starvation. A desperate young mother leaves her 13-year-old twin sons at their grandmother’s house in the country, despite the fact that this grandmother is a cruel and bestial alcoholic. The villagers call her “the Witch” because she is rumored to have poisoned her husband long ago.
Previously pampered, the twins must learn how to survive alone in their new, rural surroundings. They realize that the only way to cope with the absurd and inhumane world of adults and war is to become completely unfeeling and merciless. By learning to free themselves from hunger, pain and emotion, they will be able to endure future hardships. So they begin their own series of studies: they fortify their spirits by reading the Bible and learning foreign languages. They practice every day to harden their bodies and minds. They hold their hands over flames, cut their legs, arms and chests with a knife and pour alcohol right on their wounds. They desensitize themselves to insults and learn to ignore the more insidious appeals of sentiment and love.
The twins keep a written record of all they have witnessed during the war, the Notebook. When they write, they follow their own strict code: The prose must be free from emotion, the notes precise and objective.
Director: János Szász
Screenplay: János Szász, András Szekér
Sound: István Sipos
Art director: István Galambos
Costumes: János Breckl
Producer: Pál Sándor, Sándor Söth
Co-producer: Amour Fou Filmproduktion / AT, Dolce Vita Films / FR
Production company: Hunnia Film Studio, Intuit Pictures / DE
Cast: László Gyémánt, András Gyémánt, Piroska Molnár, Ulrich Thomsen, Ulrich Matthes, Orsi Tóth, Péter Andorai
All the movies listed below will be played at Laemmle’s NoHo 7
THE TWO OF US
with(180/100 Short film)
Nov. 15 7:15PM
Director Barbara Kulcsar will attend for Q&A
Director: Barbara Kulcsar
Screenplay: Barbara Kulcsar, Anina La Roche
Cinematographer; Teply Orit
Musik: Balint Dobozi
Cast: Linda Olsansky, Thomas Douglas, Ragna Guderian, Peter Jecklin, Barbara Terpoorten-Maurer, Sigi Terpoorten, Iara Rosa, Madalena Rosa, Manon Ulli, Sean Douglas
Jana and Andreas are a married couple who suffer from stress due to work, caring for their two small children, and the rigors of daily life. On a whim, they decide to go on a weekend trip to the country to try to rekindle their relationship. On the way from Zurich to the south, Jana stumbles upon Ingrid, an old friend who is traveling by motorcycle. Jana, who is thirsty for adventure, convinces Ingrid to switch places with her. She takes the motorcycle and Ingrid rides in the car with Andreas. At first, Andreas is not thrilled about the arrangement but soon finds himself enjoying Ingrid’s company. As Jana and Andreas relationship is put to the test, their emotions become unhinged. They finally end up on a therapist’s couch, where they must once and for all confront their fears and needs, and figure out how to keep their love alive. Written by HC Vogel
MUSIC BOX
Nov. 15 9:30PM
Hungarian immigrant Mike Laszlo has done well for himself since arriving in the USA nearly 50 years ago. He is particularly proud of his daughter, Ann, a successful lawyer. Following the release of some secret WWII records by the Russians, Mike finds himself accused of being a notorious war criminal. He’s convinced it’s a communist plot to discredit him and insists that Ann defend him in court.
Directed By: Costa-Gavras
Written By: Joe Eszterhas
IN THE NAME OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
Nov. 16 3:00PM
This film revolves around two boys who are die-hard fans of Sherlock Holmes and call each other Holmes and Watson. A tomboy named Ica join the boys who are about to have the adventure of their life. Strange things are happening in their small country town – kids are disappearing, only to later reappear somewhat different… changed. A witness confesses to have seen a monster kidnapping one of the victims, and on one of the school photos someone has marked the next victim to go… Ica’s father was investigating similar disappearances years ago, until he himself vanished; only leaving a mysterious circus ticket behind which read…”Circus Infractus Somnius”, the Circus of Broken Dreams. Holmes and Watson begin their investigation which eventually leads them to a dark journey into the supernatural.
Director: Zsolt Bernáth
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Dániel Hamvas script consultant
Mark Kis-Szabo screenplay
Tamás Sipos script consultant
Cast:
Dániel Deli, Tibor Gáspár, Gábor Karalyos, Attila Kiss, Kugler Nikolett, Gabriella Szaksz, László Tahi Tóth, Ungvár Ádám
AGLAJA
Nov. 16 5:00PM
Nov. 19 9:30PM
Director: Krisztina Deák
(2012, feature, 35mm, colour, 116 min.
Co-produced with Poland, Romania
In the hope of a better life the Hungarian-Romanian family of circus artists escapes from the Ceausescu dictatorship in Romania to the West in the early 1980s. There they realize to stay in the ring they will need to devise an exotic and different performance.
The mother devises a special act: she hangs by her hair in the circus dome. However, her daughter Aglaya gets terribly worried that her mother will fall to her death, and this fear becomes an everyday burden for her to bear. Yet one day – following the family tradition – she herself becomes “The Woman with Hair of Steel”.
The story is about the members of a refugee family of circus artists, their enforced interdependence, their eventual break-up and the joy and curse of belonging together – all seen from the viewpoint of the young Aglaya.
Screenplay: Krisztina Deák
Director of photography: Tibor Máthé
Editor: Bernadett Tuza-Ritter
Music: Zbigniew Preisner
Sound: Mateusz Adamczky, György Kovács
Art director: Csaba Stork
Costumes: Györgyi Szakács
Production manager: Károly Rozsnyay
Producer: András Muhi, Ewa Puszczynska
Production company: Inforg Stúdió, Opus Film / PL, Hai Hui Entertainment / RO
Cast: Eszter Ónodi, Zsolt Bogdán, Babett Jávor, Piroska Móga, Iván Kamarás, Adél Jordán
2013 – Monte-Carlo Television Festival:
Best Television Film,
Best Director: Krisztina Deák,
Outstanding Actress: Eszter Ónodi,
Prize of the Monaco Red Cross
Festivals:
2013 – Cluj-Napoca Transilvania
2013 – Lagów International Film Festival
2013 – Porto Alegre Fantaspoa (in competition)
2013 – Porto FANTASPORTO (in competition)
2013 – Stara Zagora Golden Linden (in competition)
2012 – Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival (in competition)
2012 – Goa International Film Festival of India
2012 – Montreal Festival Nouveau Cinéma
2012 – Segovia MUCES
2012 – Thessaloniki International Film Festival
QUEEN LIVE IN BUDAPEST
Nov. 16 7:15PM
On July 27, 1986, Queen performed the largest-ever stadium concert at the Népstadion in Budapest in front of 80,000 ecstatic fans. The concert was part of the famed Magic Tour, which was the last time the band toured with lead singer Freddie Mercury. Now, this original concert film has been re-mastered in high definition and features many of Queen’s favorite tracks Bohemian Rhapsody, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, I Want to Break Free and We Are the Champions. With three years to go before the fall of the Berlin Wall, this Queen concert heralded in a new era of ever increasing international superstar rock bands and other performing artists staging shows in the huge soccer arena now called the Ferenc Puskas Stadium in Budapest, attracting audiences from all around the world. It was of such significance to the Hungarian authorities and film industry that a group of the country’s top film cameramen and technicians were brought together to film it for posterity.
1) One Vision
2) Tie Your Mother Down
3) In The Lap Of The Gods…Revisited
4) Seven Seas Of Rhye
5) Tear It Up
6) A Kind Of Magic
7) Under Pressure
8) Who Wants To Live Forever
9) I Want To Break Free
10) Guitar Solo
11) Now I’m Here
12) Love Of My Life
13) Tavaszi Szél Vizet Áraszt
14) Is This The World We Created?
15) Tutti Frutti
16) Bohemian Rhapsody
17) Hammer To Fall
18) Crazy Little Thing Called Love
19) Radio Ga Ga
20) We Will Rock You
21) Friends Will Be Friends
22) We Are The Champions /
Directed by János Zsombolyai
Cinematography by
Elemér Ragályi
Film Editing by Katalin Kabdebó (as Kabdebó Katalin)
Teri Losonci (as Losonczi Teri)
Mari Miklós (as Miklós Marianna)
Mariann Pálfia, Zsuzsa Pósán
OUR WOMAN
with(My Guide Short film)
Nov. 16 9:30PM
Nov. 20 9:30P
(2012, feature, digital, colour, 91 min.)
Helga is a successful TV presenter who gets suspicious when her boyfriend keeps stopping at the bedroom door. Vera is a happy wife and mother who asks herself the big question: who does her kid take after? Szilvi finds herself at a swingers party instead of a romantic honeymoon. Flóra and her ex-cop brother try to uncover her RE teacher husband’s sordid secret.
BEST HUNGARIAN COMEDY OF THE YEAR
Director: Péter Szajki
Screenplay: Péter Szajki, Adél Vörös
Director of photography: Péter Szatmári
Editor: Bernadett Tuza-Ritter
Music: Áron Ádám Kovács
Producer: Mónika Mécs, Ernő Mesterházy, Ági Pataki, Gábor Kovács, Judit Romwalter
Production company: M&M Film, Filmpartners, Sparks
Cast: Péter Rudolf, Judit Schell, András Stohl, Ági Gubik, Béla Mészáros, Rozi Lovas, Tamás Keresztes, Kátya Tompos
GINGERCLOWN
with(Beast Short film)
Nov. 17 3:00PM
One weekend back in 1983, a group of high school students are having fun up in the Hollywood Hills when they come across Sam who was on his way home. Sam is a kid from school that they consider a loser, he is also in love with Jenny, one of the prettiest girls in school, and happens to be the girlfriend of Biff, the quarterback of the football team. Sam sees Jenny with the guys and would do almost anything to get Jenny’s attention.
Biff and his buddies are keen to take Sam to the old abandoned amusement park to make him prove his courage as part of their initiation ceremony. They involve Jenny in their cruel game as the grand prize of the competition. Sam accepts the challenge, but the girl wouldn’t let him go in by himself; she follows him into the amusement park and into a night they’ll never forget…. because in the old park, hidden deep in the darkness, lurks frightening and eccentric monsters who take a great deal of joy in tormenting and torturing innocent human beings…. while seriously annoying each other…..
Director: Balázs Hatvani
Script: Balázs Hatvani
Cast: Ashley Lloyd; Brad Dourif; Erin Hayes; Joshua Brownwood; Lance Henriksen
Michael Cannell-Griffiths; Michael Winslow; Sean Young; Soraya Hegyesi; Tim Curry
INDIAN
Nov. 17 5:00PM
Director P. Szabo Istvan will attend for Q&A
Lantos Tamás (Antos Gémes) is a sick, burnt out, one-hit wonder who realises on a late autumn day that his life, which is unstoppably passing by, got to a dead end and he decides to press the stop button on his dubious life-story’s VHS tape and tries to rewind it to the very spot where everything was nice and beautiful.
He escapes from the life of the busy city streets, the sugarfree biofoods, the forbidding medical reports and of course the women, hoping that he’ll be able to compose the BIG HIT which will bring him the desired fame and help him to become a shining star for eternity. So he tries to get back on track to his lost childhood happiness in the lake-side house of his most beautiful memories…
Director: Istvan P. Szabo
Screenplay: Istvan P. Szabo
Cinematographer: Peter Radai
Music: Mate Bella, Alex Jozsa
Editor: Anna Ailen Nagy
Costum: Zsuzsa Cseh
Producer: Istvan P. Szabo, Judit Romwalter
Cast: Lantos Tamás, Ruttkay Laura
Dammak Jázmin, Szorcsik Viktória
Nyers Boglárka, Cseh Zsuzsanna
Takács Zsuzsa, Dunai Csenge
Józsa Bettina, Demecs Patrícia
DEAR BETRAYED FRIENDS
Nov. 17 7:15PM
October 26, 2013 · magyarfilmusa
At the archive, Andor decides to read through the file the secret police kept on him. To his surprise he discovers that even his close friend János informed on him. Can the lifelong friendship survive in the face of such a betrayal? Hungarian director Sára Cserhalmi’s disturbing debut treats a sensitive topic from the recent past but avoids absolute judgments.
Director: Sára Cserhalmi
Screenplay: Sára Cserhalmi, Miklós Paizs
Director of photography: Dániel Reich
Editor: Gábor Divinyi
Music: János Bujdosó
Art director: Nándor Hevesi
Costumes: Sandra Stevanovity
Producer: Ferenc Pusztai, Judit Csernai, Iván Márk
Production company: KMH Film, I’m Film
Cast: János Derzsi, György Cserhalmi, Miklós
Benedek, Anna Györgyi, Imre Csuja, Pál Mácsai
2012 * color * 93min.
ADVOCATE
Nov. 17 9:30PM
Director Tamas Harangi will attend for Q&A
Director: Tamas Harangi
Writer: Tamas Harangi
Stars: Sachin Mehta, Kristina Klebe, Steffinnie Phrommany |See full cast and crew
The Advocate is a legal thriller about grief, ambition and the quest for absolute justice. Meet Ray Shekar (Sachin Mehta), a defense attorney with a spotless acquittal record that keeps him mired in the trenches of criminal law despite his repeated efforts to leave. When Ray is approached by Allyson Daugherty (Kristina Klebe), a socialite accused of murdering her husband, Ray’s ambition and curiosity prompts him to sign on as her defense counsel as a means to uncovering the truth about her guilt or innocence. Soon Ray finds himself in the middle of a twisted who-done-it where he must keep one step ahead of a persistent police detective (Michael Raynor), who begins to suspect a secret behind Ray’s success and sees the Daugherty case as an opportunity to settle an old score.
With its mystery plot, The Advocate explores the murky waters of the justice system and the people who make it their calling to navigate it. In the deeply flawed, yet never surpassed tradition of “innocent until proven guilty,” getting away with a crime can be murder.
TEST FILM
Nov. 18 7:15PM
A DOCUMENTARY? A DANCEFILM? A WEDDING’S STORY? A TOURIST IN BUDAPEST? A KID’S DREAM? YES? A TESTFILM!!
KÉMHATÁS is an artwork to love! It’s not just a film! It’s dancing, it’s singing, it’s a site specific social action, it’s a film about last age videoing. It is an artwork of contradictions! It is an amusing musical with a happy end love story but the same time it is a no-dialog experimental dance film. It is a dream of a child but also a rigorously edited video clip.
There are wildly known actors, dancers, and singers in the film with students and street walkers, even the video-makers themselves appear in the film. The one hour flow is absolutely international but full with allusions to the Hungarian and Budapest culture where every frame is enrooted. Like the title that means Test-Film but as a Hungarian pun it means also Spy-Story. Yes, the cameras are following the action as children lurk the adults.
KÉMHATÁS is an artwork to love! It’s not just a film! It’s dancing, it’s singing, it’s a site specific social action, it’s a film about last age videoing. It is an artwork of contradictions! It is an amusing musical with a happy end love story but the same time it is a no-dialog experimental dance film. It is a dream of a child but also a rigorously edited video clip.
There are wildly known actors, dancers, and singers in the film with students and street walkers, even the video-makers themselves appear in the film. The one hour flow is absolutely international but full with allusions to the Hungarian and Budapest culture where every frame is enrooted. Like the title that means Test-Film but as a Hungarian pun it means also Spy-Story. Yes, the cameras are following the action as children lurk the adults.
Cast:
MAYA: Angelus Maya
TOURIST: Cuhorka Emese
DOMI: Bakó Tamás
ULLA: Garai Júlia
DIRECTOR: Rudolf Péter
DEVIL: Angelus Iván
DODES & KADEN: Nagy Imola, Takács Ramóna
Directed by Ivan Angelus
ANIMATED and SHORT FILMS
Nov. 18 9:30PM
MELDRUM HOUSE
American International Film Festival 2012: “Best Movie with Supernatural Theme”
Official selection: LA INDIE FILM FESTIVAL, Hollywoood ReelIndependent Film Festival, London Underground Film Festival
Inspector Milton Pritchett is on his way to Aberdeenshire to investigate an usual case, known as the ‘Wedding Night Murder’. On what would have been their first night of marriage, with all the guests still in the house, the husband kills his newly wed wife, and hangs himself a few days later in a prison cell. A murder. A body. A murderer. Case closed. Not quite. The husband’s family – being of influence – insists on an investigation. They want to know the answer to the only unanswered question. His motive. Why? Pritchett approaches the abandoned crime scene, Meldrum House, with a theory in his pocket. He does not believe in ghosts and houses of evil, but realizes soon, that Meldrum House has a guilty past.
Director: Attila Árpa
Writers: Tim Bender, Attila Árpa (story)
Stars: Attila Árpa, Matt Devere
2012 * B&W * 15 min.
End / Kata Olah 8 min.
Rabbi vagy miazisten / BELA PACZOLAI 20min
MY NAME IS BOFFER BINGS / Laszlo Csaki / ANIMATION 20min.
TURIST / SZONJA SZABO 15min.
WALL / SZABO SIMON 10min.
MEANWHILE IN BUDAPEST
Nov. 19 7:15PM
A collection of eight short movies, 8 to 15 minutes long each, vaguely interconnected and, above all, with a unifying thread comprised of their depiction of the current reality in the Hungarian capital.
A production under the sign of “Here and Now”, which also works as a manifesto as its authors wish to demonstrate the existence of a new way of producing quality films in Hungary, which are not necessarily “traditional” films, or amateur works aimed at the Internet.
They all graduated in the same year from the University of Theatre and Film Arts of Budapest and decided to pursue one of their ideas from their student days by producing and directing a small-budget collective film centered on the Hungarian capital.
These young filmmakers have already been noticed and rewarded in international festivals: Bálint Szimler, was selected in Cannes in 2010 for the Cinéfondation programme and György Mór Kárpáti was a contender in the short film competition at the Berlinale 2011.
Dániel Bálint, László Csuja, Aron Ferenczik, Erika Kapronczai, György Mor Kárpáti, András Pires Muhi, Attila Pluhár, Gabor Reisz, Péter Szeiler and Bálint Szimler.
ALL THE SOUNDS OF THE SEA
Nov. 20 7:15PM
A bruising tale of prostitution, corruption and murder set in the bleak underworld of the Hungarian and Italian human trafficking business. The story follows Nora, a young girl taken from an orphanage in Budapest to be sold on the streets of Italy as a prostitute. It becomes a violent race against time, as the authorities fail to track her down; Nora is taken on a nightmarish journey of fear and betrayal with a gang of sex traffickers, whose loud shirts, fur coats and cocaine habits are funded by the transport of girls over the Russian border to be sold into prostitution. Her mysterious “transporter” may become her only friend and her only way out. Titti I Rumori Del Mare is a shattering exploration of a very modern social issue, told through the eyes of those complicit in the problem and is the first feature film from director Federico Brugia..
Directed by: Federico Brugia
Cast: Sebastiano Filocamo/X; Benn Northover/Thomas; Orsi Tóth/Nora; Malika Ayane/Donna; Catrinel Marlon/Aylena; George Mendel/Police chief; Zsolt Mészáros/ Laci; János Papp/Kiss; Rocco Siffredi/Amico di Thomas
Writing credits: Federico Brugia; Giovanni Robbiano; Carlotta Magnani – script consultant
Produced by: Tania Dal Pra; Gábor Rajna; Gábor Sipos
Original Music by: Rossano Baldini; Stefano Brandoni; Corrado Carosio; Pierangelo Fornaro
Cinematography by: Gergely Pohárnok
Film Editing by Vilma Conte
WE NEVER DIE
with(Beast Short film)
Nov. 21 7:15PM
The 1993 Hungarian comedy We Never Die (Sose Halunk Meg), set during the 60s, was the most popular movie ever released in Hungary at that time.
Hungarian actor and cabaret performer Robert Koltai plays a clueless wooden-hanger salesman with an insatiable appetite for woman and racetracks. On his next sales trip he decides to take his awkward teenage nephew with him. While visiting various trade fairs and of course the racetrack he starts to clue his nephew into the facts of life, sexual and otherwise. Along the way he learns of a sure bet to place at the track, and before you know it, his nephew will learn more about life than he ever expected to.
Koltai’s character Uncle Juicy has been compared to having the same soul as Zorba the Greek and Auntie Mame rolled up in one wonderful person.
Director: Koltai Róbert
Script: Nógrádi Gábor, Koltai Róbert
Music: Dés László
Cinematographer: Halász Gábor
Set designer: Pauer Gyula
Editing: Miklós Mari
CAST:
Koltai Róbert (Gyula), Szabados Mihály (Imi), Máté Gábor (Imre), Jordán Tamás (Vigec), Lukáts Andor (Pap), Hunyadkürti György (Pucus), Blaskó Péter (Apa), Pogány Judit (Anya), Szirtes Ági (Irma), Csákányi László (Deutsch), Lontay Margit (Deutsch), Murányi Tünde (Évike), Molnár Piroska (Feleség), Hollósi Frigyes (Férj), Vajda László (Csocso), Lázár Kati (Csocso felesége),
Monori Lili (Teréz), Szurdi Miklós (Bárzongorista), Székely B. Miklós (Targoncavezető), Tímár Éva (Magdika), Raksányi Gellért (Titi bácsi), Ujlaki Dénes (Sánta Lajos)
WHITE ZOMBIE
with(Someone for dinner Short film)
Nov. 21 9:30PM
Young couple Madeleine and Neil are coaxed by acquaintance Monsieur Beaumont to get married on his Haitian plantation. Beaumont’s motives are purely selfish as he makes every attempt to convince the beautiful young girl to run away with him. For help Beaumont turns to the devious Legendre, a man who runs his mill by mind controlling people he has turned into zombies. After Beaumont uses Legendre’s zombie potion on Madeleine, he is dissatisfied with her emotionless being and wants her to be changed back. Legendre has no intention of doing this and he drugs Beaumont as well to add to his zombie collection. Meanwhile, grieving ‘widower’ Neil is convinced by a local priest that Madeleine may still be alive and he seeks her out.
Director: Victor Halperin
Writer: Garnett Weston (story)
Stars: Bela Lugosi
Madge Bellamy
Joseph Cawthorn
Robert Frazer
John Harron
Brandon Hurst
1932 * B&W * 69min.
Filming Locations: RKO-Pathé Studios – 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA