Short Films

{{item.headline}}

> DETAIL INFO

Hungarian Rhapsodies

THE WITNESS
A TANÚ

• Director: Péter Bacsó
• HUNGARY / 1969 / DCP / Colour / 111’ / Hungarian; Turkish, English s.t.

• Screenplay: Péter Bacsó
• Director of Photography: János Zsombolyai
• Editing: Sándor Boronkay
• Music: György Vukán
• Cast: Ferenc Kállai, Lajos Őze, Zoltán Fábri, Béla Both, Georgette Metzradt, Róbert Rátonyi
• Production Co.: Mafilm
• World Sales: National Film Institute Hungary

This is arguably the single cult classic of Hungarian cinema, so much so that quotes from this hilarious satire have become part of everyday speech. Péter Bacsó’s second film not only made fun of the outrageous absurdity of dictatorship, it took direct aim at the age of the cult of personality when criticism was still restricted. Although its production was approved, the screenplay was rewritten, scenes were cut and reshot. Despite everything, it was banned, and it took nearly a decade before the first official public screening. Nevertheless, banned copies were abundant and popular even with party functionaries. The film’s hero is Danube dam-keeper József Pelikán, who kills their family pig when they have nothing else left to eat, however, this is a heinous illegal act. He is jailed, but then brought before Comrade Virág, who informs him that old, trusted communists like him are needed, and as such appoints him to various positions of rising power. But, he ends up back in prison every time.

This film is screened as part of the Turkish-Hungarian Cultural Year with the kind contribution of of the Liszt Institute Hungarian Culture Center and the Hungarian National Film Institute.

This film was a Meetings on the Bridge participant.