The opening night of the Hungarian film week at the Budapest Congress centre turned out to be more of a political than a cinematic event. "Rokoknok" (Relatives), the eagerly awaited new film by Hungary's leading filmmaker, Istvan Szabo -- his first Hungarian language film since 1992 -- was scheduled to open the festivities, but just a few days prior to the opening an article appeared in a prestigious literary magazine casting serious doubts upon director Szabo's past political integrity. To put it bluntly, the article accused hin of having been a spy -- a fink, an informer -- for the Secret Police in Communist Hungary. Szabo did not deny the allegation but explained that back in his film school days in the mid-fifties (specifically, from 1956 to 1963) he was forced to play the role of an informer on fellow film students to save his life. But, says Szabo, he only "played the role" giving the police useless information or dis-information, which in one particular case actually saved the life of a fellow filmmaker under surveillance (Pál Gábor, long since deceased of natural causes). Therefore, claims Szabo, he has nothing to be ashamed of. Many other people were forced into similar positions and he is even thinking of making a film about the situation he found himself in at that dark time in Hungarian history.

This all being water long under the dam, and, in any case, far less serious than say, the behavior of a Hollywood filmmaker like Elia Kazan who gave the names of colleagues suspected of Communist affiliation to the great Inquisitor, Senator Joe Macarthy, in the Hollywood witch hunting days, one would think there would be no reason for a sudden Big Stink here in Budapest ... one would think.
In the event, the article in "Élet és Irodalom" (Life and Lierature) by a well known critic cast a sudden dark pall on the opening night gala with tension in the air so thick you could cut it with a knife. There were
rumors to the effect that the Rokonok film would be canceled or that Szabo would not show up for his own premiere in order to avoid having to take the heat from deriders and unwell-wishers.

As things turned out Mr. Szabo did indeed show up in the midst of a charged atmosphere and a crowd consisting of the cream of Hungarian society including Prime Minister Ference Gyurcsány and former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, now leader of the opposition. As Szabo took his seat in the balcony of the auditorium a line of dignitaries headed by the prime minister himself formed to shake the directors’ hand and offer their best wishes (condolences?). Viktor Orbán, interviewed on the spot by TV stated that he had come specifically for the opportunity to meet the great director whom he greatly admires. To top it all off a manifesto signed by many of the most important people in the film business was solemnly read proclaiming their support for a great artist who has done so much to promote Hungarian culture world-wide. Given the tension in the air and the parade of dignitaries within the hall, the film itself was almost an anti-climax. The conclusion of the screening was greeted with hearty applause as another large crowd unable to secure last minute tickets milled around in the bitter cold outside. According to leading Hungarian film critic György Báron the film itself was a reasonable rendition of the Moricz Zsigmond classic but not quite up to the standard of some of Szabo's earlier masterpieces.
Particularly outstanding was Russian actor, Oleg Tabakov, but, said Báron, young actor Sándor Csányi (hero of the much aclaimed film "Kontroll) was a bit out of his depth in the all important main role of the film alongside a cast of far more experienced thespians such as Károly Eperjes, Ildikó Tóth,
Ferenc Kállai, and Czech veteran Jiri Menzel. The cinematographer was top Hungarian lensman Lajos Koltai, who has worked with Szabo on 18 other films and debuted as a director last year with "Fateless" based on the Imre Kertész nobel prize winning concentration camp novel. "Fateless", which didn't get very high marks here last year at this time, has just opened in New York where it is enjoying a much warmer reception.
Other films viewed on the following days included "Taxidermia", an exceedingly repulsive (though not uninteresting) film by György Pálfi, the young director of "Hukkle" which caused quite a stir in 2OO2, the beautifully poetic "Bird Saviour, Clouds and Wind" by debuting helmer István Szaladják, and a most interesting documentary on the Spanish Civil War by veteran documentarian Péter Forgács.
Details on these films in my next report.

Alex Deleon, Budapest