In news just in from The Taipei Times, organizers of the Taipei Film Festival have revealed that Budapest will be this year's "city in focus." A curated selection of 20 films will serve as orientation into Hungary’s rich cinematic heritage.

Among the line-up of 20 films, four recent releases will be shown, including Semmelweis. The movie is a biopic about a pioneering Hungarian doctor who revolutionized healthcare practices in the 19th century. As a result, he drastically reduced the number of women dying in childbirth and earned the nickname, “saviour of mothers.”

Also to be featured is Katalin Moldovai's directorial debut, Without Air, which boldly addresses social and political issues within contemporary Hungarian society. Its lead is a high-school teacher who is accused of promoting homosexual values to her students, thereby rattling conservative sensibilities.

Additionally, the festival promises a retrospective of 16 New Wave films, offering insight into life under Hungary's authoritarian socialist regime during the Cold War era. The selection includes works from the renowned Balázs Bela Studio spanning from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Acclaimed Hungarian director Bela Tarr receives special recognition as this year's "Filmmaker in Focus." Audiences will have the opportunity to experience some of Tarr's cinematic masterpieces, including his earliest works such as digitally restored versions of Family Nest and The Outsider, alongside his celebrated 2011 film, The Turin Horse.

Themed cities have been an integral part of the Taipei Film Festival since its inception in 2002, with past editions featuring great cities like Paris, Prague, Kyoto, and Melbourne. Budapest is in good company! The return of this programming tradition highlights the festival's commitment to honouring global cinematic diversity.

Save the dates! The Taipei Film Festival is scheduled to run from June 21 to July 2, with the Taipei Film Awards ceremony slated for July 6.

Sources & further information:

 https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2024/04/28/2003817070

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_Semmelweis

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