Starry Night Budapest

Stars rain on Hungary! No, not Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, both whom were here shooting productions in Budapest not so long ago, but tastier stars of theMichelin sort. Last week saw Budapest receive its fifth star from the esteemed dining guide, in the Michelin’s new Main Cities of Europe 2016 edition. This star went to Costes Downtown, the second outpost of the District 9 eatery Costes, which was the first restaurant in Budapest to attain a star, as well as having the distinction of being named one of the 25 top restaurants in the world, according to The Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.

via Trip Advisor

This is a huge honor for the restaurant, which was opened just one year ago in Budapest’s Prestige Hotel in District 5. Odds were in their favor, however, with the team of the original Costes – owner Károly Gerendai and Portuguese Executive Chef Miguel Rocha Vieira – working together to deliver the same high-quality but casual French menu that made Costes so famous.

via xpatloop.com

It was a big month for culinary Budapest, with Onyx chef Tamás Széll winning the national selection for Bocuse d’Or competition, which recently took place in Budapest, qualifying him to advance to face off against 20 other European chefs in the May semi-finals, which also take place in Budapest. Széll’s Onyx, along with restaurants Tanti, Borkoynha, and of course the original Costes, comprise the list of Michelin star establishments. With five stars, Hungary had more than any other country in the former Soviet Bloc; two more than the Czech Republic and three more than Poland.

There is no question that at the street-food level as well as the fine-dining level, Budapest has lots to offer anybody who is shooting or working on film production in Hungary. Congratulations to Costes Downtown and all of culinary Budapest.

Huge Academy Award Win for Hungarian Film!

Congratulations to the Oscar-winning Son of Saul.

It seemed inevitable yet still came as a surprise: Hungary brought home its second Best Foreign Film Academy Award last night after the highly lauded Son of Saul won in that category. Accepting the award, director László Nemes gave this brief but moving speech: “I want to share this with Géza Röhrig, my main actor, and the incredible cast and crew that believed in this project when no one else did," he said. "You know, even in the darkest hours of mankind ... there might be a voice within us, that allows us to remain human. That’s the hope of this film. Thank you very much, thank you."

The film has been called the best Holocaust-themed film since Schindler’s List, with some critics calling it the best Holocaust film ever. With wins at Cannes, the Golden Globes, the Independent Spirit Awards, and now the Oscars, this represents a spectacular achievement for the film-makers and the world of Hungarian film. Though Hungarian films have been nominated eight times for the award in the past, this is the first win since István Szabó’s now classic Mephisto took home the prize in 1981.

The story of Son of Saul revolves around a ‘Sonderkommando’ at one of the Auschwitz crematoriums who is charged with burning the bodies of his people, and tries to maintain a moral foothold by giving a burial to the body of a child he believes to be his own. Filmed in Hungary, it has become an international hit, one that will only be propelled to greater heights by this phenomenal Academy Award win. We at Flatpack Films join all of Budapest, Hungary, if not the world, in sending huge congratulations to the makers of Son of Saul.

A Martian in Hungary: Lists, Awards, and More!

Recently, the Hollywood Reporter ran an article about the top five Eastern European countries to film in – and save money. Would it be any surprise that Hungary is on the list? This year Hungary is particularly visible, with Oscar forerunners The Martian and Son of Saul having their origins here.

The availability of a world-class studio, in this case Korda Studios, directly outside of Budapest in Etyek, 'Hungary’s Napa Valley,' was instrumental in bringing the production to Hungary. According to the article, it was chosen for the size of its sound stages, 64,3000 square feet in this case, for the infrastructure they could provide, for the expertise of the local technicians and crew, and the hefty tax incentive, which can total up to 30 percent of the production. They had so much space, that they even maintained a small potato farm on the lot, to have access to potatoes at all stages of growth, as called for by the script. Originally slated to be shot in Australia, the production was brought to Hungary (and Jordan) when the film-makers found the conditions more agreeable here.

In addition to prime studio space, there was no shortage extra-curricular activities for cast, who were able to do things like practice indoor skydiving in Budapest at the SkyWard center’s gravity-defying, 260km-wind tunnel. Matt Damon was spotted at several nightspots around town, including one of the more posh ‘Ruin Pubs’ in downtown, Ötkert. In an interview with Showbiz & TV, Damon went so far as to claim he would live in Budapest – if it were an American city: “Oh yes, I’ve been here [in Budapest] for a month, and I adore it. I think this is one of the world’s biggest walking cities, and people are very nice. It’s similar to Prague, where I worked comparably a lot, and I’m delighted. I was just on the phone with one of my American friends yesterday, and when he asked me about Budapest I told him that if this city had been in America, I would have definitely moved there.”

With seven Academy Award nominations, and having already won big at the Golden Globes, including Best Picture and Best Actor awards, the film's association with Hungary will only make the country hotter as a film location.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Location Spotter: 3 Hundred-plus Year Old Restaurants

Budapest has been getting a lot of buzz for its sudden appearance on the international culinary scene since the Michelin guide began throwing stars in our direction like a foodie ninja. While this is all great and flattering, it’s important not to overlook the long history of elegant dining to be had in Budapest's 'old school' restaurants, all of which have weathered multiple wars and oppressive regimes. In terms of film locations in Budapest, in this list of three restaurants that are over 100 years old, you can find fastidiously restored interiors and old-world charm. Have a look below for a taste of Budapest’s oldest, grandest restaurants.

Apostolok

The eatery known as the ‘Apostles’ has been around since 1902, when it opened as a beer hall specializing in German brew.  Popular with actors, writers and poets, its location in the heart of central Pest also made it a popular tourist destination (no surprise, it still is). The grand room's interiors have been lovingly preserved but also kept up to date with a recent restoration.  

via visit-hungary.com

Central Kávéház

A mainstay for writers of the golden era of Hungarian literature, the Nyugat, or Western movement, the Central Coffeehouse has been running on and off since 1887. While it suffered under the Socialist era, it has made a comeback as a first-class restaurant while at the same time keeping itself available to more bohemian types as a casual coffee house. The huge and open interior, laden with history and the scents drifting in from the kitchen, make for one of the city’s more sophisticated dining experiences.

Karpatia Restaurant

If you like Gypsy music and goose liver, Karpatia is your place. Open since 1877, the restaurant is a city landmark. The intricate hand painted and gilded walls have been around since the 1920s, a well-preserved example of fin-de-siècle design, Karpatia communicates the atmosphere of a Transylvanian lodge.

via Karpatia.hu

via karpatia.hu

In terms of film locations in Budapest, the city's oldest restaurants are up to the task an readily available.

M. Ellis is a writer and gives manuscript critiques.

Austria, 1953

Austria 1953

Perhaps it is not known to everyone that similar to Germany, Austria was divided into four occupation zones after World War II, with Vienna being divided into sectors, much as Berlin was. If the Soviets had stayed a little longer, the Hungarian refugees of 1956 would have had no chance to flee to the West.

Headquarters of the Soviet military government in Vienna.

In the final hours of World War II the Soviet troops were still in Austria. The incursion of the Americans took place from Germany resulting in their occupation of the western area of the country. Although Stalin acknowledged Austria as part of the western sphere of influence, the Soviet troops grabbed the opportunity and established themselves in Vienna, Burgenland, and Lower Austria, even snatching a small part of Upper Austria. After World War II came to an end, armies of the winning powers invaded Austria and the country, divided into four occupation zones, remained under occupation for a decade until 1955.

 Vienna, just like Berlin, was subdivided into sectors:

Illustration credit: wikipedia

Austria was fortunate enough not to be regarded as a collaborator of Germany but as a state conquered by the Nazi state after the war. This explains how the country could keep its 1938 borders and was not obliged to pay compensation. Over five percent of of the Marshall Plan funds landed in the country, which amounted to 726 million USD at the time.

The Soviets marched out of Austria in 1955, like the troops of the other occupying allies, so it is from this date that the country was once again considered an independent republic.

 Communist influence increased in the Soviet sector (as well as in Salzburgland, Tirol, and Carinthia) after the war. The communists participated in Austrian legislation with gradually decreasing support until 1959.

Johann Koplenig, leader of the Austrian Communist Party, the KPÖ, organised a nationwide general strike in 1950 (only implicitly supported by the Soviets) and attempted a bloodless coup in order to seize power. After they failed for the second time in 1955, the Soviets finally abandoned their efforts to politically influence Austria and, little more than one year before the Hungarian revolution was suppressed, they left the country.

These photos were taken by Irma Louise Carter, about whom we were unable to collect any information. Most probably she was an American woman who had travelled to Vienna from the American sector. Unique color photos follow.

Monument of the 17 thousand Soviet soldiers who died in the battles fought for Vienna. When the Soviets left the country in 1955, they had the permanent integrity of the statue included in the Austrian State Treaty.

 New apartments are being built in the Soviet sector. It is unbelievable that its name is still Karl-Marx Hof.

 A building damaged in a bomb attack serving as advertisement surface

 Ruins are cleaned and reconstruction is under way along Donaukanal

 Construction everywhere

 Soviet military patrol boats on the Danube

 Entry to the Soviet zone

 The rebuilt Parliament on the Ring

 City Hall park

 Burgring

 Mozart monument

 Old meets new

 Der Liebe Augustin, the oldest inn in Vienna, still open today

 Marching of the police orchestra

 The new Westbahnhof

 Schönbrunn

 Schönbrunn

 Cobenzl Restaurant

This article was translated from an article originally posted in Hungarian by Jtom on the blog ritkanlathatototenelem.hu

The photos are sourced from the collection of P D Thorne at Found Slides.

Happy New Year from Flatpack Films

New Year’s Day may be just around the corner, but our work doesn’t stop. Particularly when it comes to informing you about a few of the traditions and superstitions that might not be so widely known or practiced outside of Central Europe. Note that other than the culinary recommendations, these are simply mentioned as traditions, and not practiced in earnest. Hungary is rooted in a deep and textured heritage, but still forward thinking.

New Year’s in Hungary also goes by the name Szilvester, like the cat, or the action-movie hero. It is not out of a love of American cartoons or Rambo, but because December 31 coincides with the name day of the boy’s name Sylvester. If you are named Szilvester, then you are quite lucky, and can become even luckier if you eat lentils, which are supposed to bring wealth, while eating pork is said to increase luck even more. Add stuffed cabbage and nothing can possibly go wrong. Fish, on the other hand, is avoided, as it might swim away, carrying your luck with it, and chickens are in danger of pecking away luck, so no fish and chips or Buffalo wings.

And speaking of luck, there is no shortage of superstitions that will make your upcoming year unstoppably fortunate or healthy. Even if you don’t believe in the power of superstition, we recommend trying a few, just to be on the safe side.

Laundry or sewing must not be done on New Year’s day, as bad luck is sure to follow. Doctors must not be sought out on the first day of the year, as it is thought to bring bad health. If the first visitor on New Year’s day is male, it heralds good luck, females bring the opposite.

And all that noise outside New Year’s night comes from people setting of firecrackers, which, while fun to do, also was once thought to scare away demons and evil spirits, which are neither healthy nor harbingers of good luck.

All this is great and useful knowledge, but somewhat redundant for Hungarians, because if you are in Budapest, you already know you are lucky.