Location Spotter: MÁV Gépgyár's 'Kolonia' Housing Complex

Budapest is loaded with conspicuously filmable locations, from the Chain Bridge to Guzsdu Courtyard. But one of the great things about the city, is that beyond the obvious locations, there exist neighborhoods and structures filled with historical interest and architectural surprises. For instance, take the MÁV Gépgyár kolónia (or, the Colony) as it is known. The small housing development was the result of a merger between machine-making giant Ganz and Hungarian locomotive company MÁVAG to house the factory workers and company supervisors.

Photo via egykor.hu/ Google maps

Photo via egykor.hu by Kováts Győző

Photo via egykor.hu

Completed in 1909, the complex represents the company's attempt to take care of all its workers' needs. The four-story brick buildings contained communal baths, and steam rooms. In the complex, there were laundries, on-site restaurants, a cinema, theater, daycare, clinic, card-room, and a casino for the supervisors. Moreover, there was an on-site ice factory to supply residents with ice to keep food in their kitchens from going bad. In essence, it was a small campus that workers could retire to for rest and entertainment, and where spouses could find what was needed to maintain their homes and care for family.   

Photo via egykor.hu

Photo via egykor.hu

Photo via egykor.hu

 Built on the perimeter of Józsefváros, where it borders the neighborhood Kőbánya, the structure ultimately comprised 645 workers' lodgings and ten multi-room apartments for the supervisors. While it wasn't exactly an experiment in social living, it was very forward thinking for the time. But, of course, Socialization and modernization occurred in the late 20th century, changing the profile of the community. For instance, for a time, in the 80s, the complex was the site of the cultural center called Vörösmarty Kultúrház. Scenes from the modern classic Hungarian musical comedy Csinibaba were filmed there—so the site is not unprecedented as a location.

Photo via egykor.hu

Photo via egykor.hu

Photo via egykor.hu

Filming in Hungary, while dependable, can also be surprising. The ‘Colony’ is only one of the gems that make the city of Budapest so textured as a destination and location.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Six Iconic Budapest Buildings

While Budapest has a distinctive and unique feel--one like no other city on earth--it is also packed with diverse styles of architecture. Art Deco, Bauhuas, Neo-Baroque, Art Nouveau, and not to mention, Brutalist styles sit side by side on the avenues and streets of Buda and Pest (with more than a few distinctive bridges joining the city’s two sides). This week we’ll have a look at a few of Budapest’s more iconic buildings. We will leave out the obvious locations of Parliament and the State Opera House in favor of some lesser publicized spots. 

The Museum of Applied Arts: Designed by Ödön Lechner. Lechner is arguably Hungary’s most celebrated architect. Grandfather of the Hungarian Secession movement, he frequently drew inspiration from folk life as well as popular artistic movements from both West and East. The 1893 Museum of Applied Arts is regarded as one of his most impressive creations.

via Wikipedia Commons

Occasionally mis-attributed to Gustave Eiffel, the Central Market Hall was completed in 1897, and was in fact designed by Hungarian architect and academic Samu Pecz. This mistake is understandable, as it does look something like an ornate train station in Paris, and Eiffel did have a hand in designing Budapest’s Nyugati train station. Tourists arrive at the train station, but flock to the Market Hall, and with good reason.

by Thalar Tamas, via Wikipedia

The Török Bank: also Secessionist, this 1906 structure was designed by architects Armin Hegedűs and Henrik Böhm. In downtown Pest, the Secessionist mosaic by Miksa Róth—Patrona Hungariae— is best viewed from across the street.

The Török Bank via Wikipedia Commons

The 1927, Sándy Gyula-designed Budai Postapalota, or, the Postal Palace, is currently under renovation and on its way to becoming the Museum of Finance and Banking History. The structure overlooks Széll Kalman Square and sat empty for many years before serious renovation began recently.

Budai Postapalota

The Budapest Hotel: even the hotel’s website calls it an ‘oddball’. But over time the Körszálló—the ‘Round Hotel’—became emblematic of 1960’s Budapest, looking at once cosmopolitan and Brutalist in style. It’s one of the few iconic hotels in Budapest that is also affordable.

Budapest Hotel via Danubus Hotels site

Over the next few weeks, we will look at some more iconic Budapest buildings, as well as some in the countryside, or at least outside of the capital. There are any number of buildings in Hungary worthy of a ‘best of’ list. if you have any personal favorites, leave them in the comments.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Gemini Man: Return of the Return of Will Smith in Budapest

via Youtube

The last time Will Smith was in Budapest, he caused quite a sensation by climbing up the Chain Bridge, and delivering a few lines from a hit song. While these antics may have been quietly looked down on by the authorities, nobody minded the attention it brought to the city, and indeed Smith was welcomed with open arms back in Budapest last summer to shoot scenes from his latest big budget thriller, Gemini Man. 

The Ang Lee directed feature was shot in locations in the US as well as a few well chosen spots in Budapest, most saliently Szechenyi Bath House. Perhaps it took the inspiration Budapest had to offer to get Gemini Man made, as various scripts for the film had been kicking around Hollywood for decades, with actors such as Clint Eastwood and Brad Pitt attached. At a near 140,000,000 dollar budget, they could afford arguably the biggest male action star in the world.

Endearingly, during shooting, American television talk show Good Morning America ‘caught up’ with Smith in Budapest, at the bath house for a short interview. Both Smith And Lee seem appropriately  impressed with Szechenyi, the largest bath house in Europe, situated in the center of Budapest’s City Park. On the bath’s website, they claim to be the most visited tourist site in the city, which, if true, is no doubt due to the medicinal qualities of their 18 thermal baths and pools, heated to different degrees.

via the Szechenyi site

Smith and Lee are even brave enough to ‘go deep,’ and taste test the sulfuric waters, which are used as a curative when drank. Not surprisingly, they both prefer swimming in the bath to drinking from it, as the water’s flavor is somewhat eggy and can be difficult to get used to. Afterwards, they allow some Hungarian masseuses to work them over, showing off all the great things the baths have to offer.

Gemini Man is in theaters now, meaning that in his own way, Smith has once again returned to Budapest. Enjoy the clip from Good Morning America, which, if you are like us, will cause you to think back fondly on the warm weather and days spent at the bath house.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Son of Seoul: Korean Film Wins at Cannes

Whether you like Hollywood movies or not, there is no denying that they set trends. So, when the word got out about the amazing locations and film culture in Hungary that are well utilized by the big studios, it spread worldwide. This means productions from countries far abroad, such as India, are arriving to take advantage of all the benefits of film production in Hungary. Lately, we have become quite popular with Korean film as well, as a few features were recently shot here, with more on the way.

film still from Parasite

Korean film is seeing something of a golden age, with directors like Bong Joon-ho, Lee Chang-dong, and So Yong Kim making it big on the international stage. But it is aforementioned Bong Joon-ho’s latest offering, Parasite, that is really bringing Korean film to the attention of the public. The recently released film also won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes film festival. Moreover, it won by unanimous vote, the first time since Blue is the Warmest Color achieved the same result.

The film concerns class relations and escalating entanglement between a wealthy family and an unemployed one. The plot doesn’t summarize well, nor does its categorization, which hits notes of both a psychological thriller as well as a black comedy. In America, where foreign language films don’t traditionally perform well, it had the best per screen opening since La La Land, and the best foreign language film opening ever. 

film still from Parasite

film still from Parasite

Joon-ho himself is no stranger to big budget films that genre bend. His hit Snowpiercer and juggernaut film The Host were both films that stradled between genres, while were hugely popular with international audiences. Metacritic, a site dedicated to such things, put Bong on its list of the 25 most influential directors of the 21st century. 

film still from Parasite

While to the best of our knowledge Budapest has never been used as a stand in for Seoul, the capital of South Korea, or any major Asian city, it may be only a matter of time. But with its world class sound stages, with expert and diligent crews, Budapest will surely only grow in reputation for Korean feature films and television series. 

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Blast from the Past: Late 80s Hungary Revealed!

This week we unearthed a virtual time capsule from the past, in the form of a BBC dispatch from 1988 Hungary, presented by Nick Thorpe, a British journalist who has covered the area for more than thirty years now. The 24-minute report is fascinating to watch now, if only to discover what has changed and what has stayed the same since Socialist-era Hungary. 

The most salient difference in the cityscape of Budapest are the giant Soviet red stars, so prominently displayed in the 80s. These have of course been taken down. Moreover, the symbol was made illegal, to the point where there has been tension with a certain multinational that uses a different version of the red star as its logo.

In 80s Budapest, it is obvious that Hungarian youth are keen to keep up with international trends in fashion and music—more specifically—western trends. This is a testament to the belief that Hungary was regarded as the least authoritarian of the states in the Soviet Union. McDonald’s at that point was considered to mecca of Western culture, serving over 7000 people a day on Budapest’s cosmopolitan Váci street. Now there are McDonald’s in almost every Budapest neighborhood, though eating there is considered far from hip.

The Ladas and Trabants, which were the more common cars on offer in the Soviet bloc, were much prized at the time. They are still prized, though now they are ‘retro’ cars and collector’s items rather than enviable modes of transportation.

Interestingly, Thorpe was able to capture one of the first interviews with the newly formed Fidesz party. From its humble beginnings, Fidesz has of course grown into the largest political party in the country. 

Much has changed since Thorpe’s short documentary. But what has stayed the same is the sense of national pride that Hungary is a unique country within Europe, and a feeling that no matter how far one travels, Hungary is a home worth returning to. 

Enjoy this helping of late 80s Hungary. It’s worth it for the haircuts alone.

Location Spotter: The Rumbach Street Synagogue

via József Rozsnyai/ Wikipedia Commons

One of Budapest’s most remarkable and historical sites is ending a decade-long closure and renovation. The Rumbach Street Synagogue (Rumbach utcai zsinagóga) stands around the corner from Budapest’s more famous Dohany Street Synagogue, which tends to absorb much of the tourist traffic. But the smaller, less renown structure holds a charm over those who have seen its interior, which had its own deteriorated beauty.

Originally built in 1872, designed in the Moorish Revival style by Austrian architect Otto Wagner, pioneer of the Viennese Art Nouveau movement, it is in the heart of what is considered Budapest’s ‘Jewish Quarter’. This means octagonal shapes, balconies, minarets-style towers, domes. According to Wikipedia, the design is an homage to the Dome of the Rock Islamic shrine, which stands in Jerusalem. Indeed, it is the Islamic decorative elements that make the building so beautiful.

via Thaler Tamas/ Wikipedia Commons

According to jewish-heritage-europe.eu, “The interior work amounts to a complete rebuilding and/or replacement of both structural and decorative elements, including the wall paintings and wood-paneled ceiling, and also rebuilding the destroyed ark in its original place, using plaster, glass, and gold; some changes will be made in order to allow the sanctuary to serve as a multi-functional venue for concerts and other events. The floor will be returned to its original decorative paving after the installation of underfloor heating.”

via Wikipedia Commons

They synagogue served the city’s Neolog Jewish community until mass deportations during the second world war. What wasn’t destroyed at that point, was left to deteriorate. After the ousting of the socialist government, the space was occasionally opened for cultural events like concerts and art openings. A guard stationed there would sometimes give unofficial tours for a small gratuity. There is even an unconfirmed rumor that artist Yoko Ono was interested in taking over stewardship of the space to use as a studio.

If a synagogue can be described as ‘romantic’ than that would apply to The Rumbach Street Synagogue. And once reopened, it will be a small gem in the cultural landscape of the city, only polished and on display.

via Misibacsi/ Wikipedia Commons

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Indian Film Festival Comes To Budapest

These are very international times in Budapest indeed. A visit from a Japanese princess, followed by an Indian film festival. Made famous by the films of Satyajit Ray and Mira Nair, and of course Bollywood, Indian cinema is just as popular in Budapest as it is around the world, and will be celebrated with the Indian Film Festival Hungary (IFFW), which runs this month from the 7th to the 13th of October. This is the fifth such festival in Budapest, and is set to be the biggest.

Inaugurated by a ‘Curtain Raiser Press Conference’ with Indian ambassador Sh. Kumar Tuhin and Captain Rahul Bali, the curator of Indian Film Festival Worldwide, the festival will showcase twelve Indian films, which will be shown on the large screens at CINEMApink, at MOM Park in Buda. The festival is supported by the Hungarian National Film Fund , Rajkot Palace, Curry House, Dasvir and the Hungarian Embassy in India.

According to the event’s press release, “Ambassador Kumar Tuhin said that the Indian Film Festival Hungary is an important festival in the event calendar of Embassy and has become a great platform for cultural exchanges and mutual appreciation of cinema between India and Hungary. He said that over the years the festival has been opening new avenues of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and creating a euphoria about India in Hungary.

The Indian Film Festival Hungary is an endeavor to promote the art and culture between India & Hungary via Indian cinema and would be attended by Award winning Actors and Film Makers of Indian cinema like Raima Sen, Umesh Shukla, Rahul Mittra & Dr. Rajinder Chadha as well as some of the biggest names from the Hungarian Film, Art & Cultural Fraternities.”

The grand opening ceremony of the festival will take place on the 7th of October at Mom Park. 

Of course Flatpack also has a history of working with Indian film-makers and other Indian film and TV projects. We are proud and privileged to have serviced Maddock Films with Dinesh Vijan for a recently shot television series, as well as Red Chillies Entertainment, headed by Shah Rukh Khan. Let’s hope Indian film-making in Budapest will be a growing enterprise.

You can have a look at the FESTIVAL PROGRAM here.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

A Royal Visit from the Far East: Princess Kako in Budapest

via Wikipedia Commons

While Will Smith returning to Budapest was what dominated the local news last week, helped along with his gift of a free concert in the city center, we also had a quieter, perhaps more surprising visit. Rather than the ‘Fresh Prince’, we got a young princess, in the form of Princess Kako, from Japan, having flown in to visit with Hungarian president Janos Adar and celebrate 150 years of diplomatic ties between Hungary and Japan.

The official diplomatic lunch was held at Budapest’s famous Café Central, known as one of the primary hangouts of turn-of-the-century Hungarian writers, also attracting Japanese expat Juichiro Imaoka, a poet who also wrote the first Hungarian/Japanese dictionary. “I pay my respect to your efforts from the bottom of my heart,” she said to the assembled guests. 

via Wikipedia Commons

This was the first time the niece of Japanese Emperor Naruhito visited Hungary, and indeed her first trip from Japan in a diplomatic capacity. Staying at Budapest’s spectacular Four Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel, she toured around the city and countryside, visiting sites like UNESCO protected site of the banks of the Danube that run along Budapest. A horse lover, she also took the opportunity to visit the National Equestrian Museum and other horse-related locations, in the company of Hungary’s Minister of Agriculture. The trip was coupled with one to Vienna and came ten years after her parents -- the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan -- also visited the region.

With 600 or so Japanese businesses in Budapest, the community is large but not as visible as other non-Hungarian foreign communities. Perhaps because the restaurants that frequently act as a cultural bridge -- like with local Vietnamese for instance -- are still expensive by local standards. Still, we hope Princess Kako didn’t spend her time indoors, but rather taking in the spectacular beauty that Budapest offers all her visitors.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

The Fighting Spirit of László Papp, Hungary's Greatest Boxer

via Wikipedia Commons

With undefeated Hungarian MMA star Adam Borics making waves abroad, we have been put in the mood to look at one of the great Hungarian boxers, László Papp, who won gold medals in the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Olympics. That is an incredible run for any athlete, but more so for one who competes in a sport that takes such a physical toll. The feat made Papp the first person to win gold at three consecutive Olympics, a record that would not be tied for 20 years. Moreover, Papp only lost one round across his thirteen Olympic fights. This made him not just a star on Hungarian soil, but an international phenomenon. 

Papp was a mere 5 foot 5 inches tall, 165 centimeters, which meant he rarely had the reach advantage. He made up for it by being a southpaw, or lefty, which is often considered an advantage in combat sports. Papp thrived as an amateur boxer, but his entry into professional boxing was more difficult, as he was in his prime during Hungary’s Socialist era, when professional boxing was banned. But the authorities also looked kindly on the glory he brought the nation, and offered him a kind of compromise, meaning that Papp could travel to neighboring Austria to train and fight. But this would turn out to be a short-lived indulgence. After defeating multiple contenders for the middleweight title, he was finally offered a world title fight against American Randy Sandy. Indeed this would have been a true cold war showdown had it come to pass. Unfortunately, the Hungarian authorities refused Papp an exit visa.

Having won several major fights, Papp would never have the chance to be a world champion. The regime’s decision effectively ended his career as a pro fighter. If there is a silver lining here, it is that Papp is one of the few fighters to retire undefeated, with a record of 27 wins, two draws, and no losses. Before his death in 2003 at age 77, Papp was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, in 2001. At the ceremony, Papp was recognized as one of the best amateur and pro boxers of all time, and given an honorary championship. 

László Papp’s name lives on in Budapest, where his is honored by a statue in District XII and at Papp László Arena, the largest local sporting events venue. Papp’s huge spirit has fought out a place in Hungarian history and in international record books. 

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarian 'Mop Dog' Runs Wild in America!

Puli dog via Csalfa Sommer/ Wikipedia Commons

Talk about a lost dog. This Puli, a breed of dog native to Hungary, and rarely seen outside of Central Europe, has somehow made its way across the pond to what looks like Texas, where it is befriended by a kind-hearted Dr. Pepper delivery truck driver. Dr. Pepper has a reputation for being the soda of choice for people who don’t want to go with the flow, and the image of the Puli definitely represents that. ‘Always be one of a kind’ reads the commercial’s tag-line. This Rastafarian on four legs fits the bill. Have a look at the fetching TV spot, which made the rounds on social media here in Hungary some years back. Funny for us – the video is titled ‘mop dog’ but a ‘mops’ dog in Hungarian, is actually a pug. Go figure.

The Puli is nothing new to Hungarians, who brought the dog to the region over a thousand years ago to herd and guard livestock. Because the thick fur makes it hard to bite, Pulis could defend a flock of sheep against much larger predators, including wolves and bears. The thickness of the coat also makes them totally water resistant; these are animals that are suited for work on the great plains of central Hungary. Though the Puli’s coat will grow out in matted chords, good grooming from a young age will keep the chords trim and neat as they flow towards the ground. To avoid regular maintenance, some owners opt to trim the chords down to bristles, significantly reducing both the size and striking appearance of the animal.

These days, Puli’s are mostly household pets; though owners attest to their loyalty and protectiveness of their homes, traits which make for excellent guard dogs. The strange, intelligent beast has not gone unnoticed abroad. Pulis have won international dog shows, most notably, the Federation Cynologique Internationale (World Canine Organization), at which the Mexican-born Puli Cinko Duda Csebi took first place. In Butte, Montana, there is a statue erected to the Puli known as “The Auditor,” a stray dog that was so resilient it was able to live in the contaminated atmosphere of an abandoned copper mine. Gavin Rosdale of the grunge band Bush published a picture of his Puli in an inset to the band’s album Sixteen Stone, and – a few years back – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg came to Hungary to get his Puli fix at the source, adding a second Puli to his collection. Now if only Slash from Guns N Roses would buy one, and confirm the adage that ‘pets look like their owners.’

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarians in Hollywood: the Artistry of László Kovács

The recent passing of actor Peter Fonda brought a resurgence of interest in the American counterculture juggernaut of a film Easy Rider. With Dennis Hopper directing, it marked a new era of film-making that catered to the more independent spirit that had taken hold of a changing America, so under stress from the Vietnam War. Nobody understood the feeling of radical freedom better on that set than the cinematographer, László Kovács.

Born in Cece, Hungary, in 1933, Kovács spent his youth under the threat of war, then war itself. In the 50s, he studied cinema at Budapest’s Academy of Drama and Film, where he met his most famous contemporary in cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond. Together they compiled reels secretly filmed of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. After smuggling the 30,000 feet of footage out of the country in a daring escape to Austria, the pair made their way to America to try to sell the footage. This culminated in a documentary of the event, narrated by Walter Cronkite.

Kovács decided to stay in the States, along with Zsigmond. He took odd jobs like making maple syrup and working in film archives to pay the rent and finance his low/no budget films, like the much forgotten The Incredibly Strange Creatures who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies. Though far from his artistic aspirations, such films led to work on Hollywood B-movies, particularly in the biker genre. This caught the attention of Dennis Hopper, who was recruiting indie-minded film-makers to work on Easy Rider. 

Made for a paltry 400,000 dollars, the film grossed over 60 million worldwide, making all its primaries very in demand for future work. Kovács was recruited to work on Jack Nickolson’s classic Five Easy Pieces, which would garner him the third place Golden Laurel for Best Cinematographer. The eighties saw him work on several influential hits in diverse genres, from straight-up comedy in Ghostbusters, to rom-com Say Anything, and the darkly tragic biopic of Francis Farmer, Francis. His last huge hit was the Sandra Bullock starring Miss Congeniality in the early years of this century. But for his final work, he returned to his roots, contributing the footage he made before escaping Hungary to the documentary Torn From the Flag, about the 1956 Revolution.

Kovács died in his sleep, in Beverly Hills at age 74. The film No Subtitles Necessary chronicles his relationship with Zsigmond, and we have included the trailer below. Kovács has rightfully earned his place in Hollywood, and Hungarian, history.

László Kovács via Wikipedia Commons

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

These Shoes are Made for Winning: Hungarian Takes Top Cobbler Prize

via the Attilacipő FB page

Rare is the occasion when we get to talk about shoes on this blog. But shoes are a big deal, a fetish to some, a daily utilitarian tool to others; and the making of a quality pair of shoes is a craft, if not an art unto itself. And like most crafts, Hungarians have found a way to maintain old traditions while keeping abreast of current trends. ‘To boot,’ recently, a Hungarian, Attila Kovács, was named best shoe-maker — or cobbler — worldwide by one of the few shoe-making competitions.

Sponsored by Inter-Schuh-Service ISS convention in Wiesbaden, Germany, the competition draws cobblers from around the world. Attila Kovács, a third generation shoemaker, came out on top earlier this year, and was named top shoemaker worldwide.

While there is no question that handmade shoes are a luxury item, increasingly so as the internet and automation have done their best to mimic handmade shoes, many of the models made by Kovács still maintain a casual, everyday-wear look.  And when we say ‘handmade’ there should be no mistake about the degree to which they are actually made by hand: nails are hammered into shoe soles, that are hand glued to leather. A pair can take up to six weeks to complete.

What about Attila himself? In his own words: “Born and raised in Oradea (Nagyvárad), I practically grew up in the shoe workshop where I learned to love this profession, with all of the beauty and difficulties that go with it.  After going to school in Oradea and Nagyszalonta, I then continued my studies in Debrecen and decided to take up the family tradition and become a shoemaker. I was taught the secrets and the love of the profession by my father the same way as he was once taught by my grandfather. I founded my own enterprise in 1991; continuing the family tradition, I stayed by the shoehorn. I have been trying to learn and acquire all the secrets of the profession ever since. I participate on a regular basis at different international and national professional competitions where my work has gained significant success so far.”

via the Attilacipő FB page

Attila Shoes, his brand, is no stranger to the limelight though. It was reported in Euronews that his Miskolc workshop was the favored maker of shoes for the late Sir Roger Moore, of James Bond fame. Indeed, his customers come from around the globe. Along with Vass, Tóth, and Heinrich Dinkelacker — other high end cobblers — Hungary has established itself as a destination for quality, affordable handmade shoes.

If you want to check out how a pair of Hungarian shoes are made, have a look at the video below.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Sweet Success as Hungary's National Cake is Named

via the Tóth Cukrászsda FB page

While August is allegedly a quiet month in Budapest and Hungary, in reality there is a lot going on. August, for starters, is the month that Hungary’s birthday falls on, when celebratory fireworks light up the Danube on the 20th. Elsewhere, the Hungaroring, Hungary’s Formula 1 race, takes place in early August. The Sziget Festival, consistently one of Europe’s largest music festivals, is in August. But the month is also a time food mavens look forward to, because August is when Hungary crowns its annual National Cake.

This year, the judges of the cake contest were in a whimsical mood, as the fruit-filled cake ‘Boldogasszony csipkéje’, or Happy Gal’s Lace (let’s say) took first prize from the entrants submitted by pastry shops and confectioneries across Hungary.  The winning pastry chef was revealed as Norbert Tóth from Dunaföldvár’s Tóth Cukrászda (pastry shop or confectioners). Tóth was a finalist in multiple past competitions, coming in third place last year, but this was his year with his pink creation.

‘Boldogasszony csipkéje’, is a country term for ‘raspberry’ as well as meaning lace, so Toth’s word play also tasted fine in the judges’ mouths. Daily News Hungary broke down the components of the winning cake as such: “Crunchy layer, sponge cake soaked in raspberry juice, raspberry-white chocolate cream, lemon-basil ganache, raspberry marmalade and raspberry meringue form the cake. The lace is recreated by ganache and raspberry marmalade. The cake is decorated with meringue sprinkled with lyophilised raspberries and white chocolate bits which were painted green.”

This year’s competition was more stressful for the contestants, as they were required to prepare their cakes in front of the judging team. Alongside the traditional cake competition, a prize was awarded for a sugarless cake as well. This year László Gyuris from Szeged, won, with his Kicsi Gesztenye -- or, ‘Little Hazelnut’ cake.

The Hungarian Confectioner Craftsmen Corporation sponsors the annual competition, in its 13th year, and as usual, the results were presented at Parliament. You can find this year’s winning entry at participating pastry shops around Hungary. Congratulations to the winning cakes, to Hungary in its birthday, and to everybody else making the most of this August.

via the Tóth Cukrászsda FB page

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Filmed in Hungary: Midsommar

Summer is the perfect time for an eerie, atmospheric horror movie. One of this summer’s critical and commercial hits is Midsommar, an American film about a group of young adults who venture to the town of Hårga, Sweden to attend a festival that only occurs once every 90 years, only to find themselves in the midst of a pagan cult ritual. Of course, things get creepy, and bodies begin to pile up. We’re happy to reveal one of the secrets to the film’s bucolic but menacing feel is that instead of shooting on location in Sweden, Midsommar was shot in and around Budapest.

Midsommar’s director, Ari Aster, turned to Hungary after discovering difficult restrictions that made long days of filming challenging in Sweden. He instead settled on Hungary, with its ‘can do’ work ethic. This isn’t unprecedented, and Midsommar certainly isn’t the first horror film to be shot in Budapest. Foremost, Underworld was shot here, along with feature films Season of the Witch, Howling V, The Rite, Dracula, and Hellboy II. Most surprisingly, the film Don’t Breathe, a horror film which takes place in a house in the urban wasteland Detroit, was actually shot on a sound stage in Hungary.

One thing that surprises visitors to Budapest is the proximity of nature and natural locations in regards to the urban downtown. Budapest is one of the few major capitals in the world where you can go scuba diving, caving, kayaking, and indeed hiking through seeming wilderness within the city’s boundaries. This versatility is indeed very attractive to film-makers who want the technical infrastructure an urban center has to offer along with natural settings. Moreover, the rolling hillside in and around Budapest, as showcased in Midsommar, could be anywhere. We can’t say for certain this is first time Hungary stood in as the Swedish countryside, but for sure we’ve seen the picturesque greenery around the city used before in such projects as the films Season of the Witch, Ergon, and TV series Pillars of the Earth.

Midsommar, while still on theatrical release around Europe, pulled in over thirty million dollars in the States earlier in the summer. A director’s cut of the film is also planned. Given all this, perhaps Midsommar II will be in the works. With Hungary’s long, hot summers and striking, though sometimes eerie locations, we can only hope to create another chilling summer — or ‘sommar’ — thrill.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Location Spotter: Continental Europe's Oldest Metro, the M1

via Wikipedia Commons

A few years back, a lot of local media attention was focused on the opening of the M4 – Budapest’s fourth and newest metro line, and now on potential plans to extend one line to the airport, which will be especially helpful for all the increased tourism the city is seeing. It is easy to forget that Budapest also has one of the oldest continually functioning metro lines in Europe: the M1, locally known as the Kisföldalatti, or ‘ little underground,’ which has the distinction of being the first metro line constructed on continental Europe.

With the construction of Budapest’s most elegant street, Andrássy Avenue around 1872, local politicians saw an opportunity to modernize transportation in the city without damaging the pristine architecture of the street-scape. It would take twenty years for construction of the project to commence in 1894. Two-thousand workers were employed for two years on the project, allowing the M4 to be inaugurated on May 2, 1896 by Emperor Franz Joseph. In its initial years, it carried around 35,000 people a year from the head of Andrássy Avenue up to and under the City Park to the City Zoo. Today it transports over 100,000 people annually over the eleven stations, which run a total of 4.1 kilometers.

via Wikipedia Commons

While the trolleys have been updated, the platforms have an ‘old world,’ prewar feeling. The exterior entrances are done in ceramic and metal work that echoes the secessionist style of the State Opera House, which it passes along its route. Though the M4 may be the newer and flashier addition to public transport in Budapest (media hog!) it is the M1 that remains a favorite with metro enthusiasts, and an ideal location to convey the ‘modern’ aspirations of old world Europe.

via Wikipedia Commons

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Budapest Big Top: the Magic of 'Tihany' Spectacular

via the Circo Tihany Spectacular FB page

Circuses these days are undergoing massive changes: moving from animal-based acts to more grand illusion and humane artistic forms to entertain the masses. But it was the last century that defined the traditional circus, and few did more to contribute to innovation and popularization of the circus as Czeisler Ferenc, a Hungarian better known by his stage name ‘Tihany’.

Born in Kétegyháza, Hungary (then part of Austro-Hungarian Empire) in 1916, it was an auspicious time in history, especially as Tihany was of Jewish origin. But before he would get caught up in the riptides of war, he would spend a peaceful childhood in his small Hungarian hometown learning magic. Though the death of his father at age 12 would be devastating, it did force Czeisler to take his hobby seriously, as he would have to bring money home to his family. Though performing magic tricks in front of people since age 13, his first proper job was with a traveling circus in Hungary, where he attended to the animals. 

Then came a stroke of luck: at age 14, Czeisler was taken by one of his uncles to Uruguay. In Montevideo, the boy was taken under the wing of the famous Italian ‘fakir,’ magician, Blacaman, (fakir, being a type of magic that includes various Indian-originated tricks like snake charming, lying on a bed of nails, and levitation). After apprenticing himself to Blacaman, he was able to save enough money to purchase some used magic equipment and return home with a full act.

Back in Hungary, he took the name Tihany, and transitioned into large-scale illusions, which proved popular enough that he was able to tour Europe with his show. But of course history interfered. Caught up in a pre-WWII anti-Jewish raid while doing his show in Novi Sad, Serbia, Czeisler was forced to participate in a death march that ended in the Danube. A strong swimmer used to uncomfortable situations, the great Tihany managed to survive and flee his captors.

via the Circo Tihany Spectacular FB page

After the war, Tihany emigrated to Israel, then to several other countries before landing in Brazil. It was there that he bought a big top and created his own circus, the Circo Magico Tihany. The circus was an immediate success, so much so that it made him rich. Tihany in later years was known to enter the stage in a chauffeured Rolls Royce. It is fair to say Tihany had a Las Vegas style circus in South America. Indeed, upon retirement, Tihany would move to Vegas, before reviving his circus once more in Mexico. He would then retire for a second time to Las Vegas, where he passed away in 2016. The great illusionist team Siegfried and Roy honored him by saying, "Our friend, our mentor, your life was a blessing, your memory is a treasure."

Just one more Hungarian who, as if by magic, transformed the world.

Source: circopedia.org

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Hungarians in Hollywood: Oscar Beregi and Son

Oscar Beregi via Wikipedia Commons

That Hungarians from William Fox (Fuchs), founder of Fox, and actors like Peter Lorre and Tony Curtis, immigrated to and helped shape Hollywood in its golden era is not exactly new news. Less commemorated are the working actors who don’t have stars on Hollywood Boulevard, but were cast not despite their Central Europeanness but rather because such character actors were in demand, particularly in the post-War years, Bela Lugosi notwithstanding. 

Two such actors were father and son Oscar (Oszkár) and Oscar Beregi Jr., both of whom were born in Hungary and found fame, to different degrees, in western Europe and Hollywood. Neither was a silver screen leading man, but rather were character actors, filling in roles that demanded an accent and dark Central European foreboding. This includes playing war criminals, Freud-like professors, and tough-guy Slavic villains.

Oscar Berengi (senior) had a life worthy of a film itself. Born in 1878 in Budapest of Jewish-Hungarian parents, he experienced antisemitism to a degree that a play he was performing in had to be cancelled following demonstrations. In fact, he was the only prominent actor in the Budapest National Theater of Jewish heritage at the time. Due to his political activities, he was banished to Vienna, where he continued his career as a stage actor. Eventually he caught the eye of director Fritz Lang, who cast him in 1933’s The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. From there, he moved to Hollywood, signing a five-film deal with Universal Pictures. Among his notable films were Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madame and Alan Ladd-staring Desert Legion. Berengi spent the rest of his life in California, but was buried in Budapest in 1965.

Oscar Beregi Jr in Hogan’s Heroes

Talent runs in some families, and Berengi’s son, also named Oscar, born in Budapest in 1918, followed in his father’s footsteps to act in Hollywood, though he is primarily known as a television actor. Like his father, the accent he retained from Central Europe helped him land work, particularly in post WWII stories. One of his most memorable roles was that of a former concentration camp commander in an iconic Twilight Zone episode. That said, the film roles he landed will likely not be forgotten, including small parts in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein and Woody Allen’s Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask. He died in 1976, unfortunately leaving no next Oscar Berengi to continue the legacy. But these Hungarian actors, like technicians and artists from across Europe, built Hollywood with their talent and work, and are sadly all too soon forgotten.

Below is Oscar Beregi Jr in a clip from his famous Twilight Zone role:

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Budapest Playlist: The Top Three Songs the Mention Budapest

With a long tradition of innovative classical music, from Ferenc Liszt (Franz Liszt), to Béla Bartók, through to modern times with international DJs like Yonderboy, Budapest has always had an inspiring music scene, be it at the State Opera House or A-38, the music venue routinely voted best club in Europe. But what do musicians who travel through the city make of it? Given how often Budapest is cited in song, they must also find it an inspiring place to visit and memorialize. Here are just a few of the songs Budapest gets cited in by major players.

Paul McCartney: “Monkberry Moon Delight”:

But I leave my pyjamas to Billy Budapest

And I don't get the gist of your letter

This song, from way back in in 1971 off Paul McCartney and Wings’ album Ram, was probably not the result of the former Beatle wandering the streets of the Hungarian capital in his pj’s. Times were different under the former Socialist regime, and bands like Wings simply weren’t encouraged to come to Hungary and spread messages of rebellion through rock. The singer would make up for lost time by playing Budapest in both 2003 and 2017 to sold out audiences. Whether McCartney played “Monkberry Moon Delight” is lost to the ages, but perhaps his visits will inspire another Budapest themed lyric with more direct relevance.

Jethro Tull: “Budapest”

Hot night in Budapest.You could cut the heat, 

peel it back with the wrong side of a knife.

It’s unclear if this ode to a Hungarian beauty is about a roadie or groupie, but she sure made an impression on the band. Apparently she was talented at middle distance running, chilling beer, sandwich making, and generally helping out around back stage when Tull band toured here. Exactly which tour the experience that inspired the song this is from we can’t say, but Jethro Tull does tend to come to Budapest frequently, the last time for their fifty year anniversary. Every musician needs a muse, and apparently Ian Anderson, lead singer, found one in Budapest.

George Ezra: “Budapest”

My house in Budapest, 

My, my hidden treasure chest,

Easily the biggest hit on the list, Ezra’s thumping song “Budapest” set teenage fans’ hearts throbbing across the world when it came out in 2014. If the song at all reflects the city, it’s down to its soulfulness and romantic vibes, both of which the actual Budapest has in spades. Ezra was gracious enough to play “Budapest” live in Budapest at the 2017 Sziget Festival. As wonderful as all this sounds, in reality Ezra had actually never been to Budapest before writing the song that shares its name. In fact, he was in Malmo, Sweden, when he penned the lyrics, and understandably resisted calling it “Malmo,” which just doesn’t have the same ring.

Other songs that mention Budapest include: Necro’s “You’re Dead,” Pain of Salvation’s “Beyond the Pale,” The Lonely Island’s “Meet the Crew,” and Ignite’s “Taken Away.”

Who will pen the next huge Budapest song after stopping in this highly musical city? Keep an ear to the sound-waves and listen for those three magical consonants: Bud-a-Pest that roll so easily off the tongue and sound so great to the ear.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Remembering Bourdain's Budapest

It seems like just yesterday when Anthony Bourdain was here in Budapest, filming a segment for his much-loved CNN show Part Unknown. A lot has happened since then. Budapest gained a few Michelin stars, and even lost one. New restaurants have opened across the city featuring so many the cuisines of the world, from Laotian to Georgian, and no shortage of Barbecue. And of course, Bourdain passed tragically away. 

But for a weekend, two culinary wonders: Budapest and Bourdain came together. At that point, Bourdain was perhaps the most recognizable television personality covering international locations. If we look back, we see the two were a match. Bourdain – who is known for his adventurous eating habits (cobra heart, anybody?) played it somewhat safe in Budapest, keeping to the gilded confines of the tourist favorite New York Café for Hungarian goose liver. There he discussed the Golden Era of Hungarian literature, when writers were catered to by waiters who would fetch them both coffee and paper and ink. It’s a nostalgic look at days long past.

New York Cafe, via Wikipedia Commons

Later, he did venture out for a more local experience at an étkezde (lunch canteen), for a chicken liver crepe with bone marrow gravy, followed by a schnitzel big enough to swaddle a baby in. Along the way, has samples venison stew, in what is actually a working class eatery for locals, not a high-end restaurant. He came away with an understanding of why Budapest is so special: sumptuous, decadent things can be quite commonplace here.

via Anthony Bourdain’s twitter account

A stop to a butcher’s for sausage, which the personality got his mouth around more capably than the difficult Hungarian-language pronunciation, and it was off for a relaxing with a dip in fabled Gellért Baths with Academy Award winning legend of cinematography Vilmos Zsigmond (who has also, sadly now passed). Bourdain came away from Budapest proclaiming his experience ‘deeply delicious’.

The kind of adventure food tourism Bourdain pioneered now seems commonplace. With culinary tours abounding in Budapest and pretty much every major city, and many minor ones, it’s easy to forget how resistant previous generations were to new — foreign — cuisine. But now, thanks to people like Bourdain, the world knows what the inside of a Hungarian butcher shop looks like. And the real message there is actually, not how different people are in their tastes, but how surprisingly alike.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.

Summer Refreshment Hungarian Style: All About Wine Fröccs

via Wikipedia Commons, https://www.flickr.com/photos/szalkai/36388620314

In addition to lingering in a thermal bath with a great book, dipping your toes in the calm waters of the great Lake Balaton, and eating fried fish and pickles on the banks of the Danube, nothing says summer in Hungary like sipping a refreshing fröccs, or, wine spritzer. More than beer or fussy fruit cocktails, the fröccs is emblematic of a night or day out in the Hungarian summer.

But one does not just sidle up to the bar and order fröccs. It is not so simple. There is an entire culture of fröccs, and a variation of fröccs for every taste and tolerance. Discovering which one is right for you is a tipsy, fun activity in itself. You will find any number of guides to the multiple variations of fröccs on the internet, but no matter which guide we look at, we still discover variations left off. It’s fair to speculate that there are up to twenty types of fröccs, meaning twenty proportions of wine to water. What they all have in common is that white or rose wine is typically mixed with soda water. But not exclusively, as we will see.

Because Hungarians are endlessly imaginative and industrious, we see those qualities reflected in the colorful names of fröccs. Take for instance, the Hosszúlépés, which translates as a ‘long step’ meaning it is light on the wine and heavy on the water. Conversely, there is the Lámpás, or ‘Lantern’ spritzer, which calls for an astounding 1.5 liters of wine to just 5 dl of soda. If that doesn’t put your lights out, nothing will.

Like many things in Hungary, fröccs culture also has a literary flavor. Take for instance the Krúdy fröccs which was named for Hungarian writer Gyula Krúdy, known for his love of fine food, romance, and Hungarian wine. No lightweight, a Krúdy fröccs requires an astounding nine deciliters of wine mixed with just one deciliter of soda water.

Spritzers in Hungary also deviate from the white wine/ rose formula. A few call for red wine, and the very non-traditional ingredient of Coke, like the Kisvadász, or ‘small hunter’ which requires equal parts red wine and cola. Or for the more adventurous, there is the Újházy-fröccs, which of all things calls for pickle juice along with white wine.

But most people will just enjoy a kis- or nagy-, a small or big fröccs, both of which have proportions similar to the average wine spritzer. It’s just right of the heat of the summer, and still reminds you that you are in Hungary. So enjoy Hungary in the summer, or if you are not here, get a taste of it with an easy to make, hard to forget fröccs.

Flatpack Films has many years of experience dedicated to offering expert servicing. It has brought the best of Hungary to countless brands, agencies, and production companies through its unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top of the line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more - bringing their projects to life through a highly bespoke approach.