Stand and Deliver: Stand Wins Big with Volkswagen-Dining Guide

via the Stand FB Page

Chefs Széll Tamás and Szulló Szabina have long been in the news for all the right reasons. First, they were awarded Budapest’s second Michelin star for their efforts at the now iconic Hungarian/French fusion restaurant Onyx. Having parted ways with Onyx, their next endeavor was the casual dining and wallet friendly corner of the Hold Street Market called Stand 25. With elevated takes on Hungarian classics and focusing on lunch, the restaurant was full every day, and went on to win a Bib Gourmand from Michelin. 

via the Stand FB page

via the Stand FB page

Now they are back with a new version of Stand. Well, not exactly new, as it opened a few years back. Expectations were high, and they were met, as the restaurant won a star only nine months after opening. Moreover, they also won the main prize last week at Budapest’s Volkswagen-Dining Guide’s Gala awards night. This from Hungary’s most prestigious dining guide, run by Fausto Arrighi, who spent thirty-six years with the Michelin Guide.  

via the Stand FB page

Serving mains like: fawn, baked carrots, brown buttered carrot purée, caper-lemon venison jus; and homemade pasta stuffed with Sellye quail, mushroom velouté, quail egg, along with Hungarian specialties like gulyás and Somlói galuska, it’s easy to see why the restaurant is so popular with both Hungarian and international diners. As the pictures indicate, it is also a visual treat.

via the Stand FB page

In their own words: Stand is the summary and the sequel of all the experiences that we got in the past few years. The bigger part of our team has been working together for many years, we share the same principles and goals from the kitchen to the service. Our mission remains the same: effortlessly showing the diversity of Hungarian gastronomy, finding and using the finest Hungarian products and wines.

Clearly both Stand and the Stand 25, which is now in Buda, have a reputation that any restaurant would envy, and are only adding luster to an already growing fine dining scene in Budapest.

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: Liszt Ferenc Music Academy

You may know him by the more commonly used name Franz Liszt, but he was born Liszt Ferenc in Rajka, Hungary. Composer Liszt Ferenc is a celebrated figure in Budapest, having played a significant role in forming the city’s cultural identity. In central Pest one can find Liszt Ferenc Square, a row of well-touristed restaurants and cafes that border a quiet park. On a prominent corner of the square, you can also find the world-renown Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem, or, the Franz Liszt Music Academy.

Founded in 1875, the location serves as both a conservatory and concert hall. Often overlooked in favor of the flashier Hungarian State Opera House, the smaller music academy has plenty to offer those looking for a visually stunning example of classical Central Europe. Keeping with the Hapsburg-era style, the exterior is one of the most striking examples of Art Nouveau in central Pest. The interiors are intricate and warm, decorated with frescoes and Zsolnay ceramics. Done in gilt and green, with statues of Béla Bartók and Frédéric Chopin, the main reception hall has a feeling of Moorish or Ottoman luxury. The building is home to two music halls, one large and one small, and throughout the daylight hours you can hear the music of the conservatory students and concert rehearsals trickle through the windows, making the building of the most charming spots in the city.

Some interesting facts about the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy:

Due to a governmental exchange program with Japan, a number of Japanese musicians study at Liszt Ferenc.

It used to have stained glass windows by famed designer Miksa Róth, though these were destroyed.

Famous alumni include: Béla Bartók, Sir Gerog Solti, Zoltán Kodály, and Georges Cziffra.

The original Liszt Ferenc Academy wasn’t in this grand building, but in Liszt Ferenc’s own apartment.

Below find a video that captures some of the nice exterior details of the building, as well as the statue of Liszt Ferenc that sits on the square that bears his name.

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.

Abigail: The Return of Magda Szabó

With the publication of Abigail, by Hungarian writer Magda Szabó, Hungarian literature is in the spotlight again in North America. This continues something of a renaissance for local writers. Only ten or so years ago, Hungarian writers published on major presses in English were very rare indeed. Now, with the international lionization of living Hungarian writers like László Krasznahorkai and Péter Nádas, the entire Hungarian canon is being cherry-picked for re/translation for the British and US markets. Novels like the pre-WWII classic Journey By Moonlight by Antal Szérb and many titles from Sándor Márai ’s body of work have recently experienced huge success in their English translations. The former has even seen two different English language translations.

The Door, Magda Szabó’s first book translated into English, was an international hit, with postitive reviews in the New York Times, among other prestige venues. Szabó is a cherished author here in Hungary, and there have been nominal efforts made in the past to introduce her works to an English-speaking audience. Indeed, she has been widely translated into numerous languages, but her works have only recently been fully appreciated in America.

Upon getting stellar reviews, the publisher had a hard time keeping up with demand for The Door, and tweeted that multiple booksellers had sold out. Here is what literary luminary Claire Messud had to say in the New York Times: “If you’ve felt that you’re reasonably familiar with the literary landscape, “The Door” will prompt you to reconsider. It’s astonishing that this masterpiece should have been essentially unknown to English-­language readers for so long, a realization that raises once again the question of what other gems we’re missing out on. The dismaying discussion of how little translated work is available in the United States must wait for another venue; suffice it to say that I’ve been haunted by this novel. Szabo’s lines and images come to my mind unexpectedly, and with them powerful emotions. It has altered the way I understand my own life.”

The New York Times was equally breathless about Abigail, saying this: "The English edition of Abigail is as welcome as it is overdue. Len Rix’s translation is deft, but Szabó’s frank, conversational prose takes a back seat to her sinuous plotting: The novel unspools its secrets over many pages, and the resulting tour de force is taut with suspense. . . . Nothing could ruin a book so humane—but to resolve the novel’s central mysteries, especially the enigma of Abigail’s identity, would be to diminish some of its breathless urgency. To learn the truth, you must consult Abigail herself." It looks like another opportunity for North American readers to discover a classic Hungarian writer has arrived. Indeed, Abigail is the writer’s best known work in her home country, so expectations are high.

Szabó, who died in 2007 at the age of 90, had a prolific life, and was the author of many more novels, though you will have to wait – hopefully not too long – before they are available in English, though NYRB her novels Iza’s Ballad and Katalin Street have also been published to acclaim.

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: the Wekerle Estate

via Wikipedia Commons

One great aspect of Budapest is that potential locations continually reveal themselves. The city is expansive, and what is cinematic doesn’t end at the ring road. Take for example the Wekerletelep, or Wekerle Estate in English. 

Imagine a rural village in the middle of the city: a place that could pass for the quiet berg where your average Transylvanian vampire calls home, or the setting where a young man is preparing to defend his lady friend’s honor in first duel. All the feelings of romance and Gothic creepiness are apparent in and around the Wekerle Estate in Budapest. Originally built to house the influx of workers to the city in the late 19th Century, the area was conceived as a kind of agrarian housing development. Built between 1909 and 1926, it was originally named the Kispest Workers and Clerks Settlement.

via Wikipedia Commons

The Transylvanian feel of the buildings on the Estate’s central Kós Károly Square comes from the primary architect, Károly Kós, who brought to the project his Transylvanian rustic sensibility.  This is especially apparent in the use of wood in building and ornamentation. 

When you consider the housing developments that came not long afterwards, in the form of Communist block houses, or as we know them, tenements, the Wekerle Estate is all the more amazing and humane as a housing solution. It was noted that back in 1917, inhabitants could earn enough revenue on the fruit they sold from the estate grounds to make rent many times over. These days, the real estate around the square is highly sought after and, though there have been a few unfortunate architectural additions to the square, much of the country feel remains in this ‘village in the city’.

For more great photos, visit a site dedicated to the Wekerle Estate 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.

Comic Con International to Crash Budapest

Comic Con International -- the world’s largest comic book (and then some) convention is coming to Budapest. In addition to attracting even more visitors to our streets, it means that for a brief shining few days, the people you see walking around the city in funny dress won’t be part of a stag party. The Budapest incarnation of the massive convention will be in the coming summer — August 15-16 to be exact — so superhero enthusiasts will have time to tone their muscles and get their costumes made. To those in the know, dressing up as such is called ‘cosplay’. And cosplay is huge at Comic Con.

Originally intended for the comic book industry and super-fans, Comic Con has sprawled into other mediums like film and gaming. But at its core are the comics that have been a part of -- particularly North American -- popular culture for a century. Because it focuses heavily on the fantasy elements of comics, as well as anime and magma, Budapest is perfect as a location, having hosted so many fantasy, horror, and super hero film productions, most recently The Avengers franchise’s latest installment. 

According the Comic Con, the economic impact for the location could be up to a hundred million dollars, due to the crowds the event attracts. The New York Comic Con is described as ‘the biggest cultural event on the East Coast’. Indeed, the San Diego Comic Con can attract up to 130,000 visitors, which gives it a world record for the most attended pop-culture event. It has other summer events like the Sziget Festival to compete with, so time will tell if Budapest Comic Con can attract the huge crowds that they do Stateside.

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.

Kadarka: Hungarian Wine's Red Resurgance

Photo via Wikipedia Common

Hungary is growing ever more famous for its wine, as evinced by the prices obtained for its world renown Tokaj Aszú, or, the ‘wine of kings.’ But lesser known is that Hungary also has other grapes that are indigenous to the country. Grapes like Hárslevelű, Irsai Olivér, and Juhfark are particular to the Hungarian wine region. But the most widely drank -- at least until recently -- Hungarian varietal, and a key component to Hungarian Bull’s Blood wine, is called Kadarka. 

As Kadarka is something of the Hungarian Pinot Noir (of course Pinot Noir also wants to make that claim, though Hungarian Pinot Noir is a less successful wine in the Central European climate). Though some may dismiss Kadarka as a lightweight, or pass it over for a heartier Syrah or Portugieser, Kadarka is beloved by local drinkers for its accessibility, and for having a place in Hungarian culture. At one point in the last century, over 60 percent of the country’s vineyards were growing the grape. It is both nostalgic and nostalgia-cool with a certain crowd. Indeed, one of the most popular wine bars in Pest is named Kadarka.

True, the grape does have Balkan origins, having migrated up from Albania and through Serbia before becoming totally Hungarian. Like many great things about Hungarian culture, the former Soviet installed government did its best to eradicate the Kadarka grape, as it was not easily mass produced, and quotas of state-owned companies demanded quantity over quality. Thus Kadarka was replaced with Kekfrankos, an easier grape to cultivate.

We’re not poetic or sophisticated enough to describe wine, but the wine-focused site Taste Hungary is. This is what they say about Kadarka: “Classic kadarka boasts a vibrant crunchy red fruit like sour cherry, raspberry and cranberry, with black fruit coming to the fore in a warmer vintage. Its smooth tannins and racy acidity are always livened up with a good dose of spice, one of its hallmarks, and perhaps some floral notes.”

Kadarka is considered ‘Hungaicum,’ or something that is particularly Hungarian. Like things that were repressed as symbols of national pride, Kadarka is making a comeback with drinkers, and being ‘elevated’ from mere table wine to something connoisseurs hanker after.  Perhaps this once popular grape’s time is yet to come.

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.

Shot in Hungary: The Witcher

Everybody is looking for the next Game of Thrones, from viewers to producers. Netflix believes they have alighted upon that with their popular new series The Witcher. Based on the series of fantasy books by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, much like GOT The Witcher takes place in a fictional medieval land, where dark forces and mystical creatures run amuck. Unlike GOT, The Witcher’s first season was filmed in Hungary, along with a few other European locations. Chosen for its diverse locations and sound stages — nothing new here — the eastern European, old world feel of the books was easy to reproduce.

Budapest City Park’s Vajdahunyad Castle, so majestic, picturesque, and haunted looking, was utilized for one location. Built in 1856, the castle is actually a replica for one build earlier, but has aged into its ancient look. Sources also report the Kiscelli Museum was another location.

via Wikipedia Commons

The Kiscelli Museum is a good find, and under-used location. According to the museum’s site” “The ensemble of the former baroque monastery and church housing the Kiscelli Museum is on the hillside above Margaret Hospital in Óbuda. The Trinitarian order having been suppressed in 1784, the ensemble was also used as military barracks and military hospital before it was purchased by the Vienna-based art collector and furniture manufacturer Max Schmidt in 1910, who turned it into a luxurious mansion.” As with every location in Hungary, the Kiscelli Museum comes with its own backstory.

via the Kiscelli Museum site

The cast of The Witcher were seen about town during the shoot, indulging fans and enjoying the city, as most stars do when they come to Budapest. Of the shoot, Witcher star Eamon Farren told Express online: “We've started shooting and you walk onto these sets and they're just incredible, the scale of it is massive. What I love about The Witcher is the scale of it is massive but the stories and the characters are so intimate and familiar, but also and they exist in that epic world.”

It is still undetermined if The Witcher and Budapest’s partnership will continue in future seasons, nor is it certain it will be the next GOT, but for now reports are that it looks awful good on the screen, in no small part due to the locations. So no matter which Witcher we watch in Season Two, we know which we prefer: that which is filmed in Hungary.

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.

Those Who Remained Shortlisted for Oscar

It’s the time of year when some things are new — the year, for instance — and some things are familiar, like a Hungarian film being short-listed for a Best Foreign Film Oscar. In recent years we’ve seen Son of Saul, and On Body and Soul, two locally made films, on this list. This year brings about the drama Those Who Remained (Akik maradtak, in Hungarian), which made the 2020 shortlist, along with some stiff competition in the form of Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, and Paweł Aleksander Pawlikowski’s Cold War. True, the list was released in December, but we are still catching up here.

Directed by Barnabás Tóth, the drama tells the story of a teenage girl who mourns family losses with a doctor in post WWII Hungary. In a rave review, Daily Variety had this to say: “Perceptively directed by Barnabás Tóth, it taps into a deep well of honestly earned emotion as it tells the story of two traumatized survivors whose relationship helps them to heal and provides them with someone to live for. Set in the period between 1948 and ’53, the period drama also takes on the purges of Hungarian politician Mátyás Rákosi’s Communist regime.” Variety also calls the film “achingly tender.”

Tóth’s first film was the well received, but perhaps more commercially minded Camembert Rose. It has been a decade since that film, but worth the wait, as Hollywood Reporter called Tóth, “a talent to watch.” Only time will tell if Those Who Remained can repeat the winning success of Son of Saul, but the Holocaust subject matter is traditionally sympathetic to Academy voters, and the film has already been widely praised. The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9 of this year. That’s 2020, and this is us, wishing you a happy one.

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.

Happy Holidays from Hungary and Flatpack!

Holidays in Budapest and Hungary are always something to look forward to, whether your thing is mulled wine, Krampus, or Hanukkah candles. One of the charming traditions in Budapest that thrills one and all are the ‘light trolleys’ or ‘light trams,’ which are simply traditional forms of public transportation lit up with Christmas lights. Looking like ride-able Christmas trees, 40,000 LED lights are used to illuminate each tram. Running along the number 2 tram line and 76 trolley line, among others, the special festive — and new — holiday tradition can be experienced from November 29th through to January 5th. A ride on the number 2 tram is also one of the least expensive ways to see the city at its scenic best, as it runs along the river Danube.

So though we are taking some holiday time to ourselves, we encourage you to get out and see some of the lit up holiday trams and trolleys rolling around Budapest. And if you can’t experience them in person, enjoy the pictures below.

via the BKK FB page

via the BKK FB page

via the BKK 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.

Hungarian Wins Emmy For the First Time

via the Eternal Winter FB page

While Hungarians are frequently present at the Oscars, due to the international nature of the film industry, and the disproportionate amount of Hungarians working in Hollywood, they are far less represented at international television awards ceremonies. That’s why it’s so exciting that this year saw the first win by a Hungarian actor for an International Emmy, ‘the Oscars of television.’ Actor Marina Gera took home the Best Performance by an Actress statue for her lead role in drama Eternal Winter at this year’s ceremony.

The World War Two drama tells the story of Hungarians deported to Ukraine and interned into forced labor, Gulag-like camps. In Film Threat’s fawning review, they summarize the drama as such: “Irén (Marina Gera) is trying to celebrate a melancholy Christmas with her parents (Anikó Für, Tibor Gáspár) and daughter Ági (Norina Fehérvári), despite her soldier husband (Gábor Jászberényi) being long absent from the dinner table. While they struggle to maintain a unified household, Soviet soldiers arrive in Hungary to force all young women with possible German origins away from their village. Effectively kidnapping them and transporting them to a Gulag camp, the women are forced to work in the nearby coal mines. While the abysmally inhumane conditions bare down on everyone in the camp, Irén meets Rajmund (Sándor Csányi), who decides to teach her his rules of survival.”

via the Eternal Winter FB page

Directed by Attila Szász, Eternal Winter is a story that is very close to home in these parts, as it is estimated that around 700,000 Hungarians were held in such labor camps, many of whom died there. In her acceptance speech, Gera paid homage to their lives, dedicating the award to “all the Hungarian victims who suffered in the Soviet Union.” Naturally, the film was shot in and around Budapest and Transylvania.

The International Emmy Award is an award given by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS) in recognition of the best television programs initially produced and aired outside the United States. Originated in 1973, it attracts over 1,200 television professionals. Here’s hoping that this success sets the tone for many more Hungarian faces at the Emmys. 

Below you can watch the trailer for Eternal Winter, in Hungarian with English subtitles.

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.

Actor Timothée Chalamet Talks Hungary

Actor Timothée Chalamet recently gave Hungary a plug while being interviewed for Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the American classic novel Little Women. The actor was recently in Hungary shooting the adaptation of another classic: Frank Herbert’s Dune. Moreover, he is currently shooting The King, where he plays King Henry V of England in and around Budapest. In the clip below, he does a pretty good job pronouncing the town Szilvásvárad, where a pivotal battle scene was shot. Indeed, The King’s production designer Fiona Crombie was also taken with the location, as she points out to Daily Variety:

For the Battle of Agincourt, Crombie says the geography was very specific. “We needed to find a place that was flanked on either side by forest. We needed it to have a hill and a dip. We went searching for that specifically.” The perfect location for the battle was in Szilvásvárad, Hungary. “It just had the right geography. It was this tiny, little town, but we felt it just had to be there because it gave us the story. It gave us the landscape that we needed.”

This means that Chalamet has shot two films in Hungary this year. Last February he was spotted by fans and media around town. You can see from the snaps below that he was happy to accommodate locals with selfies.

via tchalamet-ny.tumblr.com

While its good, if no longer novel, to see famous actors on the streets of Budapest, it is surprising to hear them use correct Hungarian pronunciation. Known for his work ethic, the mercurial actor no doubt boned up on Hungarian during his time here and in anticipation of interviews where the topic may come up. With that in mind, we look forward to much more Hungarian from Chalamet when he promotes both Dune and the King.

Timothée Chalamet milyen szépen ejti ki a Szilvásvárad szót! pic.twitter.com/3F8KS7KzhQ

— Varga Ferenc (@filmklub) November 15, 2019

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: 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.