The Stars Come Out: Budapest Retains all Michelin Stars

via the Borkoynha FB page

Despite the let’s say—difficult—beginning to 2020, Budapest is back on track to welcome visitors from all over the world. Cinemas are due to open, as are pools and limited seating concerts. Of course restaurants have been open for weeks now, and you can even sit indoors if you choose to.

It’s reassuring to know that while there were some permanent closures, many fine dining restaurants have re-opened, and six top-tier ones have received the good news that they retained their Michelin stars. These include Costes, Costes Downtown, Borkonyha Wine Kitchen, Babel, Stand, and the solo two star restaurant, Onyx. Fifteen Hungary-based restaurants were commended for good food, and Petrus maintained its coveted Bib Gourmand. The closest nation from the post Soviet bloc region, Poland, has but three stars.

via the Onyx Facebook page

Fine dining in Hungary has come a very long way in a very short period of time. Where stiff service and chaffing-dish food dominated the post-Socialist era, now the emphasis is on farm-sourced ingredients, elevations of traditional fare, and friendly unpretentious service. It should go without saying that local wines are showcased on most fine dining menus, and with good reason: local wine is one of the under-reported delights of culinary tourism in Hungary.

via the Babel Facebook page

Along the way, chefs like Tamás Széll and Szabina Szulló have become local culinary icons, if not celebrities. So don’t count out trying Mangalica — Hungary’s coveted fatty pork — at Borkoynha, and following it up with a prized Tokaji Aszú dessert wine this summer. But remember that we may have been on pause for a bit, but we are back, and it’s worth making a reservation.

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 Tribute to Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput and KritiSanon via By Bollywood Hungama/ WikipediaCommons

We are very shocked and sad to learn of the passing of Indian film and television star Sushant Singh Rajput, who spent time in Budapest a few years back working on the film Raabta. The actor brought a tireless work ethic and good cheer to the long days of shooting, and was remembered fondly by all who worked with him.

An unlikely star, Rajput actually set out to be an engineer, and showed academic prowess, winning honors as a national Olympiad in physics. While at the prestigious Dehli Technological University, Rajput enrolled in a dance class, and proving talented, also joined a drama class. Rajput was blessed with a facility for both, and was invited into a professional dance troupe a mere few months’ time later.

Of acting, Rajput said: "I found the experience liberating. I realised that I could communicate with the audience. I knew I wanted to do this forever.” Indeed, it wasn’t long before he quit engineering to study dance and acting full time.

The actor soon found a roles on a few Indian TV series, before getting his break in film, cast in one of the leads of the Indian film Kai Po Che! Its commercial success opened door to numerous other Indian films before being cast opposite Bollywood star Kriti Sanon in Raabta. The Hindi language romance directed by Dinesh Vijan was shot in Budapest, in Tata (Hungary), and in India.

Says Flatpack co-founder Zita Kisgergely: “We were truly shocked to hear the devastating news on Sushant who we worked with on the Raabta shoot and who along with Kriti Sanon were the shining stars of our busy days for two month.” Assistant Director Fruzsina Szőke also remembers her friendship with Rajput: “Sushant, who I only called Sush, was without a doubt one of the most gentle and precious souls I have ever met. I spent a lot of time with him and we kept our connection since working on Raabta. He was always smiling during shooting, was cheerful and funny, and had a good word for everybody. In the mean time, he was such a clever, intelligent little boy for me, despite that he was even a bit older than me. I was amazed how much work he put in his acting career to be the best at it, and also was well read about everything, like everything. Even mathematics and philosophy! He held a special place in my heart, one he will always have! Goodbye love!”

Rajput more recently also starred in Dil Bechara, the Bollywood remake of The Fault in Our Stars, which would have been in theatres now, were it not for the pandemic. An actor with huge versatility, discipline, and warmth, we say goodbye to Sushant Singh Rajput.

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 Awaits! An Invitation to Return

photo via the Cimbalom World Association Facebook page

Now more than ever, we are alert to signs of optimism, and looking to the future. With border restrictions dwindling by the day, Budapest is preparing to reopen not just to locals, but to the world at large. As it stands, restaurants are back in business, as are pubs and shopping streets. Soon we will have cinemas and our famous thermal baths to look forward to.

This spirit of hopefulness is reflected in the promotional video, Budapest Awaits! sponsored by the Visit Budapest campaign. Like a few of the other videos we’ve seen shot over the course of the lockdown, Budapest Awaits! takes great advantage of diminished streetlife to feature iconic locations around the city, from Heroes’ Square to Fishermen’s Bastion, to the very rare shot of an empty thermal bath.

In their own words, “Budapest has always been a vibratingly lively space to live, filled with true meaning by all the residents and visitors. The city now prepares in calm slumber to greet us again on its streets.

The newest short film of Budapest Festival- and Tourism Centre is presenting this uniquely peculiar perspective for the ones remaining home. Conducted by sunlight two domestic artists brings back life to these familiar, still tranquil spaces, foreseeing the approaching moment of our reunion with the capital. Budapest awaits”

Dancer János Feledi really brings the score by Miklós Lukács to life in this inspiring video (the instrument is a cimbalom, in case you don’t know) Have a look. We hope to see you soon.

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.

Zimmer Free: Hans Zimmer Video Filmed in Budapest

Hans Zimmer via By JNH et HZ at Wikipedia Commons

Hans Zimmer is considered by many to be the Mozart of film scores. Having scored over 150 films, it is not without good reason. Accolades include an Academy Award for his score for the Lion King, four Grammys, and two Golden Globes. Even more fascinating (for some) he worked with the band the Buggles, and can be seen in their video for “Video Killed the Radio Star”, the first video ever played on MTV. As if that wasn’t enough, he is also the head of the film music division of DreamWorks. He is an industry unto himself.

German, with roots in Switzerland, England and of course, Hollywood, Zimmer is worldly enough to be the right person to create one of the iconic music videos released during the global pandemic. Entitled “Time”, the track was originally on the Inception film soundtrack. Remixed by Alan Walker, the tune has been given a second life, complete with a video, which was shot in such diverse locations as New York, London, Oslo, and of course, Budapest, where a shot of Zimmer playing piano in LA is projected against Budapest’s Chain Bridge.

Though Budapest is only briefly featured, it is quite a dramatic segment, during this cathartic, emotionally complex piece of music. The tone of “Time” is reflected perfectly by the Chain Bridge’s imposing, yet aspirational design. The masked onlooker in the video, looking up into the night sky, gives an ominous feeling, something so many films have taken advantage of when shooting in this city.

Aside from the projection, Zimmer has been to Budapest before, recently playing live. He also toured here in 2016, and his score to Pirates of the Caribbean was performed in the city in 2017. Here’s hoping he returns soon. Until then, enjoy the hopeful message of unity, and let it be the soundtrack to Spring as Budapest opens up to the world again.

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.

László Bíró and the Invention of the Century

Like most Hungarian inventors, László’s Bíró’s life was fraught with intrigue, adventure and tragedy. You will recognize his invention by his last name: the word synonymous with modern writing tools. The Biro, though not the first ballpoint pen, was the first functional ballpoint pen that was dependable and could stand up to the rigors of travel and frequent use.

The idea to create the ballpoint came from the frustrations Bíró experienced as a journalist. Fountain pens were not practical and were frequently messy to work with. Biro found that the real test in perfecting his invention was not the design, which came fairly quickly, but the ink, which needed exactly the right consistency to flow from the pen without stopping up the ball. Bíró and his partners experimented for years, taking on numerous investors (and giving up valuable rights) along the way. One prominent investor was the British Air Force, which needed a pen that would not burst at high altitudes (they still use Biro’s ballpoint pent to this day).

Biro might have lived out a comfortable life with his family, but as with most prominent figures of the 20th Century, history intervened. Bíró, though secular, was of Jewish ethnicity, and subject to the prejudice and discrimination. Anticipating the horrors of World War II, Bíró immigrated to Paris, where he was able to patent his version of the pen. When it became clear that Paris was not safe either, he boarded a ship to Argentina, at the behest of a fellow Hungarian, who planned to build a global business around producing and licensing rights to the pen. Because Bíró was indebted to his investors, and depended on them to get is wife out of the increasingly hostile atmosphere in Hungary, he was never able to financially exploit his own invention. Indeed, the patent was eventually sold to Marcel Birch, who, over time, evolved the Biro into the Bic, the most popular pen in history. Bíró died well off, but by no means rich.

The Argentinians honor Bíró on his birthday, September 29, and proclaim it ‘Inventors’ Day.’ The rest of the world honors Bíró every time they pick up a ballpoint pen: one of the most revolutionary products in history.

Below is a short informative video on the invention of the ballpoint pen.

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.

Cocktail Corner: The Scent of Spring in Hungary

Spring weather in Budapest can be glorious, making it the favorite season of many locals. It also helps that markets are full with fresh Hungarian produce. Agricultural traditions are strong in rural Hungary, and until recently not much produce was imported. This means many of the best fruits and vegetables are available seasonally, like asparagus and blueberries. But one of the great spring flavors is rarely seen in grocery stores or markets, and frequently picked by hand and sold informally. We’re talking about Hungarian elderflower, which is used to make delicious elderflower cordials and specialty lemonades and cocktails. Adventurous cooks also boil it down and use it as a component in toppings for ice-cream, an infusion in strawberries, and flavoring in cakes and tarts.  

In Hungary, elderflower season lasts from mid May to early June, though some believe it is only good for picking for a few weeks. The delicate lace-like flower has an easily recognizable lemony, musty scent. The air  by where it grows is fragrant with the very unique sweet musty floral smell of the flower, which also grows on trees around Budapest. If you stop mid-walk in late May and ask ‘what’s that smell’? The answer is usually elderflower.

The elderflower has a second coming in the autumn, when the elderberries are ready to pick and be made into elderberry jam, but in some circles, it’s the flower that is the real delicacy. Below have a look at how famed Hungarian food blogger, Zserbo recommends preparing elderflower for a refreshing drink.

Ingredients:

Note: quantities in parentheses are approximate since in Hungary metric units are used.

• 4 elderflower heads

• 400 g (~2 cups) sugar

• 1 unwaxed lemon

• 10 g (~2 1/2 tsp) citric acid

Wash and shake the elderflowers to remove any insects. Thoroughly wash the lemon, then slice it into thick slices.

Place sugar, elderflowers and lemon slices into a 2,5 liter jar. Scatter citric acid over them.

Pour water to fill the jar. Stir to dissolve sugar and citric acid. Cover the jar with a plate and leave to steep for 48-72 hours.

Strain through a fine muslin cloth or a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl.

Using a funnel, fill plastic bottles. The soft drink can keep for a few days in the fridge, but you can freeze the filled bottles to keep for longer.

Serve chilled, diluted with soda, still or sparkling water, or Prosecco for a perfect summer spritzer.

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.

Kills on Wheels Gets American Remake

While historically, it is more common for foreign film-makers to come to Budapest to take advantage of the amazing locations and production expertise, it is also nice when Hungary gets to see one of its own films sent out into the world and achieve enormous success. In the case of Kills on Wheels — in Hungarian Tiszta Szívvel — international recognition began with the Oscars. While it ultimately didn’t make the short-list selection, the film was Hungary’s choice for consideration for Best Foreign Language Film. This heightened profile brought it to the attention of Noah Wylie, the American TV/film star, who was starting up his own production company, Slippery Moon Productions, which bought the rights to remake an American version of writer/director Attila Till’s film. It has been reported the Warner Bros. is also producing. While Till’s original version was a feature length film, Wylie is looking to make an extended series, to take advantage of the increased interest in home entertainment.

Deadline.com summarizes the film’s plot as such: “Set in an assisted living facility, Kills on Wheels tells the story of two young men with disabilities, whose lives are transformed when they are asked to aid a paraplegic assassin in his quest to dismantle the Serbian crime syndicate that betrayed him.” In the same article, Wylie discusses his reasons for taking on the project: “The film had this punk-rock sensibility. I had never seen anything quite like it. The film was cast with actors who had disabilities and I was struck by how all of my sympathies, empathies and touch of pity toward the community was thrown back in my face violently. It revealed to me how little they want that.”

The Hungarian version was notable for its use of physically challenged actors, and not stars who played as such. The film was a hit with the trades: Variety said it is: “An engaging, disability-focused Hungarian dramedy that, despite the crass title, is actually an inventive coming-of-age tale.” Cineoutsider.com praised the acting: “A trio of fine performances and the fact that the odds are theoretically so stacked against them on every job makes it disarmingly easy to bond with the three leads….Back when I reviewed Nimród Antal’s Kontroll in 2005 I saluted modern Eastern European cinema for casting people who really looked like the characters they played, and that statement still stands today.”

Once things normalize in California, not to mention Hungary, we look forward to this international interpretation of a local favorite. Below find the trailer to the original, 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.

Location Spotter: Hungary, 1920

Sometimes a location isn’t a place but a time. Here we have a look a hundred years into the past, when 1920 Hungary was a very different place from 2020 Hungary. This was back when it wasn’t Hungary, but The Kingdom of Hungary, with larger — but shrinking — borders, and a significant Yiddish speaking population. The excellent free photo archive Fortepan has made these and over 100,000 photos from Hungary’s past available on-line. This is just a small window, though it includes a look into old world Hungarian hospitals. The cars too were of course something else. Though Pre-War Hungary was quite a different world, it is still good to know they also liked convertibles.

via Fortepan/ Sűtő János

via Fortepan/Göcseji Múzeum

via Fortepan/Göcseji Múzeum

via Fortepan/Göcseji Múzeum

via Fortepan/Göcseji Múzeum

via Fortepan/Ungvári Ildikó

via Fortepan/Ungvári Ildikó

via Fortepan/ Dr Varga Csaba

via Fortepan/Lőrinczi Ákos

via Fortepan/Lőrinczi Ákos

via Fortepan/Lőrinczi Ákos

You can find the Fortepan archive 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.

Watch Party: Stream Hungarian Classic Vuk for Free!

Cinema closures have meant increased interest in streaming films, and though that is largely troubling for the film industry, the silver lining is that audiences are discovering and rediscovering classics and films they might not have otherwise given a chance. Luckily, the Hungarian Film Archive has made numerous classic Hungarian films available online, many for free. One such film is the animated classic Vuk, a beloved family film about a fox cub.

Adapted from a popular children's novel of the same name, it was the second of writer István Fekete’s books to be made into a film. The first was the novel Tüskevár (Thorn Castle), which came out in 1957 and was filmed ten years later. Vuk, too, was released during Socialist times, in 1981, and produced by Pannónia Filmstúdió.

The story follows similar coming-of-age animal plots like American classic Bambi, only it is done with a bit of Central European flair, and expert animation. According to wikifur.com here’s what to expect: “The film is about a fox cub, Vuk, who ventures away from his family's den and, upon his return, learns from his uncle Karak that his entire family has been shot and killed by a human hunter. Karak then offers for Vuk to stay with him, and Karak continues to raise him.As Vuk grows older, he develops much cunning and cleverness. Now a young adult fox, he finds a vixen held captive in a cage on a human farm. He tricks the guard dogs and other animals, as well as the hunter himself, and eventually helps the vixen escape. She joins Vuk and Karak in the woods. Karak is killed by humans during a hunt. Vuk swears revenge on the hunter and finally accomplishes it, playing many jokes on the hunter's stupid dogs and eventually on the man himself. At the end of the film, Vuk and his wife have cubs.”

Vuk themed mural via the Vuk Facebook page

Vuk is not to be confused with the British/Hungarian animated film Kis Vuk -- or A Fox’s Tale -- which is the film’s more internationally minded sequel, in part voiced by Miranda Richardson (and also made in Budapest). The later was computer animated, and a bit of a flop. 

The original Hungarian Vuk is the one to watch, and it is online for free, with English subtitles. And of course we have the link for you below. Got a favorite Hungarian classic available for legal streaming? Let us know in the comments!  In the meantime, enjoy this tale of cunning and caring. Just what we need right now.

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.

Sam and the Volcano: the Exploring Spirit of Sámuel Teleki

Sámuel Teleki via Wikipedia Commons

It’s a little known fact that in Africa, in southern Kenya to be exact, there is a volcano that bears a very Hungarian sounding name. The formation in question: Teleki’s Volcano, was named as such, because it was discovered by Hungarian explorer Count Sámuel Teleki. 

Historically, no doubt because it is a land-locked country, Hungarians haven’t set sail to name or colonize distant parts, like the British, Dutch, and Spanish. But the aristocracy where well traveled, and enterprising. Their enormous wealth made such journeys possible.

Sámuel Teleki was born in 1845, in then-Hungarian Transylvania. A politician by creed, he also was an avid hunter. While his studies took him to Germany, his hobby took him to Africa, particularly the eastern portion, where he could safari, hunt, and explore. But Teleki also traveled in the fashion of an aristocrat, taking with him some 400 porters on his expedition, starting down the Ruvu River in Tanzania. 

Teleki Volcano via Hungarikumokkal.com

Teleki was one of the first European explorers to take significant interest in this portion of Africa. He was also the first explorer to reach the snow line on Mount Kilimanjaro (he would later fail to make it to the mountain’s peak). While he is also credited with discovering several African lakes, it should be noted that he only discovered them for Europe, as they were of course known to locals. 

It was in east Africa, in Kenya, when he came upon the active volcano, which now bears his name: Teleki’s Volcano. But that is not the only discovery that was named after him. He took great interest in the area’s flora and fauna. A giant Lobelia plant native to Kenya is also called Tekeki (the plant looks like a strange hairy cactus, and grows at high altitudes, like on Mt. Kenya). 

Teleki did return to Hungary, and died in Budapest, quite famous, and still rich, in 1916. His legacy abroad may be small, but it is significant. His volume East African Diaries is still around and available to be read, and from what we understand, the volcano he discovered has yet to blow. Perhaps it likes its name, and wants to keep up the good image of Hungarians abroad.

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.

Filmed in Budapest: Homeland

It’s no secret that Netflix has replaced the cinema in the past months in many parts of the world, providing distraction to millions. Series are a natural choice for home entertainment, because they can be consumed in pieces or all in marathon viewings, and, importantly, from home. No surprise that many series were filmed in part or totally in Budapest and Hungary. We profiled The Witcher a few months back, a series that got high rating from fantasy fans. Others filmed in Budapest include The Alienist, 12 Monkeys, and Emerald City.

One high profile series that was surprisingly shot in part here was the much loved thriller Homeland. As with many other productions, Budapest doubled for Moscow in Homeland’s Season 7 (though as much as they tried, they couldn’t keep a poster of former Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány appearing in a shot of Andrássy Avenue. Other locations the series utilized were the Buda Castle and the Boscolo Hotel, known for its famous New York Cafe.

Buda Castle via Varius/Wikipedia Commons

The show perhaps took advantage of most Americans’ ignorance of what Moscow actually looks like, not to mention Budapest, as in some scenes not much was done to disguise the city. RT.com points this out capably, in a snarky article on the topic: “the show’s attempts to make its Moscow scenes believable are futile. The first city scene shows the American delegation’s motorcade pulling up outside the easily identifiable New York Cafe in Budapest, complete with an iconic yellow Budapest tram rolling past. In later scenes, popular Budapest tourist locations are shown clearly. It’s almost an insult to the viewer — although the TV critics didn’t seem to notice, so perhaps the production team were right not to bother trying too hard to make Moscow out of Budapest”. Well, all’s well that ends well.

Like many stars in the city, Danes, made the most of her time off in Budapest, having been spotted at the Terror House Museum, and the inner 7th District’s restaurant Cupákos (now closed). While the series (much like Cupákos) was canceled shortly after their arrival in Central Europe, season 7 was known as one of the more memorable ones. Here’s hoping many more series will discover the versatile charms of Budapest, which if Homeland is to taken as an example, is just fine unadulterated, even if it is supposed to be in disguise.

Not 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.

Austere, Elegent Budapest

Recent times have proven to be a boon for industrious individuals who approach problems creatively. Writers are completing novels, yoga teachers are taking their courses online, and film-makers are making the most of technology that allows them to work alone. To boot: this short video depicting Budapest, empty of tourists and pedestrians. Film-maker Márton Bognár took advantage of these unique circumstances to capture Budapest during a spring snow. In one spectacular shot, you can see Lánc Híd (the Chain Bridge) free of both cars and construction. It’s both eerie and beautiful.

Of all the faces the Budapest can wear: Cold War backdrop; Old World romantic; or Western European sophisticate, one thing this video makes clear is that Budapest still has more character to reveal: the city is spectacularly photogenic under even the most extreme of circumstances. This struggle won’t last forever, but Budapest and Hungary will always be here, and will re-emerge more resplendent than ever.

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.

Ágnes Keleti: Hungary's Most Decorated Olympian Lives On!

In difficult times, it can help to look to the lives of inspiring people for hope and spirited optimism. Those who lived through turbulence, through the unimaginable, and thrived. Hungary has no shortage of such figures. One who deserves the world’s attention is Ágnes Keleti, an Olympic gymnast and Holocaust survivor. 

Keleti, still vivacious at the age of 99, is Hungary’s most decorated Olympic living athlete, with ten medals to her name (famed Hungarian fencer Aladár Gerevich also won ten). Notably, many of these medals were won after the age of 30, a real rarity in gymnastics, which is particularly youth dominated. 

A talented athlete as a child, Budapest-born Keleti’s future seemed assured, until WWII broke out when she was just 18. Being Jewish, she was only able to survive with falsified papers, and by pretending she was a peasant from the countryside. For much of the war, she worked as a maid, staying under the radar of authorities. During the Siege of Budapest, Keleti spent free time volunteering by collecting bodies and delivering them to mass graves. Though her mother and sister were saved by Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, her father perished in a concentration camp.

Keleti would not be able to compete in an Olympics until 1952 at Helsinki. At that point she was 31. There, she won a silver medal and two bronze medals. Then, in 1956, she won no less than four gold medals, and two silver. 

Keleti happened to be in Melbourne when the Soviets violently shut down a Hungarian uprising in Budapest. She applied for, and was granted, asylum. From there she moved to Israel, where she developed their national female gymnastics program. Keleti is considered the grandmother of competitive Israeli gymnastics, training young female gymnasts for success. There, she was known for being exacting and demanding. She told the Times of Israel, “I drove myself hard. I drove the girls I taught hard, too. It’s the only way to get performance. Being nice and motherly doesn’t do it.”

Keleti did eventually move back to Hungary and Budapest. According to the Times article, she lives quietly with a caretaker, and a collection of orchids. May Ágnes Keleti live on and prosper, and continue to set an example of perseverance to all of us.

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.

Ignác Semmelweis: A Hand for a Man Ahead of His Time

Semmelweis via Wikipedia Commons

If ever there were a time to applaud the man who popularized the washing of hands to ride them of germs and other microbes, it’s now. The man is, of course, Hungarian Ignác Semmelweis. And while the washing of hands may be the best way to keep germs from spreading, and the most obvious, before he came along, it was treated with skepticism. But due to his willingness to face derision, we have Semmelweis to thank the healthy habit.

Ignác (internationally known as Ignaz) Semmelweis, is one of Hungary’s most lauded figures, contributing to the sphere of pediatrics by discovering the cause and treatment of puerperal fever. He was also the first to forward a theory of germ infection, and a system of sterilizing equipment, while urging – much to their dismay – surgeons to wash their hands.

Like many reformers and great thinkers, Semmelweis was far enough ahead of his time that nobody took his greatest theories seriously. Refusing to back down in the face of the academy, and suffering from minor undiagnosed ailments, the great doctor found himself a patient in an insane asylum, where he died — from an infection, ironically — at age 47. When Louis Pasteur proved Semmelweis correct, the term ‘Semmelweis Reflex’, which Wikipedia defines as “a metaphor for a certain type of human behavior characterized by reflex-like rejection of new knowledge because it contradicts entrenched norms, beliefs or paradigms,” was coined. Of course, now it is a given that doctors wash their hands and sterilize equipment. But those notions were soundly rejected on the basis that the infecting agent was not visible to the human eye.

Budapest’s internationally renown medical university Semmelweis bears his name. He was also made posthumously famous by the French writer, Louis-Ferdinand Celine (author of Journey to the End of the Night), who wrote a short biography of him. And while he has yet to get a Hollywood treatment, no less that seven films have been made about his life. So these days, we know all to well the importance of clean hands, and have the Hungarian antiseptics pioneer Semmelweis to thank.

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.

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.