Budapest 1916: Memories in Colour

We may think of our phone cameras and readily available media as a symptom of the modern era, but people from a century ago were also interested in recording the sundry happenings of the day. We are lucky in that there are a number of old tourist films of Budapest, showing life in the city, and letting the 21st century viewer see what’s changed, and what hasn’t.

Below, we have an old film of Budapest (from the Hungarian National Film Archive) with an added treat: it’s colorized. The 1916 clip, which has been making its way around social media as of late, features shots of the grand Parliament, Fisherman’s Bastian, and a wonderfully chaotic Oktogon junction, where trams seem to be running off the tracks, and there’s not a traffic light to be seen.

The biggest surprise here is actually to discover how little the cityscape has changed. Much of the 100-plus year old scenery is now as it was then. Though World Wars One and Two decimated parts of the city, it’s hard to tell from this footage. The first bridge you see: Margit Bridge, would be destroyed twice, and rebuilt, at least once with material recovered from the bottom of the Danube. The second bridge: the Chain Bridge, would also be destroyed in WWII, but rebuilt soon-thereafter.

The video gives a whole new — or old — slant to film production in Budapest. So enjoy this little TikTok from the days of yore, which confirms the adage: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

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

Filmed in Hungary: Escape Room, Tournament of Champions

Though some credit the phenomena of the ‘escape room,’ (where a group needs to solve clues to escape an enclosed space) with Hungarian origin, the first concept of the escape room surfaced in the US, to be followed soon thereafter by more sophisticated rooms in Japan. It is true, however, that Hungary was an early adapter, and brought the escape room to Europe. Budapest even hosted the Escape Room World Championship in 2017 due to the popularity and variety of the escape rooms in the country. These days, Budapest seems to have an escape room on each block.

It’s no surprise that the concept spawned a horror film franchise, and — with the amount of film production in Budapest — also no surprise that at least a portion of one of the Escape Room movies was filmed in Hungary. The first Escape Room was filmed in South Africa, and was a hit for Columbia Pictures. The sequel, however, was in part filmed at the sound stages of Origo Studios, just outside of Budapest, the place where films such as Dune, Gemini Man, and Mars also were filmed. Taking advantage of Origo’s 10 stages (8 soundstages, 2 VFX/multimedia stages) and state-of-the-art equipment, the 15 million dollar Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, went on to gross over 50 million dollars worldwide.

But don’t expect to see any of Budapest in the film. New York subways, an ornate hotel lobby, and even a beach, were recreated by expert crews and technicians. Time will tell if a third instalment will be shot, and if Buapest will play an expanded role in the production. Until then, there is no shortage of escape rooms to keep us occupied. Maybe we can find a clue in the theatrical trailer to Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, below.

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

Hungarian Chill: the Secret of Hungarian Ice Wine

Photo by Dominic Rivard via Wikipedia Commons

Few who visit Budapest and Hungary to take advantage of favourable film service production environment leave without sampling a few hard-to-find Hungarian wines. In fact, most Hungarian wines are hard to find, because the majority are produced by small and mid-sized wineries, owned by families rather than corporations.

Perhaps one of the rarest of local tipples is Hungarian ice wine. While Tokaj is famous for its dessert wines, they are at least backed by a long tradition and a world-wide reputation. But in this climate of global warming, it’s ice wine that is more difficult to find.

Just what is ice wine? As its name implies, the beverage is made from grapes that have been pressed while still frozen. Recent years have been particularly lean for the variety, as the grape should be harvested at colder than - 8 degrees Celsius, a temperature Hungary is hitting less and less frequently when the grape is at its best: late November and early December. Countries like Canada and Germany have better climates, and lead the field in ice wine production. It should be noted that the Riesling grape is typically used in Hungary for ice wines, which are known for their clean, sweet flavour.

This doesn’t mean there isn’t excellent ice wine in Hungary. Experts point to the Hajós-Baja wine region as well as the Villány region as sources of outstanding Hungarian ice wine, as well as the traditional areas for Hungarian white wine: Tokaj and north of Lake Balaton.

While this complex dessert wine is hardly Hungaricum, it does fit well on the shelf with classic Tokaj Aszú sweet wines, and particularly welcome when you want something a bit less toothsome. So, here’s to celebrating these winter months, where we make the best with what we’ve got. In this case, excellent grapes and skilled wine makers.

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.

Future Speak: Blade Runner in Hungary, Hungarian in Blade Runner

One of the pre-pandemic’s huge film production successes to be shot in Hungary was the sequel to Blade Runner: Blade Runner 2049. The Ryan Gosling starring film, which utilized local sound stages and locations, took in close to 260 million dollars, and though that figure was disappointing to some, was still strong enough to generate development interest a third instalment. But that’s getting ahead, when what we really want to focus on is the past, and the Blade Runner / Hungarian connection at its origins.

Sharp and astute viewers noticed in the original Blade Runner that when Harrison Ford’s character Rick Deckard is interrupted while eating noodles, the officer who accosts him does so in Hungarian. Strangely, the Chinese noodle chef also understands Hungarian and translates for Deckard that he should follow the detective, as he is under arrest. Edward James Olmos, playing the cop Gaff, throws in a Hungarian curse for good measure, which we won’t repeat here.

It all seems pretty random, until Omlos returns in Blade Runner 2049 to deliver more Hungarian, though this is less out of the blue, as his character lives in Budapest. Allegedly, Hungarian was chosen for the original Blade Runner scene because the film-makers wanted the language to sound futuristic, and secondarily, actor Edward James Omlos has Hungarian roots via Mexico.

Will Blade Runner Three feature more Hungarian? Only time will tell. Until then, enjoy this blast from the past, with Omlos’s shaky but clear command of classic yet futuristic Hungarian language.

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.

"Gentle" to be First Hungarian Film at Sundance Film Festival

It was announced last week that the feature film Szelíd, or ‘Gentle’, will be screened in competition at the ever-prestigious Sundance Film Festival. This will be the first Hungarian feature length film to be entered in the competition. Gentle was directed by Csuja László — who had a success with his previous film Blossom Valley at Karlovy Vary as well as on Netflix — and Anna Nemes, a doctoral student in painting at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. The film will be screened as part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.

NFI, the Hungarian National Film Institute, offered the following as a synopsis:

“Edina is a female bodybuilder who lives with her coach, Adam. To win the World Cup, Edina has to make a serious sacrifice. Meanwhile, he comes into a special relationship with a mysterious man. The encounter changes everything the woman believed in until then.

The protagonist of the "body melodrama" is played by bodybuilder Eszter Csonka, a world champion and multiple Hungarian champion. The director’s goal, along with presenting a special life situation, is to get the viewer into the protagonist’s emotions through bodily experience.

The Sundance Film Festival will take place at the end of January, from the 20th to the 30th, both live in Park City Utah, and online. Founded by Robert Redford, it is considered to be the most influential film festival in the US, particularly for independent films. On a side note, Redford is no stranger to film production in Hungary, having starred in Spy Game, which was shot in Budapest back in 2000.

Have a look at the toned but gentle teaser for the film below:

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

Getting Around Budapest In High Style: Budapest's Zugliget Chairlift

via the bkv site

One of the truly great things for locals and long-term residents of the city of Budapest, is the feeling that there is always something novel, undiscovered, and new about the place, be it a just-opened ‘ruin pub’ created from a decrepit building, an unofficial apartment restaurant, or unfamiliar arcade packed with cute design shops. The new and the old blend together in a way that allows one to be a tourist in one’s own city.

To boot: did you know you can take a chairlift within city limits? The Zugliget chairlift is just one of the things that is surprising yet well-worn in this fine city. The Zugliget chairlift, which takes one deep into Buda’s János Hill, has been in operation for over fifty years. It was actually in the works for many years previous, since the early 1930s. The execution of the scheme took time, however, because construction was put on hold by more than one war. But in 1969 ground was broke, and a year and a half later — with help from some Austrian technology — the cable-based form of transport was delivering passengers up into Budapest’s wilderness.

via the bkv site

Among the (hilarious) names that were rejected after public tender were (in translation) Hilly-copter, Johnny-copter, Push-Pull, Duo János, János Hill Murr, Hilly Humblebee, Heavenly Cart, Armchair lift, Devil’s Chariot, Fly-seat, and Bumpy hump. The nickname ‘Libegő”, or ‘lift’, is the one that stuck, though Zugliget is the official name.

The line features 101 double seated hanging chairs, and the ride takes a total of fifteen minutes. The line is routinely renovated, with new parts replaced, including a new cable every ten years. The peak of János Hill is the highest spot in Budapest, making it a popular spot for hikers and skiers. With its lookout tower, the panorama is unparalleled.

The charlift is open year-round, and there are special lit night rides as well. So go ahead, take a seat and ride high. Budapest has never looked so good.

Erzsébet Lookout Tower via bkv site

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.

Squid Game's Gong Yoo Perks up KANU Signature Ad

Before he became recognisable to audiences worldwide in the juggernaut Netflix series Squid Game, Korean actor Gong Yoo was featured in the campaign of coffee brand KANU Signature, shot in Budapest with Flatpack Films serving as service producer. Shot at the 1871-built Hungarian University of Fine Arts, the setting is very lush indeed, reflecting the premium coffee brand.

Gong Yoo is a popular television and film star in his native Korea. His international breakout role in Squid Game is small but pivotal: the Salesman whose job it is to present offers (and slaps) to potential contestants on the lethal competition. Handsome, slick, while exuding warmth, he puts a human face on the deadly proposition. Yoo’s task representing KANU Signature premium coffee is more straightforward, elegantly embodying the coffee’s profile.

Directed by Kwang Goeng Yu, with Riego Van Wersch serving as Director of Photography, the spot is enjoying an extended life on Youtube, where it has amassed over 4 million views. Speaking of which, you can also enjoy the KANU Signature coffee ad below, after some behind-the-scenes snaps from the shoot.

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: Ferenc Liszt 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 the grand building, but in Liszt Ferenc’s own apartment. All in all, it’s a rare gem of a building, and cornerstone of Budapest cultural life.

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

Hungarians in Hollywood: Miklós and Mariska Hargitay

Hargity Family vis Wikipedia Commons

Mariska Hargitay had an auspicious debut in Hollywood, where minions of fans remember her as Donna from the horror/comedy film Ghoulies. Not quite Gremlins, and not quite Goonies, Ghoulies was still a hit, launching the career of Hargitay, who would, over time, become one of Hollywood’s highest paid TV actors.

But, more relevant to this blog, is Hargitay’s lineage. She is the daughter of iconic sex symbol Jayne Mansfield and former Mr. Universe, Mickey Hargitay. It’s body-building Hargitay who gave his daughter her Hungarian genes. He was born Miklós Hargitay in Budapest back in 1926. He moved to the United States in 1947, and won the title of Mr. Universe in 1955 (Hargitay was also an accomplished speed skater, and underground fighter durning WWII). He met Jayne Mansfield in 1956. The two married, resulting in three children, Mariska being the baby of the family. Mickey Hargitay was most famous for playing — not surprisingly — Hercules, in The Loves of Hercules. Hargitay would posthumously be portrayed by none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1980’s made for TV film, The Jayne Mansfield Story.

Mariska had big shoes to fill. After limited success on the beauty pageant circuit, she turned her attention to acting. With inevitable comparisons to her mother, it was a slow start, with small parts in television dramas, including Falcon Crest and Baywatch. It wasn’t until 1999’s Law and Order: Special Victims Unit debuted, with Hargitay in a lead role, that she came into her own. Thus far, the police procedural has shot 23 seasons, and shows no sign of slowing. Indeed, it is the longest running live action series in the history of English-language television. Mariska Hargitay was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2006.

While Mickey Hargitay died in the same year, his daughter continues in her Law and Order role, and has taken an active role in philanthropy. The younger Hargitay was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013, next the star that bears the name of her mother.

Mariska Hargitay via Joella Marano / 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 Hungary: Jack Ryan

via Budapestreporter.com

Squid Game isn’t the only popular series with a Hungarian connection (details here!). There’s Homeland, which shot several episodes in Budapest, Russian Doll, Witcher, and the forthcoming John Wick spinoff. But it’s the very popular Amazon series Jack Ryan that we look at today.

Jack Ryan — the character — was made famous by late thriller writer Tom Clancy. CIA agent Ryan will no doubt go down as one of literature’s most durable and popular heroes. The series, which has thus far spanned sixteen years, comprises over thirty books, including the blockbuster Hunt for Red October. Ryan’s world of espionage, spies, terrorists, politics, and war have been the mainstay of testosterone-privileged readers since the mid Eighties.

The series draws from the volumes of material Clancy left behind after his death in 2013. Season 3 of Jack Ryan, some of which was shot in Hungary’s Astra Studios, sees actor John Krasinski reprise his role as CIA agent Ryan. Scenes were also shot on location, notably on Budapest’s gorgeous Margit Island, capturing the austere, verdant island in the summer months. Of the locations, co-show-runner Carlton Cuse told locationmanagers.org: “The varied worldwide locations of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan were critical to the storytelling. A great location manager is an essential translator of story into image. We were blessed to have five of them on this project. They worked across the globe to deliver the incredible looks necessary to give the show the critical sense of authenticity. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan is as far from a backlot show as possible. It’s a story about Jack Ryan getting out from behind a desk into the world. So we absolutely had to have our actors do the same thing.”

While there is no release date set for Season Three, which will be shown exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, fans and journalists are speculating it will be aired next summer. Super fans, of which there are a lot, will also be pleased to know that Season Four has also been given the green light.

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: Urania National Filmhouse

Photo via Wikipedia Commons: Thaler - A feltöltő saját munkája,

The history of Hungarian film is almost as old as film itself. Since Adolf Zukor Michael Curtis, and William Fox left Hungary to help build studios and make classic movies in California, the country has remained a fertile ground for innovators and trail-blazers on the international film scene. It is only fitting that one of the grandest, most elegant movie theaters on the planet is situated in the heart of Budapest. The Urania stands as a functioning monument to the great artistic achievements of film and a tribute to audiences who still like to enjoy cinema in a proper movie theater.

The structure housing the Urania was constructed in the 1880s. Its original purpose was actually not film related: nickelodeons had yet to even debut at that point in history. The Urania was what is known as an ‘Orpheum’, which is a kind of cabaret/dance hall. Right before the turn of the century, it was refitted to be a movie theater, in order to first host a Hungarian Scientific Society’s presentation, and then later to accommodate the rush of interest in this new crowd-pleasing medium.

Photo via the Urania National Filmhouse site

The architect, Henrik Schmal – who also contributed designs to a few of Andrássy Avenue’s more regal buildings – incorporated both Moorish and Venetian Gothic styles into his design for the Uriania. You can see how ideal the setting would be for any interior that is intended to invoke old-world European charm. Indeed, one of Hungary’s first locally made films was shot there so long ago.

Photo via Urania National Filmhouse site

The building fell into disrepair in the later part of the 20th century, but was totally renovated in 2005. By renovation, we don’t mean a tacky updating of the interior. No, the Urania was lovingly restored, with all the original fixtures kept intact. It would be impossible to craft such an ornate and opulent cinema today. As a landmark, it serves both as a tourist attraction as well as a venue for popular and art-house Hungarian film. Like the best monuments, it is in use and appreciated by the inhabitants of this city, which has contributed so much to the history of film.

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

Filmed in Hungary: Don't Breathe

Every now and again you learn a movie has been made locally that really has you scratching your head. It’s true that Budapest has stood in for locales as far flung as Moscow and lower Manhattan, but Detroit? But that’s how it played out in the smash horror film Don’t Breathe, which was primarily shot just north of Budapest, in the town of Pomáz, at the Stern Film Studio, where the interior of a typical Detroit house was re-created by production designer Naaman Marshall. You might have to travel to Communist-built Dunaújváros or the industrial parks on Csepel Island to find exteriors that match Detroit, so the film-makers made it easy on themselves and also shot a few scenes in that actual city.

A largely bloodless horror film that got high ratings for originality, Google summarises Don’t Breathe as such, “Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex and Money are three Detroit thieves who get their kicks by breaking into the houses of wealthy people. Money gets word about a blind veteran who won a major cash settlement following the death of his only child. Figuring he's an easy target, the trio invades the man's secluded home in an abandoned neighborhood. Finding themselves trapped inside, the young intruders must fight for their lives after making a shocking discovery about their supposedly helpless victim.”

Directed by Fede Alvarez, who previously undertook the Evil Dead reboot, the film was well received by critics, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone saying, "This is some weird, twisted s***. Don't groan when I say Don't Breathe is a home-invasion thriller. Director Fede Álvarez is as good as it gets when it comes to playing with things that go bump in the night.” The film has a very high 88 percent approval rating on the all-important Rotten Tomatoes site. With a budget of under 10 million dollars, the pic went on to gross over 150 million, making it a film loved by horror-movie fans that also managed to cross over with mainstream audiences.

Hungary has become a go-to spot for horror films, with Midsommar, The Rite, Underworld, Howling V, Season of the Witch, Hellboy 2, The Raven, World War Z, and the series The Witcher all having at least some of their production here. This puts Don’t Breathe in good, but spooky company.

To infuse a little scare into your All Souls Day, below find the Don’t Breathe trailer.

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.

Squids in the Danube: The Hungarian Connection to Squid Game

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that the most sensational show these days is the South Korean Netflix series Squid Game. The show is the most watched in the streaming juggernaut’s history, and is only picking up steam. Inspiring real life versions of the games, restaurants, and parodies, the show is an instant classic. But did you know that a Hungarian company and Hungarian musicians had a hand in the score? Neither did we until local news site Index broke the story.

The site reposts that the version of Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, and much of the incidental and background music, was provided by LA based company Budapest Scoring, which connects the deep pool of talented Hungarian musicians with the global entertainment industry.

Founded by Bálint Sapszon, a Hungarian who has been living in Los Angeles since 2007, Budapest Scoring was hired to help with the music on Squid Game after their successful collaboration with the South Korean filmmakers behind the Oscar winning film Parasite.

When we were working on the music for Squid Game, we didn’t even know exactly what it was all about. The big band and the symphony orchestra also contributed to the recordings. In each episode, Johann Strauss's Orbit of the Blue Danube and Haydn's trumpet would be performed by trumpet player László Tóth. The orchestral recordings of both classical music, jazz big band and original film music took place in Budapest — Sapszon told Index.

Sapszon went on to tell the news site that South Korean audiences have different expectations regarding background music in film, which explains why there is seemingly upbeat music playing during the most harrowing, gruesome scenes in the series, over the course of which, hundreds of competitors in the ‘game’ are executed.

There are very brutal series of images in the series, which become even more shocking with the musical background and achieve their effect a lot, Sapszon told Index.

Squid Game can claim, by Netflix’s own numbers, 111,000,000 viewers, rounding to millions. To call is widely watched would be an understatement. That Hungarian musicians contributed with Blue Danube Waltz, which feels very fitting considering that we sit on the Danube, allows us some to enjoy some local pride in this international hit.

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

Hungarians in History: Remembering Jazz Great Elek Bacsik

Historically, jazz has had a strong following in Hungary, being more permissible under the Socialist regime than consumerist-minded, Western rock. Jazz is also the choice of a highly intellectual population, and thus found no shortage of fans in Budapest. Many home-grown Hungarian jazz musicians, however, left their country of birth to find international fame in places like Paris and America, foremost Gábor Szabó. Another one of the greats, but perhaps lesser known as a solo artist, is guitarist and violinist Elek Bacsik, who was revered among the top names in jazz.

Bacsik had music in his genes: he is a cousin of legend Django Reinhardt. Born in 1926 in Budapest, he began playing violin at age four, and originally trained as a classical violinist at a local conservatory before turning to jazz. He soon became an in-demand jazz guitarist, and was taken abroad along with a touring Hungarian big band. Eventually deciding to relocate to Paris, he played at the city’s famous Left Bank jazz clubs. There, Bacsik had the opportunity to play alongside touring greats such as Lou Bennett and Dizzy Gillespie. He soon became a regular musician with jazz singer Serge Gainsbourg, as well as accompanying fellow Hungarian great György Cziffra.

But Paris couldn’t hold the restless musician, and Bacsik, travelled to places like Austria and Switzerland, even spending a whole two years as a musician in Lebanon. Then, in 1966, he relocated to America, where his gypsy and swing influenced jazz found an enthusiastic audience. Bacisk initially made his living by playing in Las Vegas pit orchestras, but was soon cutting his own sessions as the Bacsik Trio, a star in his own right. He would live out his days in the States, playing the prestigious Newport Jazz Festival, and even playing the 1984 Olympic Games. He died in the jazz-loving city of Chicago in 1993.

Below is a smooth-as-butter version of “All the Things You Are” with Serge Gainsbourg on piano. Perfect Sunday jazz, with a Hungarian twist.

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.

Pre-Oscar Shock: Post Mortem Chosen to Rep Hungary

It’s not often a horror film gets the nod as Hungary’s entrant for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. In fact, in recent memory, it is the first to do so. The choice is surprising, as the film, written by Piros Zánkay, and directed by Péter Bergendy (best known for 2011’s feature film A Vizsga, or The Exam), has yet to see a local theatrical release. Perhaps it’s a Halloween treat come early.

According to moviesandmania.com, Post Mortem is a “horror film about a photographer who confronts ghosts in a haunted village after World War One. In the cold winter of 1918, Tomás (Viktor Klem), a young man who works doing post-mortem photography, ends up in a small Hungarian village. The strange nocturnal sounds, the hostility, the mysterious deaths and the sombre figures that appear in his photographs all urge him to leave as soon as possible. Nonetheless, Tomás returns to the village to investigate the ghosts’ intentions and find a way to eradicate them…”

So, it’s easy to see from the synopsis that the film is not a run-of-the-mill scare-fest, but also uses the genre to comment on both history and present times. Thus far it has experienced a good amount of success on the festival circuit, premiering at the 36th Warsaw Film Festival and subsequently screening at the Stiges - Catalonian International Film Festival and the Shanghai Film Festival among others. Working in the spirit of ‘folk horror’ it aspires to capture the substantial audience for intelligent horror, as with films like Midsommar and The Others. Though it’s early days, thus far Post Mortem has a remarkable 100% rating on film buff site Rotten Tomatoes.

With stunts by the same crew who also worked on Game of Thrones, and cinematography by András Nagy (Eternal Winter and Bibliotheque Pascal) the film should be a technical wonder up to the standards of all the massive budget films that shoot in Hungary. Post Mortem opens in Hungary on October 28, just in time for All Souls day. But for a little taste of what to expect, enjoy the English language preview below.

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

Filmed in Budapest: Hwang Min-Hyun's Video "Universe"

Screenshot from “Universe”

As a cultural force, K-pop, or, Korean pop music, is seemingly unstoppable, with K-pop boy bands becoming global sensations. Few are bigger than the group NU’EST, who put out music in both Korean and Japanese. NU’EST’s videos mostly have over 10 million views on Youtube, with their hit “Face” achieving over 120,000,000. That’s a lot of fans.

One of the driving creative forces behind NU’EST is Hwang Min-Hyun, known as ‘Minhyun.’ Singer, songwriter and actor, Minhyun, like the rest of the group, is also famed for his androgynous, delicate good looks.

It is no surprise that Minhyun wanted an original, distinctly crafted video for his foray into solo work, and found that in Budapest. In the video for his debut single “Universe”, which has a cool, steampunk feel, Minhyun suffers from a case of heartache as he alights upon locations mostly in Budapest’s Distrcit 1, the Castle District. (It should be noted that there are also a few shots of Milan, Italy in the video).

The video opens with a shot of a classic Budapest courtyard, the type of place beloved by people who live here but is mostly kept from the eyes and cameras of tourists. Minhyun undergoes a kind of crystal therapy with a wise neighbor to rid him of thoughts of his lover, recalling a New Agey kind of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Beautifully shot, the Shin Dong Geul-directed clip is moody and fun to watch. The video for “Universe” was also a hit with fans, with over 7 million views to date. Korean productions are increasingly finding a home in Budapest, with parts of TV series Doctor Stranger recently completing filming here.

So, without further ado, below find Minhyun’s “Universe”, shot in our own little world known as 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.

Literature Spotlight: Three Hungarian Writers to Watch

The Hungarian literature that makes it to the world stage—writers like Nádas and Krasznahorkai—have been lionized by the international intelligentsia to the point where they are perennial candidates for the Nobel Prize. But there is a whole new crop of writers making waves with their work in translation. More accessible, less foreboding than their predecessors, there is a lot to enjoy in Hungary’s up and coming literati. Though more and more Hungarian writers are appearing in translation, we’ve chosen three personal favorites to showcase below.

György Dragomán is best known for his second novel, The White King, which was translated into 28 languages, and published in English by prestigious publishers in the UK and USA. It tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a Hungarian child in Transylvania whose father is a political prisoner under the Communist regime. The New York Times effused: “Utopia and its discontents, so central to Eastern European writers, are central to Gyorgy Dragoman’s darkly beautiful novel. A scathing portrait of life in a totalitarian society, The White King is both brutal and disarmingly tender.”

His most recent release in English is called The Bone Fire, and it too was widely praised by the international press. Finicky Kirkus Reviews called it, “A poignant coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of regime change.”

Much beloved in his home country, Dragoman also is increasingly finding a much deserved audience abroad.

Short stories always a hard sell, but Krisztina Tóth found success with her first full-length English language release, entitled Pixel. Described as a ‘novel in 30 chapters’. The back cover copy describes this intuitive novel in stories as such: “Like stars in the sky, pixels may seem like tiny, individual points. But, when viewed from a distance, they can create elaborate images. Each pixel contributes to this array, but no individual point can create the whole. The thirty stories that comprise Krisztina Tóth's book similarly produce an interconnected web. While each tale of love, loss, and failed self-determination narrates the sensuousness of an individual's life, together, the thirty stories tell a more complicated tale of relationships.”

India’s Seagull Books put out the English language edition. While it didn’t receive the attention of writers like Dragoman, the reviews have been uniformly strong, with hip literature site LitHub saying that the book: Addresses the crises facing Europe today: the influx of immigrants and resulting xenophobia, mounting anti-Semitism and anti-Roma bigotry, the validity of the European Union versus nation-specific loyalties. . . . Even as Tóth slices her characters into single limbs and facial features, there’s no escaping their interconnectedness. In this way, Tóth makes the concept of a national 'border' seem laughably arbitrary."

Tóth is also a poet and translator, and a writer we are predicting great things for.

Ferenc Barnás has received most major literary prizes in Hungary, and consistently seen his books published in English and languages as distant as Indonesian. Released in 2020 in English, The Parasite is described as such by its publisher, Seagull Books: “Marked by powerful and evocative prose, Ferenc Barnás’s novel tells the fascinating story of a young man’s journey through his strange obsessions towards possible recovery. The unnamed narrator is the parasite, feeding off others’ ailments, but he is also a host who attracts people with the most peculiar manias.”

Of his lush, heartfelt prose in his novel, The Ninth, The Quarterly Conversation wrote: “Telling a story from a child’s point of view is one of the most difficult modes of fiction to write successfully. The narrator of Ferenc Barnás’s The Ninth is a nine-year-old boy—The Ninth child of ten (eleven, counting the brother who died) in a large Hungarian family—whose inexperience and bare vocabulary are compounded by a speech disability. “

Barnás’ past and present don’t fit the mould of the typical Hungarian writer, as he spent a good portion of his life working as a museum attendant before moving to live and write in Jakarta, Indonesia, full time.

If you have a favorite contemporary Hungarian writer we should know about, please inform us 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.

Haute Cuisine's Happy Return: Two More Michelin Stars for Budapest

via the Salt Facebook page

Before the lockdown, Budapest was on a roll when it came to Michelin-starred restaurants. No other former Soviet Bloc country had achieved five stars in total, with four eateries getting a star each. A sixth restaurant actually received a star as well, but closed not long after. But with the re-opening of the city, with seemingly little time to dust off silverware, and some diners still opting to stay away from eating out, the city has heroically bounced back, earning two more stars, bringing the total up to seven.

via the Salt Facebook page

The restaurants awarded new stars this year are Salt and Essencia. They join Babel, Borkonyha (Winekitchen), Costes, Costes Downtown, and Stand, all of which previously won stars. Salt’s concept is both rustic and progressive, as described on their web site: “Salt Budapest was created on the foundations of the traditional Hungarian cuisine, where Chef Szilárd Tóth’s kitchen herbs and wild plants play an important role. Majority of these is collected by the chef himself in the countryside, the rest is produced by farmers. Everything in the dishes is freshly pickled and fermented.”

According to the Michelin site: “This sophisticated restaurant sits within a boutique hotel and the open kitchen forms an integral part of the stylishly lit room. Chef-owner Szilárd Tóth serves intricate, exquisitely constructed dishes, many of which are updated versions of classic Hungarian recipes.”

That’s some rich, delicious praise.

via the Salt Facebook page

For its part, Essencia is no less concept based, fusing Portuguese and Hungarian to reflect the nationalities of the chefs. According to the Michelin site: “Essência is run by Tiago & Éva. Chef Tiago is Portuguese, while his wife Éva is Hungarian, and the menus at this stylish and warmly run restaurant are a joyful celebration of both their nationalities. Dishes are assured and balanced, service is attentive – and if you sit in the front section, you can watch the chefs in action in the open kitchen.”

via the Essencia Facebook page

It’s worth noting that there were six new restaurants given Michelin Plate honors: Hoppa! Bistro, Felix, Stand25 Bisztro, Spago by Wolfgang Puck, Rumour, and Pasztell. Many of these are new restaurants, and all contenders for future stars.

According to Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides: “Both these restaurants are wonderful examples of Budapest’s dynamic restaurant scene. They not only offer fantastic food and are doing something a little different, but they also do so while paying respect to Hungary’s culinary traditions”. This is huge and encouraging news in a sector that was badly hit by closures. But stars are by design, meant to shine.

via the Essencia Facebook 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.

Unicum, the Ultimate Hungaricum

Every country has a drink they are famous for. France has champagne, Scotland has scotch whisky, and Mexico has tequila. Hungary of course is no exception, offering visitors a chance to taste the strange herbal aperitif known as Unicum.

The purple/brown digestive has been a mainstay of Hungarian bars and liqueur cabinets since its invention in the 17th century by the Zwack family. And with the cold weather approaching in these parts, revellers are increasingly turning to the warming spirit to keep a fire lit in the belly.

Like most national treasures, there is a bit of lore surrounding Unicum. Its medicinal qualities are touted heavily by imbibers, as the aperitif is believed to resolve digestion problems.  It is claimed the drink got its name when Emperor Josef II tasted it and proclaimed: “Das ist ein UNIKUM”, or “That is unique!”  Non-Hungarian natives have other words for it. I quote from Time Out Magazine: Unicum is “bitter as cold winter’s night”, or “Like licking the blade of a lawn-mower.”  This grassy bitterness can be put down to the almost 40 herbs used in the recipe. Which herbs they are is a well-guarded trade secret. Once the Zwack family fled Hungary (and the Communist regime) the government, missing the drink, attempted to replicate it, marketing the results of educated guess-work under the Unicum brand name. Only after the regime fell did the Zwacks return to Hungary to reclaim the brand and begin producing Unicum according to the exacting standards under which it was created.

One quality of Unicum which makes foreigners resist Unicum as an import is its lack of mixability. What could possibly go well with Unicum? Unlike pálinka (a Hungarian fruit brandy) it does not play well with others, and we have yet to taste a reasonable cocktail made with the spirit. It is true though that there are experts who recommend substituting Fernet with Unicum for similar results in Fernet-based cocktails, which may be coffee based or have other ingredients like Rye. But why would you want to dilute such a powerful, unique flavor? To some of us, it tastes like Hungary itself, and as we all know, Hungary is able to stand on its own.

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: Black Widow

Screen shot of Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow at Keleti Station

Post lockdown box office began with a bang with the theatrical and streaming release of Scarlett Johansson in Marvel’s adrenaline-pumped superhero film Black Widow. But who is that moody co-star? It only takes a passing glance at the trailer to see that the film was—at least in part—shot in Budapest. The film makes amazing use of distinctly Central European architecture on many downtown streets, including Alkotmány, and Széchenyi.

It was over twenty years ago that Johansson first shot a film in Budapest. That was the loving, if under-appreciated ode to writer Éva Gárdos’ family heritage, An American Rhapsody, where Johansson played an American teen discovering her Hungarian roots over one summer abroad.

Screenshot from Black Widow trailer

Black Widow is an entirely different animal. Budgeted at a reported 200 million dollars, since its release a month ago, it has ensnared almost twice that in sales and streaming revenue, making it one of the year’s top blockbusters.

In the tangled web of the Marvel universe, Budapest Film Reporter summarised Black Widow’s place as such: “Scarlett Johansson will be reprising her role as the titular hero (aka Natasha Romanoff) who was first seen in 2010’s “Iron Man 2” and last seen in “Avengers: Endgame”. Her new film will take place between the events of “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War”, finding the trained spy getting back to her roots with her history of family and enemies.”

Why Budapest, aside from the obvious reasons of a beneficial tax rebate and amazing locations? Well, it also played a part in previous Avengers films, and Black Widow’s past, as Johansson explains in the press release: “When we first started talking about locations—back when everything was possible—we all agreed that we had to find out what happened in Budapest. I think Natasha is haunted. She has this huge sense of doom. There’s unfinished business and a sense of guilt that follows her around, and it all stems from what happened in Budapest. The film is not about what happened in Budapest, but it helps us understand the heaviness that Natasha walks around with and what her burden is. It gave us a great jumping-off point for a lot that goes on in the film.”

If there is one thing Black Widow proves, it’s that filmgoers aren’t tired of big budget superhero films, and that Budapest—no matter how many films are shot here—always looks fresh and cinematic as a backdrop. And that Johansson, no matter where she is in town (in one of Budapest’s un-renovated, proletariat apartments or Keleti Raialway Station) is a star that shines only brighter for the lustrous Hungarian locations.

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.