Filming in Hungary: Rise of the Raven

via Orbital Strangers Project

The competition for viewers on streaming services and television broadcasting has never been greater, but local talents are going big by betting on Rise of the Raven, a small-screen series that recounts the life and heroics of Hungarian warrior János Hunyadi, a name well known inside Hungary, but less so outside Central Europe.

The 15th Century army commander Hunyadi repelled invading Ottoman troops in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456. Budapest Reporter summarises the plot of the 10-hour series as such: “While Hunyadi‘s life is troubled by scandals, political power plays and conspiracies between the noble families of Warsaw, Rome, Belgrade, Vienna and Prague, his strongest allies are women: his wife Erzsébet Szilágyi, who stood by him in his battles, and his first love, Mara Brankovics, who became a leading concubine at the court of Sultan Murad. When the Ottoman Empire mobilizes an army of unprecedented size to march West to conquer the Vatican, and Europe as a whole, Hunyadi – against all odds- wins a decisive victory at the Battle of Nándorfehérvár, putting an end to the Ottoman invasion and transforming the history of Europe.”

Budapest-born Canadian film producer Robert Lantos (Sunshine, Johnny Mnemonic), is one of the prime movers of the project, which is being called “the most epic Central European television production of all time.” Adapted from Bán Mór’s bestselling novels, principle photography is currently underway in Hungary, with experienced Hungarian directors Attila Száz (Tall Tales, Eternal Winter ) and Orsi Nagypal (Open) helming, under guidance of Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning director Robert Dornhelm (The Children of Theater Street, Maria Theresa, War and Peace).

With 29 million dollars coming from the Hungarian Film Fund, this represents a huge investment for the fund’s entrance into the international television market. “I think it would be nice to achieve a level that people around the world can marvel at what Hungarian filmmakers are capable of,” director Szász told Variety. “We have this amazing historical story…and it would be very nice to let them know about this story in a way that’s unique and equally high quality. That’s what we are aiming for.”

Filming for Rise of the Raven is expected to continue until June of next year.

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.

From the Archives: A Lesson on Heroism, Hungarian Style

With so much political upheaval and unrest around the world, it is easy to forget that Budapest was once in the global spotlight when in a brazen display of bravery Hungarian freedom fighters drove the Soviets from the city in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The fighters, male and female alike, retook the city for just over two weeks until Soviet forces invaded Hungary and occupied Budapest using superior numbers and firepower. Through surviving photos we can see just how perilous the situation on the city streets was. Budapest itself became a hot-spot as soldiers moved from building to building, waging bloody battles for each bit of territory.

Though some of the events of that time have been recalled in different ways by different sources, it is mostly believed the uprising was initiated in the city's Republic Square when Hungarian insurgents tried to take the building of the Soviet-controlled Budapest Committee of the ruling Hungarian Workers’ Party. The soldiers fired on the insurgents, killing many, after which they called in tanks for for re-enforcement. When the tanks arrived, however, it is believed that instead of protecting the ruling party, the Hungarian-manned tanks sided with the insurgents. The insurgents eventually took the building, and a revolution began.

Later, after the soviets occupied Budapest again, the citizenry endured some of the bloodiest fighting the city has ever seen, with over 2,000 Hungarians killed, and countless more detained and tortured. It would be more than thirty years until the Soviets relinquished grip on Hungary, this time peacefully.

These days a memorial to those who died in the fighting stands by the Hungarian Parliament–  in the form of bullet-holes filled in with bronze. For a dramatization of the revolution, have a look at the film Szabadság, Szerelem (Children of Glory) from 2006 in which a team of Hungarian water polo players live through the 1956 Revolution to take on to beat the Soviet water polo team in that year’s Melbourne Olympic Games.

A stroll in almost any direction in downtown Budapest will reveal pock-marks on the edifices of older buildings left by gun-fire, evidence of an embattled past. Over the centuries, Budapest has been occupied my many foreign armies, including Russians, Turks, and Germans. But none came without fierce fighting and resistance. Though many of the bullet marks are today being filled in as downtown apartment houses are renovated, there are still plenty of paces where Budapest’s difficult history is evident. 

Hungarians in History: Sir George Solti

By PDXdj at English Wikipedia, Wiki Commons

We don’t know how many born-Hungarians have been made a knight or dame under the power of the United Kingdom, but we are sure the list is very short. To achieve this distinction any such Hungarian must have become a British citizen, as well as be at the absolute top tier of their field. Not many answer to this description.

These words, however, do describe the late Sir George Solti. A Hungarian by birth, he was an eminent conductor of symphony orchestras in Europe and America. Born in Budapest with the name György Stern, in October of 1912, due to anti-Jewish laws he adopted the name Solti, which derives from the small town of Solt in central Hungary. His upbringing on the Buda side included training under innovative Hungarian genius composer Béla Bartók.

A rising star at the Hungarian State Opera, his trajectory was interrupted by WWII’s Nazi threat. Solti was one of the lucky ones, having the foresight to escape to England, and then Switzerland, where he earned his living as a pianist. After the war, the conductor actually moved to West Germany to head the Bavarian State Opera. It wasn’t until 1961 that he moved to England to direct the Covent Garden Opera company. It was there that his talents as a conductor were fully realized. Finally, in 1972, Solti become a British citizen, and in that same year, a knight, now called ‘Sir’ George Solti.

Sir George Solti photo by Allan Warren, via Wikipedia Commons.

He would go to direct symphonies in Paris and Chicago, and be widely acknowledged as the greatest living conductor, receiving a record 31 Grammy awards as a recording artist. That, for the ‘record,’ is three more than Beyonce. According to wikipedia, “Solti's most celebrated recording was Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen made in Vienna, produced by Culshaw, between 1958 and 1965. It has twice been voted the greatest recording ever made, the first poll being among readers of Gramophone magazine in 1999, and the second of professional music critics in 2011, for the BBC's Music Magazine. It is this recording that is heard in the film Apocalypse Now during the helicopter attack scene”

Solti died in his sleep in 1997, and was laid to rest in a state ceremony in Budapest. He was buried next to his mentor, Béla Bartók.

Here is Solti conduction Brahms Symphony No. 1.

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: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Some say Nicholas Cage is having a moment, and some say that moment is his entire career. Transforming from an angry young man in his first films to a dramatic male lead, to multiple iterations of a comic lead, to what is now a meta-take on simply being Nicholas Cage, he is a versatile actor who somehow maintains a strong element of himself through all his performances.

With so many films in so many genres under his belt, it’s no surprise one of his roles eventually brought him to Budapest. While his latest release, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, on the surface looks like it was strictly shot in Los Angeles and the Croatian seaside, many of the interiors were in fact filmed at Budapest’s Origo Studios.

According to the site TheCinemaholic.com, “Filming took place in Origo Studios, a bustling movie production facility at Felsőkert u. 9 in north Budapest. The state-of-the-art production facility features 10 functional stages (with two multimedia stages) and 14 acres of empty backlot to aid productions of various stature. Epic ventures such as ‘Blade Runner 2049‘ and ‘Dune‘ were also filmed in this studio. “

The film’s plot see’s a fictional (or is it?) version of Cage becoming embroiled in a kidnapping as he attempts to pull himself out of debt by taking a role in the film of an arms dealer / aspiring director; all the while working for the CIA. While the plot sounds convoluted, it intentionally borrows from Cage roles and tropes he’s embodied throughout his career. It it a satire? Is it a comedy, or thriller? It’s a bit of all these, filtered through a wink of Cage’s eye.

Critics by-and-large have enjoyed the Tom Gormican-directed film, which is in theatres now. Aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 86 / 100, which is quite high. The New York Times sums it up: “Cage doesn’t need a reason for you to watch him, least of all good material. He’s Nicolas Cage, master of his own universe, maker of strange poetry, breaker of hearts.”

While we can hardly say Budapest is on prominent display in this oddball summer offering, it shows the location of Budapest to be as mercurial as Cage himself. It can play a supporting actor or lead role to any genre you can throw at us. So, have a look at the trailer below, where you can get an idea — and even catch a momentary glimpse of Budapest — of the offbeat genius of Nick Cage.

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 Slice of History: World Champion Fencer Áron Szilágyi

By © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0,

Fencing is a sport filled with elegance, dexterity, power, and lightning quick decision-making. Historically, Hungarians have excelled at the art, which also has a local nostalgic aspect to it. For instance, Sunshine, the award-winning drama directed by István Szabó, was about a famous Hungarian fencing family in 20th Century Hungary.

In the 21st century, fencing remains strong in the country. You need look no farther than the most recent Olympics and World Championships as proof, where Hungarian sabre fencer Áron Szilágyi prevailed to win a gold medal (his third). More recently, he had the honer of winning the title of World Champion.

Born in Budapest in 1990, Szilágyi has a strong pedigree. His coach is György Gerevich, whose father, Aladár Gerevich was a seven-time Olympic champion. His first Olympics was in 2008 in Beijing, where he finished 7th in the individual competition. Szilágyi was the only Hungarian male to qualify for the men’s individual sabre event in the 2012 Olympics in London, and went on to win the gold medal. As if all this athletic prowess weren’t enough, he also holds a degree in psychology from an esteemed Budapest university.

While Szilágyi is Hungarian through and through, he seems to be very internationally minded, naming Alaska as his dream trip in an interview. When it comes to music, he likes classics such as Beethoven. Jerry Maguire is his favorite film, and if you look at him closely, you can see there is a touch of Tom Cruise, or at least Daniel Day Lewis, to his appearance. In the Áron Szilágyi film, he might be the best choice to play himself.

Below is an interview with the swarthy fencer, in Hungarian but 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.

Filmed in Hungary: Houdini

“Iron will made him famous. Genius made him legendary.” That’s the tag-line for the mini-series Houdini, which was shown on British and American television some years back. The four-hour film was shot in Budapest, which is fitting, as it is a little-known fact that – though typically identified as American – Harry Houdini was in fact Hungarian. More curious, Adrien Brody, who plays the famous magician, is also at least of partial Hungarian extraction, as his mother is the the Budapest-born photographer Sylvia Plachy.

Houdini himself came into this world in 1874 as Erik Weisz, also born in Budapest. Though he was considered more of a stunt performer, and made his name by performing daring escapes, his craft fell under the umbrella of magic. It was after emigrating to the United States that he was nicknamed ‘Harry’ by friends, who riffed on his Anglicized name He only acquired the name Houdini after falling under the influence of French magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin. Houdini was initially something of a disappointment as a magician. He tried his hand at card tricks in the sideshows and cheap nickelodeons of New York, but found little success. It was then that he decided to become more novel, and transform himself into an escape artist. His initial feats of escape brought him a small amount of fame on the Vaudville circuit in America, but his really publicity coup came when he was touring Europe, and was challenged to escape from a pair of Scotland Yard handcuffs. He succeeded, and before long, Houdini was being invited to escape from jails and shackles all across Europe. For much of his career, he was one of the highest paid performers in America, eventually supplementing his career with film roles. Houdini died in 1926 of acute appendicitis, aggravated by several blows to the stomach delivered by a skeptical audience member.

Brody was quoted in the LA Times as saying “I wanted to convey the truth of an illusion, an understanding of the man, the complexity of the motivations behind him, the youthful sincerity he possessed and the cynical exhausted state that he subjected himself to. And make the magic tricks work.” About the location of Budapest, the mini-series producer Gerald W. Abrams said in the New York Post: “ (Budapest) has more turn-of-the-century architecture — that’s the 18th century — than almost any city in Western culture. It’s got a lot of patina.”

We’ll call this return a sort of homecoming for the partially Hungarian actor. It may be just a coincidence, if not ‘magic’. Enjoy the trailer, which contains so many magical filming locations 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.

Walken This Way: Christopher Walken Coming to Budapest

Screenshot from music video “Weapon of Choice”

Though the second part to the Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has been in the works for a while, it was only recently that it was announced that much of the shoot would happen in Budapest in the coming months. This should be no surprise, as the director has a strong relationship with the local industry, having made both Blade Runner 2049 and the first instalment of Dune here.

Equally welcome is the news that icon of odd, Christopher Walken, joined the cast and will also be in the city this summer. While filming will no doubt keep him busy, we’ve put together a short, fun ‘bucket list’ of activities to do in his free time, based on previous roles he’s played.

via the Kerepesi Cemetery website

Gabriel, The Prophesy: Having played a dark angel in this 1995 supernatural thriller, we suggest a visit to the place where dark angels hang out: Kerepesi (or Fiumei) Cemetery. With its ornate and imposing crypts and gothic gravestones, Kerepesi Cemetery is one of the most under-appreciated sites in Budapest. Almost 200 years old, it is the resting home to many of Hungary’s most famous artists, revolutionaries, and scientists. Enthusiasts of romance, poetry and art will love the ambience of the cemetery, fit for a dark angel.

via the Auguszt Cukrászda website

In Catch Me If You Can, Walken’s character makes a famous speech about a mouse who churns cream into butter to save its life. We are thankfully short on mice, but there is butter a’plenty in the delicious pastries at Budapest’s famous bakeries and confectioners. The best that is still considered ‘local’ is perhaps Auguszt Cukrászda, at various locations in Budapest. Pictured is a traditional Hungarian Dobos Torta, made with lots of of chocolate butter-cream.

via the New York Cafe website

In Abel Ferrara’s’ King of New York, Walken plays a Robin Hood-like mafia boss. And a café fit for a royalty, particularly a king of New York, would have to be Budapest’s famous New York Café, with its pristine Italian Renaissance-style interiors. Over 100-years old, the café was once home to the cream of literary society, during turn-of-the-century ‘golden era’ of Hungarian café culture.

Normafa, via the Normafa Park website.

Walken’s darkest role was perhaps the nihilistic American prisoner-of-war in the acclaimed 1970’s film The Deer Hunter. We are only hoping his days as a ‘hunter’ are over and he can explore the wooded areas of Budapest’s outskirts unarmed. For instance, there is the picturesque Normafa Park in deep Buda, a favorite place for long solitary walks among the pines covered hills. A place to immerse yourself in natural surroundings, all the while inside the boundaries of a great modern metropolis: Budapest, only made better by the presence of this iconic actor.

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.

Local Colour: Museum of Ethnography Opens in City Park, Budapest

photo by By Berenyi Mariann via Wikipedia Commons

The renovation of the Városliget — or City Park — in Budapest has been a years-long project and fraught with controversy and delays. But, finally, much of the hard work is coming to fruition, with the new Museum of Ethnography, recently opening to visitors.

Like the nearby, newly-constructed House of Music, the Museum of Ethnography is an impressive, if not striking structure, rising from the park like wings or enormous ramps. Along the sides, the pixilated metalwork appears to be done as embroidery, or brail. The ‘roof’ is covered with Hungarian grasslands, and visitors are encouraged to climb the steps around the edges to take in one of the better views of the city from the peak. It’s a building that took some courage to make, as there’s nothing else like it in the city, or the country for that matter.

From the Museum’s website: “The new home of the Museum of Ethnography, realised as part of the Liget Budapest Project, opened its doors to the public on 23 May and welcomes visitors with its spectacular exhibitions. The building, designed by Ferencz Marcel (NAPUR Architect) is the first purpose-built facility with its concept tailored to the needs of an ethnographic museum. Now the City Park houses one of Europe’s most modern museum buildings, located on the site of the former Felvonulási Square, where a collection of unrivalled diversity is displayed on a floor space three times larger than in its previous venue on Kossuth Square. The spectacular building with its design evoking a pair of nearly embracing hillsides is distinguished by its unique facade decoration of almost half a million pixels presenting a contemporary adaptation of twenty Hungarian and twenty international ethnographic motifs, as well as by its more than seven-thousand-square-metre roof garden from the highest point of which a stunning panorama opens up. One of the most prestigious competitions of the international property business, the International Property Awards in London, the Museum of Ethnography was selected in 2018 as the world’s best public architecture based on its architectural design alone, and it was also recognised with the Best Architecture main prize.”

In final summation, the new museum is impressive but not imposing, progressive but not avant garde, and at once experimental and traditional. As a location, it’s simply unique. Just what you’d expect from a city that has it all, but still finds room to improve.

Below have a look at the digital rendering of the interior and exterior of the Hungarian Museum of Ethnography.

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.

Made in Hungary: Katinka, The Movie

via the Katinka, The Movie FB page

With the FINA World Championships currently running (or swimming) in Budapest, it seems an appropriate time to look at Hungarian treasure Katinka Hosszú, one of the most decorated athletes in Hungarian history.

For a landlocked nation, Hungary takes competitive water sports very seriously, with perennially highly-ranked water polo teams, and strong showings in competitive swimming. But few in this great nation of swimmers compare to Katinka Hosszú, who earned titles of three-time Olympic champion and nine-time long-course world champion in recent years. She wasn’t given the nickname “Iron Lady” for nothing.

According to Wikipedia, “Hosszú is the current world record holder in 100-meter individual medley, 200-meter individual medley (long course and short course), 400-meter individual medley (long course) and 200-meter backstroke (short course). She was the first swimmer (male or female) to hold world records in all five individual medley events at the same time. She holds two-thirds of the Hungarian national records. Hosszu was named FINA Swimmer of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018, and won SwimSwam's Swammy Award for Female Swimmer of the Year in 2013.”

That’s a lot of accomplishment. But as if that weren’t enough, Hosszú is also the subject of a major big-screen documentary, entitled simply Katinka, the Movie. While critics have taken the film to task for being hagiographic, they also praise the dedication and worthiness of its subject. The documentary was directed by Norbert Pálinkás, best known for directing the highly regarded Hungarian series Taboos WIthout Taboo.

Via the Katinka, The Movie FB page

While a subtitled version has yet to see international release, an intrepid critic from the local site Budapest Reporter had this to say of Katinka: “Katinka’s early ambitions and her introduction to swimming is shown through archive footage recorded by her family and at her schools, and by the end of the movie, we get to see all of her most important defeats and victories over the years on several sport events. Her incredible performance was already impressive on TV screens, and she does a great job at reflecting on her memories as a beginner. Her marriage and long-running coach-athlete relationship with Shane Tusup is quite bravely explored, even if we only see old footage about their days spent with training.”

All in all, Katinka Hosszú’s career is still at its peak, and she has become a vocal spokesperson for Hungarian swimming, as well as continually elevating her reputation as a national, if not international hero. As for Katinka the Movie, we do have a subtitled trailer, so will leave the final score up to you.

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.

Hungaricum Unleashed! Hungary's Wonder Dog, The Mudi.

Blue Merle Mudi, photo by Taru T Torpström via Wikipedia Commons

Excuse the temporary departure from the world of film, but occasionally we like to fill out these pages with posts that show the uniqueness of the city of Budapest and Hungarian culture in general. Cultural artefacts like Tokaj wine, Zsolnay porcelain, and ground paprika from Szeged that are considered uniquely Hungarian, are known as ‘Hungaricum’. Domestic animals and livestock like the Mangalica pig and many Hungarian herding dogs made the list as well, including today’s topic: The Hungarian Mudi.

The Hungarian dog breed Puli became world famous for it Rasta-like dreadlock coat, and the Hungarian Vizsla has also risen to the top of the litter as a highly collectable purebred, beloved by upscale discerning dog enthusiasts. But lately, the breed that has been getting attention is a small hound called the Mudi (pronounced Moody). This diminutive farm dog - originally a herding animal - is increasingly seen on Hungarian city streets, and with good reason.

Like many things Hungarian, there is some intrigue around the Mudi’s origin. While some claim they are a mix of German Spitz dogs and Hungarian wonder breed Puli, there is no definitive answer to when and where in Hungary the Mudi originated. World War Two almost saw the extinction of the breed, but discerning breeding of the few left ensured their survival in the region and beyond.

Because of their size and intelligence, the Mudi has since been taken off the farm, and given jobs such as search and rescue; and watchdog. Lately they have become a favorite pet, and are seen trotting down across the urban landscapes of Budaepest.

In Hungary, the Hungarian Mudi Association holds herding competitions and other shows to honour the breed. But it’s been a long road for international recognition as a purebred dog: only in this year - 2022 - did the American Kennel Club recognize the breed, thereby increasing interest in the Mudi outside of Hungary. Indeed, the Mudi is becoming popular in Finland, with small populations across Europe in in North America.

It’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world sees the value in these shaggy bundles. Until then, the Mudi remains distinctly Hungarian: Hungaricum with a bite.

photo by Lily15 at Hungarian Wikipedia / Wiki 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.

Hu-La-La: French Film Budapest, Filmed in...Budapest!

Most locals in Budapest consider the constant stream of foreign stag parties - who come to the city for a lost weekend - an annoyance at best. But French film-maker Xavier Gens, and writers Manu Payet and Simon Moutairou, took the theme as inspiration. The French film Budapest, released in 2018, follows the adventures of two young French men who drop out of the corporate world to move to Budapest and open a tour company that caters to stag parties.

Wikipedia summarizes the plot as follows: Vincent and Arnaud are two best friends who once studied at the largest French business school. But today, they are very unhappy at their respective workplaces: Vincent works for a multinational corporation where he has no recognition, while Arnaud flounders at a firm run by his wife's father. During their friend's bachelor party, they meet a stripper. The latter tells them about her Hungarian hometown of Budapest, its nightlife, and its countless beautiful women. Lamenting over how their bachelor party should have been held there instead, Arnaud then comes up with the idea of creating a travel agency in partnership with Vincent that would organize getaway trips for French bachelor parties in Budapest: a city filled with oversized nightclubs where alcohol flows freely.

While it’s hard to say that the film goes far beyond pandering to Eastern European stereotypes, it does at least make British stag parties look tame. Along they way, there are some generous shots of Budapest’s great locations, including the Bazilika and Széchenyi thermal baths.

While its sense of humor may be a bit juvenile, the film Budapest does exploit some of the aspects of the city that more serious films pass over: the seedy nightlife, the low-rent tourism of the ‘Party District’ in central Budapest. In this way it’s not much different from films like The Hangover, which are like of like teen comedies for grownups. And to its credit, filmed before the pandemic lockdowns, Budapest may have even captured a kind of contemporary nostalgia.

Available on French Netflix, and on Youtube, Budapest got mixed reviews, but in the end — while not the best cinematic postcard of the city — still reinforces Budapest’s place in the popular imagination: as a location where anything can happen, and you can make your dreams come true. Even if that dream is a weekend of debauchery. The trailer with English language subtitles is watchable 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.

Zsa Zsa Gabor Museum Opens in Budapest

photo via Wikipedia Commons

Despite having lived most of her life in the States, Hungarian actor (though in her day, she was most definitely an actress) and icon Zsa Zsa Gabor, who died in 2016, was laid to rest in her birth city of Budapest, and now has a museum dedicated to her. Opened on the Origo Film Studio as a permanent exhibition, the small museum was dedicated by her last husband, Frederic Prince Von Anhalt. In the museum, you can find memorabilia, including dresses and furniture owned by Gabor. But just who was Zsa Zsa Gabor?

Originally named Sári Gabor, Zsa Zsa was a simple Hungarian girl who became Hollywood royalty. It is fair to say that before there was Paris Hilton, before Angelina Jolie, and other starlets who became obsessions of the American public and media, there was Zsa Zsa.  Born in 1917 in Budapest, which was still part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, it wasn’t until just before World War II that Gabor was able to flee Europe (she would have to, her mother was Jewish).

Before retiring due to health reasons, Zsa Zsa spent over 70 years in the entertainment industry in the USA. Her career stretches far back as the Milton Berle Show, which many consider the first real successful TV comedy show, all the way up to spots on the David Letterman Show. In between there are almost a hundred TV and film credits, from roles on much-loved shows as Bonanza to Mr. Ed, from The Love Boat to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, all the while getting the American ear accustomed to her sultry Hungarian accent.

Gabor’s life was as dramatic as the roles she played. All in all, she was married nine times.  When a reporter asked hew who many husbands she had, she famously said, “You mean other than mine?”  She was first proposed to at the tender age of 15, and indeed took the Turkish diplomat as her first husband. But by 19 she had been crowned Miss Hungary, and it was obvious she was determined to make a career for herself in entertainment. Divorced before the age of 20, Gabor emigrated with her mother the US. Not long after, she met hotel magnate Conrad Hilton, who became her second husband. In 1952 Gabor got her big break in Hollywood, being offered a part in a Fred Astaire movie. The rest, dah-ling, is history.

Though she became an American citizen, Zsa Zsa never fully lost her trademark Hungarian accent, as you can see in the clip 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 Classic Corner: The Witness

At over half a century old, the Hungarian film A Tanú (The Witness), written and directed by Péter Bacsó, remains at the forefront of daring must-see cinema when it comes to regional classics. The dark comedy, and searingly subversive satire of communist times, holds up and remains relevant to contemporary viewers, as evinced by a 2019 revival at the Cannes Film Festival, in the Cannes Classics section.

Telling the story of a hapless dam-keeper who accidentally becomes involved in one political scheme after another, Wikipedia summarises the film’s plot as such: The film features József Pelikán as a single father who previously participated in the WW2 communist movement of Hungary, but is now working as a dike-reeve. He meets an old friend from the underground communist movement, Zoltán Dániel, now a government official who fishes at the Danube, near the dike. Dániel falls in the river, and Pelikán rescues him and invites him to his home. While the two reminisce old times at Pelikán's home, the ÁVH suddenly appears. They received a "serious anonymous report" stating Pelikán committed an illegal act of slaughtering a pig for food. Dániel tries to save him by demonstrating to the ÁVH thugs how the loyal Pelikán hid him during the purging years before, but he unknowingly reveals the basement, where all the pork had been hidden.

Suppressed for many years — 10 in Hungary before its release — The Witness got its Stateside premier in New York only in 1981. Janet Maslin, the New York Times’ top film reviewer at the time, had this to say: Mr. Bacsó's brand of comedy is as stolid as Pelikan himself. But his jokes are broadly satisfying, and he launches his satirical swipes with a delightful lack of inhibition.

It’s hard to overstate how daring and trenchant The Witness was for its time. Kind of like Orwell writing Animal Farm from within the Soviet Union. For a longer, more in depth treatment of the politics behind The Witness, and its journey from Bacsó’s inception, to its place among international film classics, have a look at the wonderful National Film Institute of Hungary’s site, where the restoration manager wrote a long post on the topic. It was the hard work of the Institute that saw the restored and uncensored version of the film re-released.

Meanwhile, The Witness continues to accrue a cult following abroad, and serve as one of the rare truly hilarious satires of the Socialist era, made within that era. Have a look at the English language subtitled trailer to see what we mean.

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: In the Land of Blood and Honey

Jolie and Pitt in Esztergom. Photo by Villy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

In the wake of the Balkan conflict numerous books and films came out chronicling what will hopefully be the last ethnic cleansing in Europe. The recently released Balkan-themed film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, was directed by UN goodwill ambassador and occasional film star Angelina Jolie. When misunderstandings and political maneuverings found the film barred from locations in Serbia and Bosnia, Jolie turned to Hungary for authentic-looking locations.

Filmed in 2011 in locations that included ever-changeable Budapest and the quaint, overlooked town Esztergom, the romantic drama chronicles an affair between a Serbian man and Bosnian woman who stood on opposite ends of the conflict.

photo by Gábor Bejó (artbejo) via Wikipedia Commons

Esztergom, an embattled town filled with historical significance and diverse architectural styles, was an excellent choice as a stand-in for the Balkan locations. It is a little-known fact abroad that Esztergom was the capital of Hungary from the 10th to the mid-13th century. As such, it is loaded with historic sights.  First and foremost is the Danube, which winds around Esztergom, separating Hungary from Slovakia. The best view is from the Basilica, situated on top of a hill in the center of town. The structure radiates history, and was such a prominent part of regional religious culture that Ferenc (Franz) Liszt wrote The Mass of Esztergom to commemorate its opening in 1869.

Further enhancing its appeal as a Balkan substitute, Esztergom has one of the few mosques in Hungary, and, indeed, an Orthodox church founded by Serbian settlers back in 1770. The Öziçeli Hacci Ibrahim Djami Mosque is 400 years old, and though small, gives an Ottoman feel to the cityscape. After the Turkish were driven from Hungary, it was used as a granary, before falling into disrepair (though the pictures indicate that it may have undergone a recent renovation).

photo by Imoti95 via Wikipedia Commons

Other stand-out locations of interest include the former synagogue (now a technical school), the ruins of the castle (bombed in WWII), and the historic streets of Víziváros (Watertown) which, combined with the hilly castle ruins, look very Balkan indeed. As an area that has been inhabited since the Ice Age, Esztergom has both archeological digs and classical architecture.

In the Land of Blood and Honey may have come and gone from the theaters, but Esztergom remains: a largely untapped location filled with historical intrigue and classical beauty.

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: Romái Part (Roman Beach)

photo via Christo / Wikipedia Commons

With spring hitting full bloom here in Budapest, after a rainy April, the city’s many spots of natural beauty are turning green, and filling with weekenders and day-trippers. Nowhere is this more true than at Romái Part, Budapest’s verdant riverside version of a boardwalk.

Once half-jokingly referred to as the Riviera of Budapest, this stretch of riverbank restaurants, cafes and beaches is a summer ritual for many locals; a place where it is claimed you get the best fried fish and lángos (fried dough) in the city. And, importantly, Romái Part is within city limits, making it part of Budapest. It’s also worth noting that you can legally swim in the Danube at one of the re-opened beaches, something that hasn’t been allowed since 1973.

photo via Globetrotter19 / wikipedia commons

Occupying five kilometers along the northwest side of Budapest’s Danube, there is a retro/nostalgic mood to the area. Many of the buildings along the coast were built during the Socialist era, and several have been abandoned, giving urban adventurers places to explore. Along the promenade, local street food is favored over increasingly impinging foreign culinary trends. You can probably find a craft beer, but the men with prize beer bellies favor the local brew, which is widely available.

Once considered recreation for Socialist laborers, it’s increasingly the domain of hipsters and backpackers. But that hasn’t killed the retro vibe at Romái Part, a scenic location and splash of history within the city boundaries.

photo via Fortepan / wikipedia commons

photo via Fortepan / 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.

Hungarian Songstress Becomes FBI's Most Wanted

Though we are still missing a motive, it has come to light that a Hungarian musician has been chosen to be showcased on one of American’s most popular crime series, FBI. The suspect, Pátkai Rozina, with accomplice pianist Benkő Dávid, will be featured on an upcoming episode of the long-running show.

While it’s stilly unclear why the script called for a Hungarian song, Pátkai revealed to local news site 24.hu that the tune “Partokon” (“On the Coast”) was chosen from several other Hungarian candidates. The singer told the site (presented here through online translation): “I didn't think that my own Hungarian-language song would be performed live for the first time in the action scene of an American series, as performed by me.” Clues lead to a live performance of “On the Coast” being being played on the show.

The show FBI premiered on American network CBS in 2018 and has had solid ratings since, garnering between 11 and 13 million viewers per season. Given that Hungary’s population doesn’t reach 10 million, that’s quite some exposure for a song in the Hungarian language.

While this a huge opportunity, Pátkai is hardly provincial. The singer performs internationally, and indeed was already nominated for prizes in several categories at the US’s Independent Music Awards over several years.

While we have to wait to see the show, we don’t have to wait to hear the song. Find Partokon below, after which you are free to go.

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.

Photo by Zsólyomi Norbert via Wikicommons

Filmed in Hungary: Russian Doll

While we are taking a closer look at hit series (Stranger Things, The Continental) we would be doing a disservice to fans of quirky, mind-bending intrigue, if we didn’t touch on the latest season of smash Netflix series Russian Doll, which, predictably, was partially shot in Budapest.

But it wasn’t only for the cost-effectiveness that the series was shot here. Budapest plays an important role in the protagonist’s (Nadia, played by show creator Natasha Lyonne) past and in the storyline. In this time-lapse structured series, Nadia has Hungarian Jewish grandparents, and must return in time to reclaim the family fortune, lost in the Holocaust. As such, locations in Budapest are utilized in the story, and many local acting luminaries get speaking roles.

The script also calls for the leading actor, Lyonne, to speak fluent Hungarian. While locals find fault in her heavy American accent, they praise her for putting in the effort, as Hungarian is notoriously complex and difficult for English speakers to learn.

Towards the end of the trailer, you will see some classic Budapest locations, from Nyugati railway station, to the trippy Kelenföld Power Station. After the grungy shots of New York City, Budapest comes off looking very elegant and classical indeed.

Reviews have been thus far, very positive, with NBC News calling the second season ‘exhilarating’, and Rotten Tomatoes rating it a very juicy 96 / 100 in viewer satisfaction. In a longish think piece, The Atlantic had this to say: Season 2, which debuted on Netflix this week, is somehow even more ambitious, even denser with layers (“I don’t think you want to peel that onion,” Nadia tells a man in one scene who asks her who she is), allusions, and belly flops right into the temporal paradox. Instead of being trapped within loops of time, Nadia finds herself vaulting back into the past, via a mystical subway that sends her into the bodies of her mother and grandmother. The show’s examination of inherited trauma—Nadia’s grandparents, like Lyonne’s, were Holocaust survivors—through the Back to the Future–esque conceit of time travel seems ripe with potential.”

So, tune in, if you have the time, to see Budapest past and present, in one of its most challenging roles yet.

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.

Stranger Things Season Four: the Hungarian Connection

Few series have been picked over and anticipated by fans as much as the 80’s-themed Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things. And, finally, the wait is over for the fourth season, which will begin airing at the beginning of May this year.

At an estimated 30 million dollars per episode, the creators had the money to hire the best talent around, so it should come as no surprise that there are Hungarian fingerprints on the results. In this case, no stranger to high-profile projects, the Hungarian talent comes in the form of director Nimród Antal, who helmed episodes 5 and 6 of the series.

American born to Hungarian parents, the director’s breakout feature film was actually made in Budapest. Control (Kontroll), the story of the lives of Budapest metro ticket inspectors, was an art-house hit when it came out close to 20 years ago. Since then, Antal worked on the thriller Vacancy, the big-budget sequel to Predator, Predators, as well as Metallica’s hybrid concert / thriller Metallica Through the Never. The supernatural-themed series seems like a natural choice for a director who is so capable at telling human stories alongside high-octane action sequences.

This isn’t the director’s first foray into television, however, According to Hungary Today, “Stranger Things is not the first series Antal has directed: he has directed two television series before. He was a guest director on Wayward Pines (2015-2016), then a regular director for Servant (2019-).”

It’s been six years since Stranger Things premiered. With viewers lessening their reliance on streaming services as the pandemic wanes, only time will tell how much longer they will fund the expensive series. As for Antal, next up is the Liam Neeson-starring thriller Retribution, which IMDB describes as “A bank executive receives a bomb threat while driving his children to school that his car will explode if they stop and get out. A remake of the 2015 Spanish film El Desconocido.”

Below find the tension-filled trailer for Stranger Things 4.

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.

Wick-er Man: The Return of the John Wick Universe

After three enormously successful John Wick films, with a fourth coming next year, the creators made the move to expand the John Wick franchise and create a prequel series, telling the origin story of the enigmatic hotel manager, Winston (Played by Colin Woodell) and his hotel, the Continental. Appropriately, the spin-off will be called The Continental.

According to collider.com, “The Continental will serve as a prequel special to the John Wick blockbuster film franchise. Starring Hollywood good-guy Keanu Reeves, the base films follow a highly trained assassin on a mission to find those who killed his beloved dog and hold them responsible. During the titular character’s travels, viewers are taken to the Continental Hotel, a safe haven for assassins to get a good night’s rest. Run by the hotel’s owner, Winston (Ian McShane) the only rule inside the walls is no killing. Picking up decades in the past, The Continental will follow the story of young Winston, now played by Woodell, and how he fell into owning the hotel. The series sets the owner up in a gritty 1970s New York City as he takes on the Big Apple one guest at a time.”

And, of course, the series is being shot in Budapest, using sound stages, and locations around the city. But don’t expect to see Keanu Reeves sidling up to you at a thermal bath, as the series covers the time before his appearance in the John Wick universe. That being said, the filming did bring at least one major star to the city, in the form of Mel Gibson, who was spotted around town dining on gyros and signing autographs. The Mad Max and Lethal Weapon actor was also seen in the small town of Csopak wine-tasting, and toy shopping in art-hub Szentendre.

As the series is still being shot, stills and clips are hard to come by. None-the-less, there is a fan-made trailer circulating, which you can watch 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.

Been There Dune That: Hungarian Takes Home Statue for Dune

It’s the Oscar moment everybody is talking about. No, the other moment. When Hungarian Zsuzsanna Sipos brought home the Academy Award for Best Production Design for her work on the juggernaut fantasy remake of Frank Herbert’s book Dune. It is a category that has not seen a Hungarian winner since the year 1966, when ethnic Hungarian Joseph Kish won for the film Ship of Fools, while the last Oscar to go to a Hungarian was Kristóf Deák’s for Best Live Action Short in 2016.

Dune was for the most part filmed in Hungary, and featured a long roster of Hungarian crew and technicians. Hungarian Film Commissioner Csaba Káel issued a public congratulations to Sipos and the Hungarians who worked on the film, saying this: “A big congratulations to the Hungarian experts who have contributed to this world success. The entire profession is overjoyed at Zsuzsanna Sipos’ Oscar and it also goes to show that we have world-class talents. It also sends the message to the world that Hungarian filmmakers are among the best,”

via IMDM.com

It’s worth noting that Dune also won for Best Sound, a statue going to long-term Hungarian resident Mac Ruth, a Texan who moved to Budaepst in the 1990s, and has been working in film since. Ruth was previously nominated for The Martian, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and Blade Runner 2049; so it was a long time coming for this expat. Ruth was the production sound mixer of the winning team.

It is likely much of the team behind Dune will be reunited, as it was announced in January that Dune 2 will also be shot in Hungary, at Origo Studios.

And while we are speaking of winners, this blog took 19th place on Feedspot.com’s list of Best European Film Blogs. It’s the only Hungarian blog on the list, which also includes many blogs from the States that discuss European film. It doesn’t come with a statue, or much fame, but we are still pretty proud of that accomplishment around 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.