Lívia Gyarmathy

The Square

If you look through the window of the control room in district XII of Budapest you will see a small square. In 2005 There was is a statue was erected in the square to commemorate the victims of the second world war. It represents the turul, a mythical bird which an ancient symbol of Hungary and which was appropriated by Fascists before the war while today it is readily exploited by the extreme right. For 10 years the director observed the fight for the monument, a reflection of profound political divisions in today's Hungary.

Our Stork

Our Stork is a unique story, which tells us about the distinctive relation between man and animal. This award-winning documentary tells the story of a stork that has stayed behind when its mates left for their long journey to Africa.

Escape

Budapest, 1948. Gyula Molnár, interpreter to the Supervisory Committee of the Allied Powers, is carried away from a party by plain-cloth police investigators. Recsk, 1950. Molnár, having attempted an escape and with a wound made by a bullet in his neck - is doggedly trying to get into the brigade of brick-layers, as escape is easiest from there.

A lépcső

A documentary about ambitious young carpenter Árpád Rostás who is tasked with the repair of the main hall of a castle.

The Rapture of Deceit

Hungary after the changes. Jutka loses her job and even her marriage is ruined, since her husband gets involved with the daughter of an influential businessman. Jutka moves in with a female friend, Dóra likewise has to face a difficult choice.

'Where Tyranny Prevails' (Memories of the Judge)

The film was shot in 1989 by Lívia Gyarmathy and Géza Böszörményi about a judge who had had a successful career back in the '50s. He resigned from his position as home secretary on 12th December 1956 and chose to do physical work for a while. However, in the period before his resignation he had sentenced many to die, and not just ones he believed were guilty. The confessions of the judge show a fragment of the psychology of tyranny.

Poet George Faludy

Documentary about the poet György Faludy.

Recsk 1950–53: Story of a Forced Labor Camp

This European Film Award winner documentary tells the story of Recsk, Hungary's most notorious political prison camp, which operated between 1950 and 1953. During the early 1950's the very existence of this camp for political prisoners at Recsk was one of the Hungarian communist regime's deepest secrets. Hundreds of people were taken there without ever actually being sentenced by any court, and had to suffer through the brutal treatment handed down by their sadistic captors. This documentary tells the story of Recsk from both the captors' and the prisoners' point of view, capturing the atmosphere of paranoia, humiliation and degradation that prevailed throughout the Stalinist gulag system.

Blind Endeavour

Blind luck ties the fate of two people together.

Blind Endeavour

Blind luck ties the fate of two people together.

Now It's My Turn, Now It's Yours

Three generations live side by side. The wilful, jack-in-all-pots grandmother blackmails the family with fake faintings, while grandpa suffers from cerebral sclerosis. Mother manages a fashionable hotel, she needs to look smart and unyielding, even when their weird uncle drives into the restaurant drunk. Father is an introverted, solitary teacher, who from time to time turns the home inside out in pursuit of his hobby, i.e. topography, and his mental balance. Suddenly unexpected things come to light about their teen-age daughter, Juli.

Coexistence

National problems between the bride of Swabian origin and the bridegroom from Székelys of Bucovina burst out in the marriage, but the film also shows the possibility for reconciliation.

Coexistence

National problems between the bride of Swabian origin and the bridegroom from Székelys of Bucovina burst out in the marriage, but the film also shows the possibility for reconciliation.

Koportos

Balog Mihály, the Gypsy man from Szabolcs works in Budapest. That is where he is notified that his young wife died. Again he behaves differently from his fellow-men in the Koportos Gypsy settlement: he wants to give a beautiful, rich burial ceremony to his wife.

Koportos

Balog Mihály, the Gypsy man from Szabolcs works in Budapest. That is where he is notified that his young wife died. Again he behaves differently from his fellow-men in the Koportos Gypsy settlement: he wants to give a beautiful, rich burial ceremony to his wife.

Minden szerdán

Stephen, living in a troubled family, breaks into a grocery store and wreaks vandalism. He is sent to a reform school. Later he works in a cleaning brigade and accidentally meets József Draskóczi, who denounced him. Draskóczi lives in an unloving, troubled atmosphere with his barren daughter and cynical son-in-law, ascetic about his youthful communist beliefs. He feels responsible for Istvan's fate, offering him a human voice and love. Despite his daughter's hysterical jealousy, he sends Istvan to school and then, through his previous connections, provides him with an apartment...

Minden szerdán

Stephen, living in a troubled family, breaks into a grocery store and wreaks vandalism. He is sent to a reform school. Later he works in a cleaning brigade and accidentally meets József Draskóczi, who denounced him. Draskóczi lives in an unloving, troubled atmosphere with his barren daughter and cynical son-in-law, ascetic about his youthful communist beliefs. He feels responsible for Istvan's fate, offering him a human voice and love. Despite his daughter's hysterical jealousy, he sends Istvan to school and then, through his previous connections, provides him with an apartment...

The Ninth Floor

A financially stable family moves into a nice, new apartment, only to see the father leave them. The mother soon brings home a new 'father', Feri. The change causes her son Laci to lose his way. On the other hand, the daughter, Éva is motivated by the change in the family atmosphere to become active and successful in school...

The Car

This sour satire records how narrow-minded, perishable and prejudiced human relations are. Lili, an open, good-hearted, but clumsy girl gets a rusty Renault Gordini from her uncle living in France. She wants to learn driving, but makes horrible and perilous mistakes behind the wheel.

Az utolsó tánctanár

Géza Böszörményi's 1975 German-Hungarian co-production film stars János Balogh as a dance and etiquette teacher. He learned the craft from his father and now travels the country with his son Simon. They are on their way to Hortobágy to "celebrate" the closing ball of their dance school. But before that, they are teaching the locals the tricks of the art of gentlemanly behaviour in Pest. But the Hortobágy dance exam is not as successful as in the good old days. The young people have only one thing on their minds: to live in the capital as soon as possible, and in the Hortobágy they will soon be nothing but horsemen and cowboys entertaining the western tourists of the National Park. János Balogh and his son also go back to the bleak and soulless prefab housing estate, where Simon tells his father that he no longer wants to be a dance teacher.

Wait a Sec!

This film shows us around a factory in the seventies in Hungary. In the outskirts factory of Kőbánya workers celebrate the foundation members and want to present the oldest member, Uncle Benda, now a pensioner, with a golden ring. His grandson, Karcsi Merkovics, an industrial apprentice, is in love with the foreman's daughter.

Wait a Sec!

This film shows us around a factory in the seventies in Hungary. In the outskirts factory of Kőbánya workers celebrate the foundation members and want to present the oldest member, Uncle Benda, now a pensioner, with a golden ring. His grandson, Karcsi Merkovics, an industrial apprentice, is in love with the foreman's daughter.

Tisztelt cím!

Everyone is reaching retirement age. Some are happy to go, others regret that their active phase of life is over. The reporter asks retiring postmen and postwomen about the farewell they are now receiving at work. And they tell their stories. They tell us why they love their jobs, the relationships they've built up over the years with the people they've met on the job, and how much they'll miss WORK...

Birdies

The heroines of this lyric comedy full of burlesque elements are two girls from a village who get totally engrossed in their day-dreaming. Ida and Rozi escape to the city to catch husbands for themselves.

Do You Know Sunday-Monday?

Juli is a 17-year-old student who takes a summer job in a local chemical factory. She is befriended by Piri, a girl with an unsavory reputation who has worked there before. The two friends are ogled by male workers who have overactive libidos and imaginations. Juli spurns the advances of a deluded Romeo while Piri continues to work and endure open hostility from the older female workers while her slothful parents sink deeper into alcoholism.

58 másodperc

58 seconds is the story of a lost swimming race. The tense moments of preparation and anticipation of the spectators are brought to life, and during the race we get a glimpse of the swimmer's hard training. After the defeat, the swimmer's emotions are unveiled, and the closing moments flash images of a new beginning.

58 másodperc

58 seconds is the story of a lost swimming race. The tense moments of preparation and anticipation of the spectators are brought to life, and during the race we get a glimpse of the swimmer's hard training. After the defeat, the swimmer's emotions are unveiled, and the closing moments flash images of a new beginning.