International premieres for Hajdu and Bacsó
Szabolcs Hajdu’s Off Hollywood will have its international premiere on June 26 in the Director’s Showcase section at the Edinburgh Film Festival (June 18-29). Meanwhile, Peter Bacsó’s Virtually a Virgin screened in competition last Friday at the Moscow Film Festival (June 19-28).
A representative of the Hungarian New Wave who attracted attention in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in 2006 with White Palms [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Szabolcs Hajdu
film profile] (see Focus), Hajdu paints an ironic portrait of the Hungarian film industry in Off Hollywood (adapted from László Garaczi’s April). The feature – which stars Orsolya Török-Illyés, Domokos Szabó, László Katona, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Zoltán Seress and Lehel Kovács – retraces the misadventures of a successful director two days before the premiere of her new film.
Originally produced for television by Lagunafilm, Off Hollywood was released domestically at the end of November 2007. Hajdu is currently working on his latest, highly ambitious project, Smooth Operator (see news).
The Moscow Festival jury (presided by Liv Ullmann) discovered Peter Bacsó’s Virtually a Virgin on June 20. The new work by the 80-year-old veteran director (who was lauded at San Sebastian in 1968 and at Locarno in 1972 and made his previous feature, But Who Are Those Lumnitzer Sisters?, in 2006) stars Júlia Ubrankovics, Attila Tóth, Ferenc Hujber and Gergő Kaszás.
Written by the director, Virgin explores the descent into hell of a young woman who is forced into prostitution by her boyfriend before being sent onto the streets by a pimp. The film – produced by Gábor Kálomista for Megafilm – recounts the protagonist’s attempts to escape her situation.
The title was released domestically in March.
(Translated from French)
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