Éva Ruttkai

Peter Gothar films give a sharp, uncensored view of the society. This film is no different. The plot is rather simple: a family goes to vacation with the usual stress. Then on the vacation the wife gets a strange kind of sickness and they go back to Budapest for a cure. While the wife is in the hospital, the husband visits his family. This is quite banal. However the scenario was written by Peter Esterhazy, one of the most influential contemporary writers in Hungary. His style uses a lot of surrealism but in a way that profoundly illuminates the reality. In this film, the reality is an atomized society where the so-called communist ideals are nowhere so everyday people are fully disoriented.

The film director starts shooting his film about the manager of a large corporation who committed suicide for mysterious reasons. As the cumbersome process of making a film goes along, everybody involved in it starts having differing opinions of the tragedy, its causes and its victim.

An unsentimental Hungarian film about the edgy relationship between a middle-aged woman and her young, restless daughter-in-law when the son-husband goes to sea for six months.

This film describes the narrator's childhood, the years before and after the Hungarian Soviet Republic, in a burlesque and fabulous style and with the humour of a child's fantasy.

Based on the stories of Hungarian writer Gyula Krúdy, this iconic film is a lush and sensuous depiction of the life, loves and memories of serial seducer Szindbád.

The two main characters of this ironic account of the general condition of intellectuals are the charming psychologist, Korin György, and the unexpected. Korin starts a television series of people in their 40s. In the afternoon just after the first section, however, he is reported to be dead as a result of a rather strange accident. Everything turns upside down.

The film is a story of a double journey. The main character of the first journey is the author himself, who, while sitting in his customary café, suddenly realises that he has hallucinations. The psychologist reassures him that all this is merely repression. The symptoms, however, appear again. Soon it turns out that the author has a brain tumour. Professor Pötzl in Vienna suggests operation right away. The intervention, through which he is awake, is carried out in a Stockholm clinic.

It is a musical comedy about the difficulties of forced education. Kati is scheduled to learn agriculture though she is a lot more interested in maths.

A young man has his hepatic duct replaced with a plastic tube after an accident but starts to get worried how this will affect his manliness.

A light comedy of four love-stories.

This romantic and grandiose historical film depicts the era of the constant incursions and heroic battles fought by the defenders of the castle of Eger, led by captain István Dobó, against the heavy odds of superior numbers through the lives and love of Bornemissza Gergely and Cecey Éva. Gergely is inaugurated as a fighter already at the age of 7, when he escapes the captivity of the half-eyed Turk, Jumurdzsak, with Vica and the war-booty. In thirty years' time he becomes the first assistant of captain Dobó and the brain of the castle in the defence of Eger.

Végh Márta, the teacher is looking for her student Vadász Ica in the Buda villa, but she only finds the tenant, Mrs. Paár - dead. The investigation reveals that Mrs. Paár was murdered for an invaluable stamp, the "Fake Isabella".

A 40-year-old sculptor returns home to witness the baptism of his young nephew. His return prompts a series of flashbacks to his youth and the political upheaval experienced by his family and friends.

Zsuzsa, Éva and Jolán decide to divorce their husbands. Their attorney is the young Vera who visits the husbands one after the other with the enthusiasm of dealing with the very first case. The bafflement of the sanguine Péter, the materialistic Sándor and the indolent Bálint lasts only for a few moments; after that, they all fall in love with the pretty lawyer.

Barta has been investigating for a year in the murder case of a professor of medicine. Keller, the victim, has been shot dead in his own villa. Barta joins the closest relatives and they all travel to Dunaszentmárton by ship for the inaugural ceremony of his tomb.

On the novel by Mór Jókai. The first half of the XVIII century. Several decades of life of a noble family Karpati.

The celebrated actor considers his wife a nitwits actress of a mediocre talent. But an influential playwright, a friend of theirs, has written a play with the main role designed for her, Kati, particularly. Its title is "The Most Intelligent Woman in the World". On the day of the first night performance Kati recalls their past, the times she had together with her husband.

A priest who has been set free from prison recently joins a spy organization.

Jirka is a composer, his wife, Jana, a pianist. Jana would like to have an own concert, but so far she has only been selected to accompany Valenta during his concerts in Budapest. After some resentments, she accepts the proposal.

Mihály Zágon has been struggling with his conservative mother-in-law for a long time. Now, that his wife is pregnant, the old woman wants Piroska to stay in bed. Mihály is elected to be the president of the co-operative, but nobody is happy about this back home. His wife often pretends to be ill to keep him by her side.

On the eve of World War II, Major Benedek Zoltán is an embodiment of the service regulations in the army. He only discloses his feelings towards Anna, his brother's widow. An investigation is conducted in the regiment to identify Communists.

During the freedom fight led by Rákóczi, Schwartzenau carries the wages of the Emperor's soldiers to Tokaj. A small group of freedom-fighters, led by Captain Árvay, attack the major's escort, then hide in the local inn. Árvay introduces himself to the entering Schartzenau as a Hungarian aristocrat, while Simon Pali rushes to get help. The major has a passion for games, they start throwing dice.

The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message.

Antal Tőrös, teacher of mathematics, does not like and trust people. No wonder he is not liked by anybody, either. Only his colleague, Klára takes a liking to him. Tőrös is in love with her, and to prove this, he tries to forget about his previous life-philosophy.

In 1944, Feri Margittai escapes from the front, but his mother sends him away from home.

On New Year's Eve in 1956 the artist couple, the actor János and the dancer Viki are hastily packing. While they are waiting for the car, which is to take them across the border, their entire life is replayed in front of their eyes.

The flat of Doctor Bartha is wetting, the Communal Management Enterprise does not act, the doctor and his wife are at the edge of divorce. Géza would marry his colleague, Kató, but mum is sick, the apartment is small, no money. Uncle Károly is fed up with unsuitable, charlatan business managers. Vali would marry, in order not to live on Titi and Piri any more, but the selected man wants to have a woman with her own apartment. All of them have a chance by the lottery, especially by hitting twelve scores.

Varsa engineer receives the Kossuth award for his excellent work. His career once began at the family enterprise of his wife, so the woman invites her relatives for a dinner party.

Sztankó János, the freshly appointed director of a company that builds agricultural factories meets his former classmate, Palócz. Palócz is just released from the prison where he got on made-up charges. Sztankó suddenly decides to employ the engineer since he wants to show up spectacular, quick results.

1790, the county of Szerém. József Hajnóczy, a democrat and a reformer is deprived of his position as vice-steward of the county because he is not born a nobleman.

Imre, secretary of the illegal communist party arrives in Budapest secretly in 1942, in order to start the newspaper of the party in the fight against war. Not even his own mother can see him.

Marci is drafted from a typical block building in the 6th district in Pest. He says good-bye to Juli living in the same house, with whom they are both very much fond of each other, but neither of them makes a confession. Juli works in a factory, and with her friend Gizus she goes out in the evening for dancing and drinking. After a year, Marci comes back for holiday, he is full of love.

At Christmas Eve in 1944 the runaway Pintér and Gozsó get through the Soviet blockade around Budapest. Pintér intends to hide in a flat abandoned by his own relatives, but he finds his relatives called the Turnovszkys, who are hiding the Jewish Jutka as well. Love unfolds between Zoltán and Jutka.

Liliomfi is a 1954 Hungarian comedy film directed by Károly Makk. It was entered into the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. Set in the "Golden Era" of the wandering Hungarian theatre troupes. Mariska and Liliomfi fall in love without suspecting that Mariska's foster father, Professor Szilvay, is also Liliomfi's uncle. Soon the couple must contend with the professor's plan to make Liliomfi give up his "unrespectable" profession of acting by exposing the professor's hypocrisy, greed, and tyrannical selfishness.

A few days from a daily life of a regular school in Hungary during fifties.

Különös házasság is a 1951 Hungarian drama film directed by Márton Keleti. It was entered into the 1951 Cannes Film Festival.

Kis Katalin and Varga Jóska are getting married. During their honeymoon they are preparing plans for the future. Katalin, however, seems to lag behind both in her studies and the work competition, becoming a couch potato version of a wife. Jóska, instead of trying to help, does nothing else than his work.

A female worker in Socialist Hungary gains the acceptance of her male colleagues.

The film evokes count Pongrácz, who, as late as the 19th century, managed to live a life, which reminds one of his medieval ancestor's values. He acts in defiance of the town by fighting his own battle against it, having been offended by the town.