22/08/2005

End of shoot for Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó who makes with Rokonok (Relatives) his return to film production in his native land after 14 years dedicated to an international career punctuated by in 2004 Being Julia [+see also:
trailer
film profile]. A return to roots worth following by the only national filmmaker awarded in 1982 with an Oscar for best foreign film Mephisto and who also won many other prizes, notably at Cannes, Berlin and Locarno. For Rokonok István Szabó called on Sándor Csányi (Kontroll [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), one of the most visible actors currently in Hungary, and gave the job of DoP to the faithful, Lajos Koltai who this year made Fateless [+see also:
trailer
film profile], his feature as a director. Also in the cast are Ildikó Tóth, Károly Eperjes, Erika Marozsán, Péter Andorai, Ferenc Kállai, Piroska Molnár, the Czech filmmaker Jirí Menzel and the Russian actor Oleg Tabakov.

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Classic of Hungarian literature written by Zsigmond Móricz and published in 1927, Rokonok deals with nepotism and corruption in a little town. Adapted by István Szabó and Andrea Vészits (great grand-daughter of the novelist), follows the tragicomic misadventures of István Kopjáss, a talented and honest young man elected procurer general of the small town of Zsarátnok. A change of status which plunges him into an intense universe of social relations leading to a network of corruption and illegal practises. The novel was also adapted for the big screen in 1954 by Félix Máriássy who was film professor to István Szabó at the Film Academy.
Produced by János Rózsa, Rokonok (Relatives) had a budget of around 1,5 million euros including support from the Hungarian Motion Picture Foundation of 1,1 million euros. The eight-week shoot started at the beginning of July in Budapest has just finished, the film goes into its post-production phase which should be completed in time for a première in February 2006 during the Hungarian Film Week.

(Translated from French)