CHINA Edition
Hungarian Edition
Each October, Lyon becomes the capital of cinematic memory. The Lumière Film Festival — founded by the Institut Lumière and directed by Thierry Frémaux — is one of the most prestigious events dedicated to celebrating and preserving film history. Named for the brothers who invented motion pictures, the festival draws filmmakers, critics, and audiences from across the world to honor the craft of restoration and rediscovery.
In 2025, held from October 11–19, the festival welcomed icons such as Michael Mann, Sean Penn, Natalie Portman, and John Woo. Yet one presence stood out: Hungary, named Country of Honor at the International Classic Film Market (MIFC), in recognition of its vast cinematic heritage and its growing influence in international film preservation.
A Celebration of Heritage
Hungary’s honor was marked by a formal program on October 15 at the MIFC, featuring the conference “An Inverted Model: Concrete Actions to Promote Hungary’s Film Heritage.” The event was followed by screenings of restored classics including István Szabó’s Father (Apa, 1966) and a film poster exhibition curated by the National Film Institute Hungary (NFI), showcasing designs from the 1960s to the 1980s — decades that defined the visual language of Hungarian cinema.
Leading the delegation was György Ráduly, Director of the NFI’s Film Archive Division. Speaking with Laura Lépine for The Lumière Film Festival, he emphasized Hungary’s historical link with France:
“Hungary has a rich cinematic history, dating back to the very beginnings of the seventh art — the Lumière brothers filmed in Budapest in 1896! These images can be found at the Lumière Museum. Hungarian cinematography is therefore closely linked to that of France.”
Ráduly described Hungary’s continued presence at the market since its founding in 2017 as “an opportunity to showcase the richness of Hungarian cinema to both film professionals and the general public,” calling it “an exchange between our two cultures.”
Restored Voices and Renewed Audiences
The Hungarian screenings centered on Szabó’s Father, Mephisto (1981), and Being Julia (2004) — all restored through the NFI’s heritage program, which since 2017 has digitized over 350 films. The selection reflected the evolution of Hungarian storytelling from the introspective realism of the 1960s to the international collaborations of the 2000s.
Audiences in Lyon responded warmly, and French critics praised the films’ moral clarity and emotional scope. Additional screenings, including Márta Mészáros’s Women and Zoltán Fábri’s The Fifth Seal, broadened the picture of Hungary’s creative legacy — a national cinema that turns the weight of history into deeply personal art.
István Szabó: Cinema of Memory and Morality
The festival’s Hungarian focus naturally revolved around István Szabó, Guest of Honour and one of Europe’s most acclaimed auteurs. Across six decades, Szabó has explored how individuals navigate power and conscience — from the semi-autobiographical Father to the Oscar-winning Mephisto and the multi-generational Sunshine.
At Lumière, Szabó conducted a masterclass examining the interplay of history and memory in his work. His reflections on artistic responsibility under political pressure resonated with filmmakers and audiences alike. As Ráduly observed in Lépine’s interview:
“His œuvres speak of European history: its traumas as well as its golden ages. They often probe the relationship between individuals and those in power. His cinema is extremely humanist, political, and timeless.”
Szabó’s presence was capped by a symbolic tribute: his name added to the Mur des cinéastes (Wall of Filmmakers) at the Lumière Institute — joining directors such as Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.
Dialogue Between Archives
Hungary’s role as Country of Honor was also a case study in international collaboration. During the roundtable “An Inverted Model: Concrete Actions to Promote Cinematographic Heritage,” NFI representatives outlined how Hungary’s Film Archive, Filmlab, and National Film Fund work together to restore and share classic films. Their approach, developed in the absence of a national cinémathèque, relies on cooperation with European archives, cultural institutions, and educational networks.
The partnership with the Lumière Institute, Ráduly said, is more than symbolic: it allows Hungary to both present its restored classics and discover new ones for the Budapest Classic Film Marathon — “truly an exchange between our two cultures.”
A Shared Language of Memory
The Hungarian program emerged as one of the 2025 festival’s most cohesive tributes. French critics and festivalgoers highlighted its curatorial depth and commitment to the idea of film heritage as living culture. In Hungary, coverage framed the honor not as self-congratulation but as a moment of reflection — proof that national cinema, when preserved and shared, becomes a bridge across time and borders.
For Hungary, Lumière 2025 reaffirmed a simple truth: that cinema’s memory belongs to all who keep it alive. In the glow of restored frames and rediscovered stories, Budapest and Lyon met once more — through the universal language of film.
