Hungary's parliament and the Polish Sejm earlier declared March 23 a day to celebrate the two countries' good relations each year.
Krakow's Hungarian Centre, a non-profit organisation with a staff of four, has worked to present Hungarian and Polish culture since 2001. The centre has organised - in both Poland and Hungary - a number of theatre and film festivals, literary events, concerts and food tastings. It has developed a long-term cooperation with the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Warsaw, the Hungarian Consulate in Krakow and Budapest's Polish Institute, as well as many other cultural institutions. The centre's partnerships allow it to stay on the cutting edge of culture in both countries.
The Hungarian Centre's Hungarian Film Spring, an annual event, has become more and more popular. This year, the film festival will be shown in a number of other Polish cities in addition to Krakow, including Toru, Szczecin, Katowice, Warsaw, Wrocaw, Pozna and Lublin. On the programme, to last ten weeks, will be ten Hungarian films: Ágnes Kocsis's Fresh Air, Szabolcs Hajdú's White Palms, György Pálfi's Taxidermia, Gyula Nemes's My One and Onlies, István Szaladják's Bird Saviour, Clouds and Wind, Bálint Kenyeres's Before Dawn, András Dési and Gábor Máray's The 639th Baby, Zoltán Gayer's The Ritual of the Carrousel, Ferenc Cakó's Letters, and István Madarász's Before-After.
The films will be shown in Budapest during the Krakow Weekend on March 30-31. The weekend event will also feature concerts, a poster exhibition and a market. The Hungexpo Exhibition Centre, the Polish Institute, the Urania National Film Theatre, the Szimpla Cinema, the A38 Ship and the underpass at Blaha Lujza Square will serve as venues for the programme.
Author: György Kerékgyártó
