Vajna, who has produced such hits as ?Evita? and ?Total Recall?, told the meeting that the local authorities in Hollywood issue permits immediately for film shoots, because they know the industry serves their best interests. In Hungary, however, directors who spend millions of dollars, such as Steven Spielberg, who recently shot ?Munich? in Budapest, are supposed to show special gratitude to local authorities for permission to film.
Vajna conceded he has received much support from Hungarian authorities for the filming of ?Children of Glory?, a film he is producing about the Hungarian water polo team?s legendary defeat of the Soviet team in the finals of the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. The match took place shortly after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, an anti-Soviet revolt.
Vajna, who moved to the United States at age 12, on the same day as the match, said ?Children of Glory? uses an emotional approach, rather than a political one, to show the impact of the revolution on young people. "I would like this film and its message to reach young people so that they can feel proud of their country's history," Vajna said.
The film will premiere on October 23, 2006, the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Construction of the HUF 35 billion Etyek film studios, a joint project by Vajna and Hungarian building magnate Sándor Demján, will soon begin, as all of the necessary permits have been obtained, Vajna said. The 50,000-square-metre studios, to be named after the famous Hungarian-born director and producer Sándor Korda, will be built in the village of Etyek, outside of Budapest. The studios will offer a course for screenwriters, Vajna said, noting that Hungary?s filmmaking industry lacks good screenwriters, who are the foundation of the business.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
