56Films

🎬As part of our new documentary on political transitions, Réka Pigniczky sat down with Gábor Fodor—a founding and now former member of FIDESZ (Alliance of Young Democrats), former college roommate of Viktor Orbán, and one of the defining voices of the party’s early liberal identity.

Their conversation is a reminder of just how fluid—and at times contradictory—the post-transition years were. From the idealism of 1988 to the ideological crossroads of 1994, when FIDESZ pivoted away from its liberal roots, Gábor was not just a witness but a participant at the very center of it all. His later roles in Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) and beyond only add further layers to a political journey that has touched nearly every corner of Hungary’s democratic evolution.

What stands out most, though, is not just the history—but the consistency. Across decades, shifting alliances, and changing political tides, his commitment to liberal democracy has remained intact. And yet, perhaps most provocatively, comes his belief that FIDESZ is still the only party capable of governing Hungary today.

Thank you for the thoughtful conversation, the shared nostalgia for those formative years, and the candid reflections on where we’ve been—and where we might be heading.🇭🇺🇭🇺

🎬 Another engaging interview completed for our upcoming film on political transitions.

We had the pleasure of speaking with Zsuzsanna Szelényi, one of the youngest—and one of the very few female—politicians during Hungary’s transition to democracy. She became a member of the first freely elected parliament in 1990, helping shape the country’s new political era from the outset.

A founding member of the young liberal party Fidesz, she later broke with the party as it shifted ideologically. Her book 'Tainted Democracy' traces both Hungary’s political evolution and her own journey over the past 35 years, reflecting a deep and enduring commitment to democratic values. 🇭🇺

🎬 Another profound and deeply moving interview completed for our upcoming film on political transitions.

We had the honor of speaking with János M. Rainer, one of the foremost historians of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and former head of the now-defunct Institute of 1956. His work has been guided by a commitment to rigorous, research-based historical narratives, and to ensuring that the legacy of 1956 is understood beyond political reinterpretation.

At a critical moment in the country’s transition, he undertook the solemn task of compiling the names of those executed in the aftermath of the 1956 revolution—the martyrs whose fates had long been suppressed. These names were read aloud during the historic reburial of Imre Nagy on June 16, 1989—one of the defining moments of Hungary’s democratic transition.

We are grateful for his historic contribution to that moment, and for sharing his knowledge and reflections with us today. 🇭🇺

🎬 Another powerful series of interviews completed for our upcoming film on political transitions.

We had the privilege of speaking with Róza Hodosán and Bálint Magyar—two pivotal figures in the formation of Hungary’s democratic opposition in the late 1980s, during the final years of dictatorship. Both went on to play significant roles in shaping the democratic era that followed.

Róza—known to many as the “Queen of samizdat”—earned her reputation through extraordinary courage and ingenuity, even traveling to Poland to learn underground printing techniques from Solidarity activists. Her work helped sustain the flow of free thought in a time of censorship and control.

We are deeply grateful to both of them for their insight, clarity, and willingness to reflect—not only on the past, but on the enduring questions that continue to shape the present. 🇭🇺

🎬The 56Films crew has been hitting the campaign trail hard over the past week, following incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his challenger Péter Magyar at various campaign stops around the country as part of director Réka Pigniczky’s new documentary on political transitions. The crew has witnessed rising tension at pro-government rallies, as well as growing confidence and excitement at opposition events — and all sorts of emotions in between.🇭🇺🇭🇺🇭🇺

We were deeply saddened by news from the Memory Project ...

Julius Várallyay | Memory Project Julius Várallyay 1956er Interview by Andrea Lauer Rice & Réka Pigniczky ALL MATERIAL: COPYRIGHT CALIFORNIA EUROPEAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE/MEMORY PROJECT Julius (Gyula) Várallyay was born on July 26, 1937 in Nyiregyháza, Hungary. His family hails from Borsod county for many generations back, and his...

Congratulations to DirectoRéka of 56Films 🤩 for receiving the Adolf Zukor award during the Hungarian Hollywood Council's Oscar Gala party in Budapest!

Robert Lantos és Pigniczky Réka kapta az Adolph Zukor-díjat A Magyar Hollywood Tanács az Oscar-díj átadás alkalmából megrendezett eseményén 9. alkalommal adta át az Adolph Zukor-díjakat.

🎬 What an exciting day to be out filming Hungarian democracy in action!

While working on our new film about political transitions, our team, including director Réka Pigniczky and cast/crew member Lukács Gerő, filmed, observed, and cheered alongside the hundreds of thousands of Hungarians gearing up for the April 12 elections. 🇭🇺 Special thanks to our supercrew: Marcell Füredi (camera), Márton Ecsedy (sound) and Gergő Kiss (camera).

🎬 Working on our new film about political transitions in Hungary—our Gen Z cast and crew member, Lukács Gerő and the film’s Gen X director (and occasional camerawoman), Pigniczky, ran into Péter Magyar, the head of the opposition Tisza Party (whom Lukács did a quick interview with), as well as László Eörsi, one of the best-known historians of the 1956 Revolution (and one of the stars of our first film, Journey Home (2006)).

In a 10-minute spontaneous interview, László took us from 1989 to today in Hungarian politics. What a day—and it will only get more exciting until the elections on April 12th. 🇭🇺

Our film about 1956 and Hungary's Gen Z is screening at the university (MOME) where it was filmed - we are excited to be a part of the conversation!

Ismét forog a MOME Doku! "Mit gondol Magyarországon a Z generáció 1956-ról? Mit jelent a MOME hallgatói számára az 1956-os forradalom és szabadságharc?" Február 24-én 18.00-kor kezdünk az 56/Z című dokumentum filmmel! A filmvetítést követő beszélgetés résztvevői a film rendezői, Pigniczky Réka és Kiss Gergő (MOME alumni) továbbá a MOME két oktatója, Antalóczy Tímea szociológus és Povedák István kultúrakutató illetve a közönség!