István Szabó facts for kids

Quick facts for kids István Szabó
István Szabó, 2004
Born	(1938-02-18) 18 February 1938 (age 87) Budapest, Hungary
Nationality	Hungarian
Alma mater	University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1959–present

István Szabó (born 18 February 1938) is a famous Hungarian film director, screenwriter, and opera director.

He is one of the most well-known Hungarian filmmakers outside of Hungary. He makes films that explore political and personal challenges in Central Europe. Szabó started making short films in 1959 while he was a student. His first full-length movie came out in 1964.

His biggest international success was Mephisto (1981). For this film, he won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Since then, many of his films have been made with help from different countries. He often films in Hungary and works with Hungarian actors and crew.

About István Szabó's Life

István Szabó was born in Budapest, Hungary. His father, also named István Szabó, was a doctor. His family had a Jewish background but had converted to Catholicism.

During World War II, when the Arrow Cross Party (Hungarian fascists) took power, his family had to hide. Szabó survived by staying in an orphanage. Sadly, his father died shortly after the war ended. Memories from this difficult time later appeared in some of his movies.

In 2006, a Hungarian magazine published an article about Szabó. It said he had shared information with the Communist government's secret police between 1957 and 1961. Szabó later explained that he did this to avoid being expelled from his film academy. Many people, including some he had reported on, showed him support after this news came out.

Szabó has said that he believes in God. However, he considers his faith a private matter.

István Szabó's Career in Film

Early Films and the New Wave (Before 1964)

When he was a child, Szabó wanted to be a doctor. But by age 16, he became very interested in filmmaking. This happened after reading a book by Hungarian film expert Béla Balázs.

He was one of only 11 students accepted into the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. There, he studied under Félix Máriássy. During his studies, Szabó directed several short films. His most famous student film was Koncert (1963). This film won an award at a festival in Germany.

After school, he got a special chance to direct his first feature film at age 25. This was much earlier than most new directors. Szabó started his career during a "new wave" in Hungarian cinema. This was a time when filmmakers in Eastern Europe had more freedom to express themselves. Their films became more experimental and explored deeper psychological ideas.

Hungarian Films (1964–1980)

Szabó's first feature film was The Age of Illusions (1964). This movie was partly about his own generation. It showed their struggles to start careers and find love. The film won awards at festivals in Switzerland and Hungary.

Father (1966) is a story about growing up. It shows Szabó's interest in history and his childhood memories. The movie follows a young man who grew up without his father during wartime. He learns to rely on his own strength. This film won major awards in Russia and Switzerland. It made Szabó the most famous Hungarian filmmaker internationally at that time.

Lovefilm (1970) uses flashbacks to tell the story of a young man and his childhood sweetheart. Szabó's experimental style became even stronger in 25 Fireman Street (1973). This film shows the dream-memories of people living in an apartment building in Budapest. Their memories cover thirty years of pain and loss, including both World Wars. Although it won an award, the film was not very popular. Szabó then decided to make his next film simpler.

In Budapest Tales (1976), Szabó used a more straightforward story. The film follows a group of people who come together after a war to fix a damaged tram. They ride it into the city. Critics saw this film as a symbol of Hungarian history or how people react to war.

His film Confidence (1980) tells a direct story about history. It focuses on a man and woman hiding from the Arrow Cross Party during World War II. Szabó won a Best Director award for this film at the Berlin Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

International Films with Klaus Maria Brandauer (1981–1988)

Szabó's next three films were made with international partners and filmed in German. They starred Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer. This group of films includes Mephisto (1981), Colonel Redl (1985), and Hanussen (1988). In these movies, Brandauer plays characters who make moral compromises to succeed in difficult political times.

• In Mephisto, Brandauer plays an actor in Nazi Germany. This film won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also won an award at the Cannes Film Festival. This greatly increased Szabó's international fame.
• In Colonel Redl, Brandauer plays a spy for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He is forced into espionage to keep his private life secret.
• In Hanussen, Brandauer plays a real-life clairvoyant (someone who can see the future). His growing fame brings him closer to the Nazis, which becomes dangerous.

Later Career (1991–Present)

After these films, Szabó continued to make international movies in different languages and locations. He still made some films in Hungarian. Even in his international projects, he often filmed in Hungary and used Hungarian talent.

Meeting Venus (1991) was his first English-language film and his first comedy. It was based on his experience directing an opera in Paris. The film shows a Hungarian director facing challenges while working with a European opera company.

With Sweet Emma, Dear Böbe (1992), Szabó returned to a Hungarian topic. This film focused on a current social problem in Hungary. It won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

Sunshine (1999) is a long historical movie in English. Many critics see it as one of Szabó's most important films. In Sunshine, Szabó directly explored the history of Jews in Hungary. This was a topic he had experienced as a child. The film follows three generations of the Sonnenschein family through the challenges of 20th-century Hungarian Jewish history. It includes events like the Holocaust. The film won several European Film Awards.

In Taking Sides (2001), Szabó explored similar ideas to Mephisto. It stars Stellan Skarsgård as a German conductor and Harvey Keitel as a U.S. Army investigator. The investigator questions the conductor about his actions during the Nazi era. The film won several awards in Argentina.

Being Julia (2004) is based on a novel. It stars Annette Bening as a famous British actress. Bening won a Golden Globe Award for her role.

In 2005, Szabó received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Moscow International Film Festival.

Rokonok (2006) was a Hungarian film about political corruption. It tells the story of a new attorney general whose relatives (rokonok in Hungarian) ask him for favors.

The Door (2012) is an English-language film based on a Hungarian novel. It focuses on the relationship between a wealthy novelist and her mysterious maid. The film won an audience award at the Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles.

Szabó has often worked with the same actors, like András Bálint and Klaus Maria Brandauer. He also frequently collaborates with cinematographer Lajos Koltai.

Main Ideas in Szabó's Films

Several important ideas appear often in István Szabó's films. One main idea is how personal lives are affected by political and historical events. Szabó once said that his mother told him their lives were "destroyed by politics and history." His films often show major events from the mid-20th century in Hungary. These include World War II, the Arrow Cross dictatorship, the Holocaust, and the Communist takeover. Szabó often calls this theme "the search for security."

Another related idea is the moral choices people make to succeed in unfair political systems. Szabó believes that making compromises is part of life. But he asks how far someone should go before a compromise becomes harmful. This idea is very strong in his films with Klaus Maria Brandauer.

The arts, especially theater, music, and film, are also important themes. In many of Szabó's films, artists get caught up in conflicts about politics and identity.

Szabó's Film Style

Szabó's early films were influenced by the French New Wave. This style used experimental techniques like flashbacks and dream sequences.

He often uses symbols in his films. Certain objects or places have special meanings. For example, tram cars appear in many of his movies. The city of Budapest itself is also very important in his films. He often shows parts of the Danube River or buildings where he lived as a child.

Acting is also key in Szabó's films. He likes characters with complex feelings. He often uses the same lead actors in many movies. He also frequently uses close-up shots. These shots help show the emotions on his characters' faces.

Other Work by István Szabó

Besides directing and writing films, Szabó has done many other things in the film industry. He has written and directed television movies and short films. He has also worked as an assistant director, producer, and even an actor in other people's films. In 1969, he was part of the jury at the 6th Moscow International Film Festival.

Szabó has also directed several operas. These include Tannhäuser in Paris and Boris Godunov in Leipzig. He has taught at film schools in Budapest, London, Berlin, and Vienna. In 1989, he helped create the European Film Academy.

Filmography

Television Work

Appearances in Documentaries

Images for kids

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  István Szabó, 2004