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Zoltán Fábri is a Actor, Director, Scriptwriter and Production Design Hongrois born on 16 october 1917 at Budapest (Hongrie)
Zoltán Fábri (15 October 1917 – 23 August 1994) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. His films The Boys of Paul Street (1969) and Hungarians (1978) were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His 1965 film Twenty Hours shared the Grand Prix with War and Peace at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1969 film The Toth Family was entered into the 7th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1975 film 141 Minutes from the Unfinished Sentence was entered into the 9th Moscow International Film Festival, where he won a Special Prize for Directing.
Fábri wanted to become an artist from an early age on. He studied painting and graduated at the Hungarian College of Fine Arts. He began working in the Hungarian film industry in 1950 as a production designer. He directed his first film Vihar (Storm) in 1951. He became an internationally acclaimed director with his third feature Körhinta (Merry Go-Round) in 1956. He continued directing and writing until the early 1980s. After his retirement from the film industry Fábri taught on the Hungarian University of Theatrical and Film Arts. In his last years he wrote screenplays; they were never made. Fábri was also the president of the Hungarian Film Artist Union from 1959 to 1981.
Fábri's style of filmmaking can be described mainly as "classical", using academic techniques of art filmmaking. His greatest influences were the Italian Neorealism and French Poetic Realism. He experimented with narrative and flashback techniques for a while in the 1960s (in his films Nappali sötétség and Húsz óra) and his 1976 film Az ötödik pecsét contains some highly surrealist scenes, but overall he never used the mannerisms of modernist film in his works. For this reason the Kádár regime favored Fábri over more controversial and experimental directors like Miklós Jancsó. The film won the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival and was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.
At the 11th Moscow International Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded with the Honorable Prize for the contribution to cinema.
He was known as a perfectionist who wrote, drawn and choreographed every scene to the most precise detail months before production began and never improvised anything. His reputation as a rigid, tyrannical director was somewhat contradicted by his friendly and kind behaviour towards the British and American child actors on the set of The Boys of Paul Street.
Fábri made nearly all of his films based on literary material (novels or short stories) and wrote the screenplays himself. His constant theme was the question of humanity. Many of his films are set in or around World War II. Two of his frequent collaborators were actress Mari Törőcsik and cinematographer György Illés. In 1969 he played the role of prosecuted statesman Zoltán Dániel in his friend Péter Bacsó's cult satire, A tanú (The Witness) as his sole acting job.
Fábri died in a heart attack at the age of 76 in 1994.
Devenu acteur, il signa également quelques mises en scène théâtrales. L'avènement de la Seconde Guerre mondiale interrompit le cours de sa carrière et les événements liés à ce conflit le marqueront à tout jamais : des films comme Le Professeur Hannibal (1956), Deux mi-temps en enfer (1962) et Les Ténèbres du jour (1963) en portent témoignage. Après-guerre, il devint directeur artistique du Théâtre de la Jeunesse, puis fut appelé, en 1950, à la tête de la production cinématographique hongroise nationalisée. Il y apprit son métier et réalisa son premier film en 1952 Orage, drame social situé en milieu rural. Son Petit carrousel de fête, présenté au Festival de Cannes, lui valut une reconnaissance mondiale et lança l'actrice Mari Törőcsik. En 1964, il signa un film remarquable sur vingt ans d'expérience socialiste en Hongrie : Vingt heures. Zoltán Fábri est avec Károly Makk et Félix Máriássy l'un des artisans de la première renaissance du cinéma hongrois, située entre l'année de la mort de Staline et l'insurrection de Budapest de 1956.
Source : Wikidata
Zoltán Fábri
Nationality Hongrie
Birth 16 october 1917 at Budapest (Hongrie)
Death 23 august 1994 (at 76 years) at Budapest (Hongrie)
Awards Kossuth Prize
Birth 16 october 1917 at Budapest (Hongrie)
Death 23 august 1994 (at 76 years) at Budapest (Hongrie)
Awards Kossuth Prize
Fábri wanted to become an artist from an early age on. He studied painting and graduated at the Hungarian College of Fine Arts. He began working in the Hungarian film industry in 1950 as a production designer. He directed his first film Vihar (Storm) in 1951. He became an internationally acclaimed director with his third feature Körhinta (Merry Go-Round) in 1956. He continued directing and writing until the early 1980s. After his retirement from the film industry Fábri taught on the Hungarian University of Theatrical and Film Arts. In his last years he wrote screenplays; they were never made. Fábri was also the president of the Hungarian Film Artist Union from 1959 to 1981.
Fábri's style of filmmaking can be described mainly as "classical", using academic techniques of art filmmaking. His greatest influences were the Italian Neorealism and French Poetic Realism. He experimented with narrative and flashback techniques for a while in the 1960s (in his films Nappali sötétség and Húsz óra) and his 1976 film Az ötödik pecsét contains some highly surrealist scenes, but overall he never used the mannerisms of modernist film in his works. For this reason the Kádár regime favored Fábri over more controversial and experimental directors like Miklós Jancsó. The film won the Golden Prize at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival and was entered into the 27th Berlin International Film Festival.
At the 11th Moscow International Film Festival in 1979, he was awarded with the Honorable Prize for the contribution to cinema.
He was known as a perfectionist who wrote, drawn and choreographed every scene to the most precise detail months before production began and never improvised anything. His reputation as a rigid, tyrannical director was somewhat contradicted by his friendly and kind behaviour towards the British and American child actors on the set of The Boys of Paul Street.
Fábri made nearly all of his films based on literary material (novels or short stories) and wrote the screenplays himself. His constant theme was the question of humanity. Many of his films are set in or around World War II. Two of his frequent collaborators were actress Mari Törőcsik and cinematographer György Illés. In 1969 he played the role of prosecuted statesman Zoltán Dániel in his friend Péter Bacsó's cult satire, A tanú (The Witness) as his sole acting job.
Fábri died in a heart attack at the age of 76 in 1994.
Biography
Zoltán Fábri se sentit très tôt attiré par l'art : il suivit, après ses études au lycée, des cours aux Beaux-Arts, puis, recherchant un mode d'expression plus personnel et plus universel, se tourna vers l'École supérieure d'art dramatique (Színművészeti Főiskola) de Budapest, dont il sort diplômé en 1941.Devenu acteur, il signa également quelques mises en scène théâtrales. L'avènement de la Seconde Guerre mondiale interrompit le cours de sa carrière et les événements liés à ce conflit le marqueront à tout jamais : des films comme Le Professeur Hannibal (1956), Deux mi-temps en enfer (1962) et Les Ténèbres du jour (1963) en portent témoignage. Après-guerre, il devint directeur artistique du Théâtre de la Jeunesse, puis fut appelé, en 1950, à la tête de la production cinématographique hongroise nationalisée. Il y apprit son métier et réalisa son premier film en 1952 Orage, drame social situé en milieu rural. Son Petit carrousel de fête, présenté au Festival de Cannes, lui valut une reconnaissance mondiale et lança l'actrice Mari Törőcsik. En 1964, il signa un film remarquable sur vingt ans d'expérience socialiste en Hongrie : Vingt heures. Zoltán Fábri est avec Károly Makk et Félix Máriássy l'un des artisans de la première renaissance du cinéma hongrois, située entre l'année de la mort de Staline et l'insurrection de Budapest de 1956.
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Filmography of Zoltán Fábri (13 films)
Actor
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The Witness (1979)
, 1h45Directed by Péter Bacsó
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama, Comedy, Comedy-drama
Actors Ferenc Kállai, Lajos Őze, Zoltán Fábri, György Kézdy
Roles Zoltán Dániel
Rating85%
The film features József Pelikán as a single father who previously participated in the WW2 communist movement of Hungary, but is now working at a dike. He meets an old friend from the underground communist movement, Zoltán Dániel, now a government official who fishes at the Danube, near the dike. Dániel falls in the river, and Pelikán rescues him and invites him to his home. The ÁVH receive a report stating Pelikán committed an illegal act of slaughtering a pig for food. Dániel tries to save him, but accidentally opens a hidden door to the basement, where all the pork had been hidden. Pelikán is taken to prison and later released, due to the "will of the higher command". Comrade Virág gives various assignments to Pelikán such as being the CEO of a swimming pool, an amusement park, and an orange-research facility; all to cause Pelikán to be the witness in a show trial against Zoltán Dániel. Before the trial they present Pelikán with testimony he must memorize, but Pelikán decides to tell the truth. He is thrown back in prison as a reprisal. While awaiting hanging, the political climate changes and he is released and meets Comrade Virág who has lost all his former power and influence.
Director
Hungarians (1978)
, 1h47Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Gábor Koncz, Sándor Szabó, Zoltán Gera, Tibor Molnár
Rating69%
The Fifth Seal (1976)
, 1h51Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama, War
Actors Lajos Őze, László Márkus, Zoltán Latinovits, György Cserhalmi
Rating84%
L’hiver 1944. Une poignée d’amis se trouvent réunis dans une salle de torture. Pour avoir le droit de sortir, ils doivent gifler un prisonnier en train d’être torturé mais ils sont incapables d’un tel geste. Király le libraire et ses compagnons, donnent leur vie pour conserver une part d’humanité. Seul l’horloger Gyuricza accepte, la mort dans l’âme, d’assener les coups, dans le seul but de sauver les enfants juifs cachés dans son appartement.
, 2h20Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Genres Drama, Historical
Actors András Bálint, Zoltán Latinovits, Margit Makay, Margit Dajka, György Cserhalmi, András Kern
Rating70%
The Toth Family (1969)
, 1h35Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Genres Drama, War, Comedy
Actors Zoltán Latinovits, Antal Páger, Iván Darvas
Rating80%
The Boys of Paul Street (1969)
, 1h44Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Mari Törőcsik, John Moulder-Brown, Sándor Pécsi
Rating77%
L'action se déroule tout début XXème siècle (soit un peu plus tard que dans le roman original) et met en scène deux bandes de jeunes garçons, d'un côté les copains de classe de la rue Paul, de l'autre les Chemises Rouges, plus costauds, menés par le terrible Feri Atcs. Après que deux des membres des Chemises Rouges aient détroussé par la force le frêle Ernö Nemecsek des ses billes, ceux de la rue Paul élisent un chef, Janos Boka, qui décide que l'heure est venue d'en finir avec ces provocations et prépare un plan de bataille. Les Chemises Rouges de leur côté ont la ferme intention de s'approprier le terrain de jeux des garçons de la rue Paul (le "grund"). S'ensuivent des actes de trahison, des expéditions d'espionnage, au cours desquelles le petit Nemecsek - souvent la risée de ses camarades - démontre son courage et sa loyauté. La bataille se déroule finalement sur le "grund" avec forces sonneries de trompette, jets de boulets artisanaux et bagarres au corps à corps, sous les yeux des riverains admiratifs. La victoire est remportée par Boka et ses garçons. Malheureusement, l'histoire tourne au tragique car Nemecsek, après plusieurs bains forcés dans l'étang et un dernier acte de bravoure, meurt d'une pneumonie dans les bras de ses parents éplorés. Les deux camps lui rendent les honneurs et Boka accompagné de quelques uns des vainqueurs de la journée rentre la tête basse au "grund" quand il apprend par la bouche du gardien que ce terrain pour lequel ils ont combattu et pour lequel son ami est mort sera bientôt livré aux architectes qui doivent y construire une grande maison de 4 étages. Mais la vie reprend pour ceux de la rue Paul, au son du piano mécanique et des cahots des voitures à cheval.
Twenty Hours (1965)
, 1h50Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Antal Páger, János Görbe, Lajos Őze, Gyula Bodrogi, Ági Mészáros, Tibor Molnár
Rating75%
Un journaliste arrive dans un village hongrois pour enquêter sur un meurtre commis cinq ans plus tôt. En effet, Kocsis, fut tué par un de ses compagnons de la première heure, Sándor Varga, ancien secrétaire local du parti au pouvoir... Un raccourci saisissant sur l'histoire de la Hongrie rurale de 1945 à 1956.
Two Half-Times in Hell (1961)
, 2hDirected by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama, War
Themes Sports films, Association football films
Actors Dezső Garas, János Görbe, Tibor Molnár, László Márkus, János Koltai, Zoltán Gera
Rating78%
Spring 1944. Nazi officers want to organize a football match for Hitler's birthday, in which Germans would play against Hungarian labour servicemen of war. They call for the famous Hungarian footballer, Ónódi, and order him to organize a team. Ónódi accepts, but in turn demands extra food, a ball with which he and his team can train before the match, and asks that they be allowed to concentrate on training before the match and not work. The Germans accept all the demands, but recommend Ónódi not include any Jews in his team. However, Ónódi can't organize the team only from his company, because only 8 out of 98 Hungarian labour servicemen can play football. Therefore Ónódi recruits players from the other company. One of the players is Steiner, who is a Jew and can't play football. He lied to Ónódi because he was afraid to die. During training the footballers subdue the Hungarian corporal guarding them and try to escape. They are soon recaptured and told they will now face probable death penalty. However, the Hungarian officer orders the Hungarian team to still play the match. At the beginning of the match Ónódi and his team are discouraged, as the Germans easily score three goals. The Hungarians succeed in scoring one goal and the first half ends 3-1 in favour of Germany. At the interval the Hungarian commander tells the Hungarian players that they might not be executed if they lose the match. The Hungarians refuse to believe this. At the beginning of the second half they score three goals. As a result, during the match, they are executed by the Germans.
Sweet Anna (1958)
, 1h24Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Mari Törőcsik, Mária Mezei, Anna Báró, Hilda Gobbi, Zoltán Gera
Rating73%
Budapest, fin juillet 1919. La brève période de la République des conseils s'achève dans le sang. Son chef, le communiste Béla Kun, est chassé du pouvoir par l'armée roumaine et l'armée nationaliste de l'amiral Miklós Horthy. La famille du Conseiller ministériel Vizy respire désormais. Mais l'obsession de Madame Vizy, c'est l'arrivée d'une nouvelle bonne : sera-t-elle aussi compréhensive, appliquée et obéissante qu'elle le souhaite ? Anna laisse d'abord une excellente impression : bien élevée et catholique de surcroît. Petit à petit, le miracle opère. « Alors commença pour eux une existence idyllique dont ils sentaient en permanence le goût dans la bouche. L'impossible s'était réalisé, ils avaient mis la main sur la bonne, la vraie, celle dont ils avaient rêvé. » Mais, leur neveu, Jancsi, attiré par Anna, la séduit puis la délaisse. Anna doit avorter. Enfin, la maîtresse de maison, possessive et hystérique, s'oppose à la perspective d'un mariage d'Anna. Advient alors l'imprévisible : cette bonne, si douce et si laborieuse, commet, à la stupéfaction générale, un meurtre horrible. Dans la nuit du 28 au 29 mai 1921, Anna transperce le corps de ses maîtres de plusieurs coups de couteau.
Merry-Go-Round (1956)
, 1h25Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama, Romance
Actors Mari Törőcsik, Imre Soós, József Juhász
Rating76%
Máté aime Marika qui, néanmoins, doit épouser, selon la volonté expresse de son père, un paysan riche, Sándor. Marika éprouve secrètement une nette inclination pour Máté, mais elle n'ose guère se rebeller ouvertement, craignant de bousculer les coutumes locales. Pourtant, à la noce de l'une de ses amies, Marika abandonne son promis pour entamer un csárdás furieux et interminable avec Máté... qui manifeste, de cette façon, la force de ses sentiments envers la jeune femme. Celle-ci, à son tour, proclame son amour à la face de son père et du village tout entier... En opposition aux vieilles traditions patriarcales, un film plaidant pour l'amour consenti.
Professor Hannibal (1956)
, 1h34Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Hilda Gobbi, Ferenc Bessenyei
Rating75%
Sous la dictature du régent Horthy, un timide professeur de lycée publie un ouvrage sur le général carthaginois Hannibal. D'une rigueur et d'une intégrité indéniables, les écrits du professeur n'ont pourtant pas l'heur de plaire aux autorités politiques en place. Il sera donc l'objet de pressions et de persécutions terribles... mais, il ne fléchira pas.
Scriptwriter
Hungarians (1978)
, 1h47Directed by Zoltán Fábri
Origin Hongrie
Genres Drama
Actors Gábor Koncz, Sándor Szabó, Zoltán Gera, Tibor Molnár
Roles Writer
Rating69%