The Budapest Architecture Film Festival, held between 7 and 10 March at the Toldi Cinema, focuses on the creative and dedicated professionals behind buildings and cities, as well as their stories.
This year’s motto for the Budapest Architecture Film Festival, People Behind, highlights the numerous and passionate creative individuals who work behind the scenes in the construction of buildings and cities. The series will showcase films addressing urban planning, city politics, ecology, transportation, technology, activism, and social transformation, accompanied by various programmes, as stated in the organizers’ Wednesday announcement.
The festival, organized in more than a dozen blocks this year,
will present around twenty films, some of which have already received awards, while others are entirely new.
Additionally, the screenings will be complemented by directorial lectures and related panel discussions. The films will be shown in their original language with Hungarian or English subtitles. Alongside the international film selection, this year’s festival will also feature works from Hungarian directors and production companies, including films by Márton Orosz, Zajti Film, and Pi Production.
The opening film, Rabble Rousers, delves into questions such as the real stakes of public discourse on urban rehabilitation, how people can be inspired to participate in shaping the future of their environment, and what tools are available in a situation where power stands on the other side. The film narrates the story of Frances Goldin and her neighbours who opposed the 1959 action to eradicate the New York slums.
Other films will explore topics such as what makes people feel comfortable in a place, the role of design in addressing global challenges, the changes buildings undergo over decades or even in a single day, how communities can be motivated, and the influence of ecosystem changes on people’s homes and lifestyles. Furthermore, discussions will examine the future prospects of modern and obsolete buildings and the contradictions between Western and Eastern cultures in architectural matters.
Throughout the festival, viewers will gain insights into the works of Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer, Hungarian architect Imre Makovecz, Swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz, Hungarian artist and researcher György Kepes, and Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira, as well as Indian architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi.
Organized by the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre,
the festival’s mission is to provide an overview of current architectural issues affecting the world,
the region, and Hungary each year. It serves as a meeting point for architects, film enthusiasts, and the curious alike, fostering dialogue on built and non-built environments, and inspiring audiences to think and act.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
