A ceremonial screening of Péter Gárdos’s 1987 film Szamárköhögés (Whooping Cough) opened the 56/70: 1956 Filmre írva film festival at Budapest’s historic Corvin Cinema on Thursday, 15 October, launching three days of screenings and commemorative events ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
The opening film portrays the 1956 uprising through the eyes of children, capturing the upheaval of everyday life as Budapest descended into revolution. Produced during the final years of communist rule, the film was initially withheld and eventually released in censored form in 1987. The venue itself carries particular historical significance, as Corvin Passage was one of the main strongholds of Hungarian freedom fighters resisting Soviet forces.
Addressing the opening ceremony, US Chargé d’Affaires Caroline Savage paid tribute to the surviving revolutionaries in attendance, praising those who ‘risked everything for their homeland and freedom.’ She also honoured revolutionary prime minister Imre Nagy, who was executed in 1958, describing his sacrifice as a symbol of every nation’s right to self-determination.
Savage also recalled Washington’s reception of tens of thousands of Hungarian refugees following the revolution. An accompanying exhibition, organized by the US Embassy and documenting the so-called Operation Safe Haven, will remain open throughout the festival.
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony called for a commemoration capable of uniting Hungarians across political divisions, arguing that ‘no ideology should dictate how people love their country.’ Katalin Jánosi, Imre Nagy’s granddaughter, criticized successive governments since the regime change for politicizing the memory of the revolution, while Culture State Secretary Ervin Nagy described 1956 as one of the bravest and most uplifting periods in Hungarian history.
Running from 16 to 18 October, the festival features 29 films, including 18 documentaries and 11 feature films, with works by Márta Mészáros, Sándor Pál, Tamás Almási and Réka Pigniczky. Restored screenings, discussions with filmmakers and historians, and encounters with surviving revolutionaries are also included in the programme.
The 1956 uprising, which began on 23 October and was crushed by Soviet military intervention in November, is one of the most important events in Hungary’s modern history and remains a cornerstone of national identity and the country’s struggle for independence.
Preparations for its 70th anniversary include nationwide commemorations, a ceremonial parliamentary session and major events in Budapest. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend the 23 October celebrations, alongside other European leaders, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been invited. Zelenskyy’s deputy chief of staff, Ihor Zhovkva, confirmed the invitation to Euronews, although Kyiv has yet to formally confirm his attendance.
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