The Exile is a thrilling, rich spectacle. And it is a genuine film, a folk theatre-influenced piece that is distinguished from the world of stage sets by its spectacular on-location shoots (Cluj-Napoca, Rimetea, Turda Gorge). It creates realistic spaces. At the same time, there can be no denying that the stage is a defining inspiration. The film's producer, Jenő Janovics, was the director of the National Theatre in Cluj-Napoca. It was a particularly ingenious idea on his part to use the potential of theatre to create a silent film in Transylvania. Because in a theatre, not only will you find superb actors, there is also no problem when it comes to producing the scenery, props and costumes. This potential was one of the reasons that directors like Mihály Kertész and Sándor Korda travelled from the Proja film studio to Cluj-Napoca. While we often discuss Hungarian producers that worked in Hollywood, Jenő Janovics, a pioneer of Hungarian film production, rarely gets a mention. Now, here is our chance.
Mind you, it is worth noting that the film did not make it home in good condition. Its restoration and digitalisation required some difficult, painstaking work, as the people involved strived to ensure the film could be as faithful as possible to the original images of 1914 - including the acting scenes. The film score, however, is new. The music, written specifically for the film by Attila Pacsay in 2014, is a perfect match to the moving pictures.

The discussions before and after the screening will be conducted in Hungarian.