The character of Monori is defined by Károly Eperjes's theatrical performance in the role. Monori is so dominant that when you watch the film for the first time, you may find you don't even notice the weighty background stories and side-stories. Though they are plenty of them. Stories of survival, of success, dramas applied to a changing world. And the agonising question: Do you want to live like this? This is how you want to live? Sándor Kardos's cinematography is truly moving. As though for The Midas Touch he had found a new, unique cinematic language. In a never-seen-before approach he shows us chaos, entropy, sometimes switching to emotional/sentimental sequences of images that make the viewer weep. It's that kind of film. If you take a seat, you are in for a rollercoaster ride of the emotions. The 1980s saw a change in Hungarian cinema. Films began to express openly that which had previously been whispered in our ears, hidden between the lines/picture frames. The tried-and-tested figurative language, hints and hidden signs were replaced by a new kind of honesty. About a half-dozen films were created that had no desire to plod obediently along at the permitted speed on a path that led to who knows where. It is also worth watching out for the cameos in The Midas Touch, as these are particularly enlightening. Gombacsik, working for the new regime, is played by sculptor and visual designer Gyula Pauer, while the scene featuring Gábor Ferenczi as a film director is a poignant one. Then there is Péter Gothár as a cynical taxi driver. And the fundamental question remains: Even if you live through this, will the person inside you survive?

In Hungarian, without subtitles.
The discussions before and after the screening will be conducted in Hungarian.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest