The ELTE–NFI University Film Club screening and discussion series continues. We welcome university members from all ELTE faculties.
The first Hungarian film about the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence takes place over the course of a single night. Two people – a dancer and an actor – must decide: should they stay, or should they leave? Set on New Year’s Eve 1956, the film evokes the uncertainty of the days following the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence through the story of a couple in love. Vera and János are preparing to leave the country. They have just a few hours left to decide what a future together means to them – and what they are willing to give up for it.
The film’s uniqueness lies not only in the intimate, personal story we follow, but also in how it captures the collective mood of an entire society. The revolution is over, but fear, uncertainty, and hope coexist. Who should stay? Who should leave? Is it possible to start a new life somewhere else? And what does “home” mean if one no longer feels safe there? What does freedom mean if you have to make a choice for it? What does a person take with them when they leave home? And what is it that keeps us at home: the place, the memories, or the people we cannot leave behind?
Date: 21 October 2026, 6:00 p.m.
Location: ELTE University Library and Archives, community space (1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 6, ground floor)
Director: György Révész
Screenwriters: László Bánk, György Révész, Iván Boldizsár
Cinematographer: Barnabás Hegyi
Editor: Ferencné Szécsényi
Music: András Bágya
Starring: Éva Ruttkai, Miklós Gábor, Zsuzsa Bánki, István Rozsos, Ferenc Baracsi
Our guests for the post-screening discussion are Gábor Gelencsér, a film historian, film theorist, and university professor (ELTE Faculty of Humanities), and László Eörsi, a historian whose primary area of research is the 1956 Revolution and War of Independence.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi9sXSqVPU0
Due to limited seating, advance registration is appreciated at https://www.ajk.elte.hu/ejfelkor-1957.
The organisers welcome emails regarding the film club at eltenfi.filmklub@elte.hu.
ELTE–NFI Filmklub Facebook page