Almási Marathon

Almási went to Ózd to make a feature film originally but ended up following the fate of the Ózd Metallurgical Works and its workers in the industrial town for more than a decade. Almási started filming in Ózd in 1987 when it was already apparent what changes and conflicts would emerge in the city’s life due to the factory workers slowly becoming redundant and then unemployed as the iron and steel production ceased. For eleven years, he followed the city’s fate through the eyes of a single character. The film series is a symbolic impression of the decline and disintegration of communities that fell during the regime change.

The program starts on Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. On Friday, March 15, 2024, we will continue at 11:00 am, and at 4:20 p.m. there will be a discussion with the director Tamás Almási and Lóránt Stőhr.

After screening the eight films that make up the Ózd series, we will also screen a ninth, short film made 34 years later by Zsuzsa Debre. As a student of Tamás Almási, she visited Ózd to explore the memories, beliefs, and nostalgia left by the factory in the city from a hitherto marginalized perspective—that of women. To do this, she chose a neutral, public space known to residents, where many people turn up to discuss common issues from time to time. Alongside the day-to-day events of the hair salon, the past and present of Ózd are revealed almost incidentally through the personal stories of the women who visit the hair salon.

Participation is free, and you are welcome to watch individual films of the program, but we encourage you to take the time to watch the whole marathon so that we can discuss the whole experience!

The program is in Hungarian.