March 4, 2008

Washington Celebrates Oscar-winning Hungarian Director István Szabó

At the invitation of the Embassy of Hungary and the National Gallery of Art, Oscar-winning Hungarian film director István Szabó visited Washington, DC, from February 28 to March 3, 2008. His visit was the crowning event of the retrospective series of his movies at the National Gallery of Art, running from early February to early March, in tribute of the director’s 70^th birthday.
Click here to see the program of the retrospective.
 

Oscar-winner István Szabó (middle) with Ambassador Somogyi and Andrea Bors Somogyi

On the evening of his arrival, U.S. Chief of Protocol Nancy G. Brinker hosted a private dinner honoring Szabó with Hungarian American notabilities and personalities of the Washington cultural scene in attendance.
 

The director with US Chief of Protocol Nancy G. Brinker after the dinner at Blair House (Photo by Péter Keresztes)

Ambassador Esther Coopersmith and Mrs. Annette Lantos at the Blair House (Photo by Péter Keresztes)

Szabó gave a master course to students of Film Studies at George Washington University on February 29.
 

Luncheon with German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and GWU professors after the master course

In the evening of February 29, he met his fans and admirers at the Embassy of Hungary where he talked about his movies, which was followed by a reception.
 

Mr. Szabó with Ambassador Somogyi during the presentation at the Hungarian Embassy

On March 1, the National Gallery of Art screened the movie “Mephisto”, for which Szabó received the Academy Award in 1982. Ambassador Ferenc Somogyi presented Szabó who then introduced “Mephisto,” and later that afternoon, his 1984 movie “Colonel Redl”, winner of a Jury Prize at the Cannes Festival, as well as his 1986 work “Hanussen” on March 2.
 

Full house at the National Gallery - third row: Ambassador Somogyi, István Szabó, Andrea Bors Somogyi

István Szabó introducing Mephisto at the National Gallery of Art

Ambassador Somogyi and Mrs. Andrea Bors Somogyi hosted a reception in honor of the director at the Residence on Saturday evening, with Washington-based filmmakers, representatives of the U.S. and Hungarian press as well as outstanding personalities of the D.C. social and cultural scene.
 

Celebrating the director's 70th birthday at the Residence of the Hungarian Ambassador - from left to right: Chef György Ócsai, Sylvia Blume (Goethe Institut), Ambassador Somogyi, István Szabó, Press Attaché Zoltán Fehér, Andrea Bors Somogyi

At the events honoring Szabó during his visit, notabilities included Mrs. Annette Lantos, wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, U.S. Chief of Protocol and former Ambassador to Hungary Nancy Goodman Brinker, German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, Professors John Lukacs and August Molnar, Professor Charles Gati and Mrs. Toby Gati, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Colleen Graffy, and filmmakers Stephen Fischer, Aviva Kempner and Emery Tóth.
 

The "Mephisto" cake for Szabó's 70th birthday at the reception Ambassador Somogyi gave in his honor

The Goethe Institut of Washington presented Szabó’s 2001 movie on controversial German composer and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, “Taking Sides,” on Sunday, March 2, followed by a discussion with the director and GWU professor Peter Rollberg.
 

István Szabó and GWU professor Peter Rollberg at the Goethe Institut after the screening of "Taking Sides"

István Szabó was born in 1938 in Budapest. He is considered one of the most important Hungarian moviemakers alive. Throughout his distinguished career, he has worked with Klaus Maria Brandauer, Annette Bening, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel and Jeremy Irons.