Mr. Universe
In the extensive restoration program of Hungarian film heritage led by the National Film Institute of Hungary (NFI), the films of these two filmmakers stand out for their uniqueness. After a few formidable offerings inspired by cinéma vérité, the former turned to a type of cinema influenced by American westerns, to the point of becoming the leader of a subgenre: the Goulash Western. The latter made a handful of magnificent experimental films and a masterpiece: Sinbad.
How does one go about making a film with Mickey Hargitay if he only allows five minutes for shooting? György Szomjas’s pseudo-documentary is apparently about the world-famous bodybuilder while it is actually pondering the continuing search for a path ahead and iron will. Two filmmakers, Lazlo and Lord, set off on a slow but all the more remarkable journey to track down ‘the Hungarian who made it’. Through the unique photography of Ferenc Grunwalsky we can travel through 1980s America, from east coast to west, because one is never lost with a new film plan in mind. (National Film Institute Hungary)
György Szomjas
György Szomjas was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 20 films from 1965 to 2021. His 1983 film Light Physical Injuries was entered into the Berlin International Film Festival. He is the father of the Hungarian Ostern, the Goulash Western. In the 1970s, he directed two osterns about Hungarian rascals, The Wind Blows Under Your Feet (1976), and Wrong-Doers (1979).
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