16-11-2008

Hungarian Serb film finally hits cinemas

By Gyorgy Karpati
    Sand Glass directed by Szabolcs Tolnai, which endured a two year delay due to the split of Serbia and Montenegro, was released in Hungary on November 13.

    The production filmed for 50 days during period from 2005-2007. The split of Serbia-Montenegro into two countries changed the original Serbian funding support of the movie. The Hungarian-Serbian co-production was originally planned to be a 2/3 Serbian and 1/3 Hungarian movie, but the ratio was ultimately reversed.

    The original budget of the movie was 1,150,000 euros, but later decreased to 530,000 euros, producer Gyorgy Durst told FNE. The Hungarian part of the budget was approximately 346,000 euros which came from the direct and indirect support of the Motion Picture Public Foundation of Hungary (www.mmka.hu).

    The production companies of the movie were the Hungary's Mediawave 2000 and AC 100; Serbia's Atalanta and Art&Popcorn (www.artandpopcorn.com); and Montenegro's Artikulacija (www.artikulacija.cg.yu). The producers were Durst, Ivan Djurovic, Miroslav Mogorovic, and Szabolcs Tolnai.

    The movie is based on the writings of Danilo Kis and is about a man who's searching the past of his father. The movie won the best cinematography award at Hungarian Film Week in January for Gergely Poharnok's black and white filming.

    The Hungarian distributor of the movie is the Hungarian Federation of the Film Societies (www.filmklubszov.hu).