Hungary and Oscar and "Preparations to be together..."

Monday, November 23, 2020 at 11:27AM
NATHANIEL R in Best International Film, Female Directors, George Cukor, Hungary, Istvan Szabo, Michael Curtiz, Miklos Rozsa, Oscar Trivia, William S Darling, Zoltan Fabri

by Nathaniel R

Preparations to be together for an unknown period of time (2020)

Hungary has announced its submission to the Oscar race. They have chosen the sophomore feature from new director Lili Horvát called Preparations to be Together For An Unknown Period Of Time. We love a memorable distinct title so this is up there with Lesotho's submission as the best-titled contender for Best International Feature this year. It's a romantic drama / mystery about a female surgeon that won prizes at several festivals including Philadelphia, Chicago, and Warsaw. Horvát began making short films in the Aughts and earlier this decade worked as a casting director, including on the acclaimed Hungarian Oscar submission White God (2014). This is the 29th announced submission that's from a female filmmaker so we're going to hit an all-time high percentage that's nearing gender parity. At this writing 42% of the entries come from female directors.

Let's look at Hungary's Oscar history after the jump. It might surprise you how many Hungarians Oscar voters have honored over the years, especially during the Golden Age of Hollywood... 

HUNGARY'S OSCAR STATS
Submitting since 1965
56 Total Submissions 
10 Nominations (and 2 Additional Finalists)
2 Wins 

KEY SUBMISSIONS 

"The Boys of Paul Street" was Hungary's first Oscar success

• Twenty Hours (1965) Hungary's very first submission was about the Soviet invasion of the 1950s. It's from one of their most prolific directors Zoltan Fabri who later saw two of his films nominated. But Oscar passed the first time he was up for the honor.
• The Boys of Paul Street (1968) Hungary's first nominee
• Love (1971) A Cannes favourite but Oscar passed.
• Cats' Play (1974) Nominee
• Adoption (1975) This drama about a woman who tries to help neglected children was the first female-directed film to be submitted by Hungary. It was a festival success winning the Golden Bear in Berlinale. Oscar passed.
• The Fifth Seal (1976) Moscow Festival Winner and central European classic about questions of morality but Oscar passed
• Hungarians (1978) Nominee
• Confidence (1980) Nominee

"Mephisto" made an international star out of Klaus Maria Brandauer, who later costarred in the Best Picture winner "Out of Africa"

• Mephisto (1981) Winner
• Time Stands Still (1982) NYFCC award
• Job's Revolt (1983) Nominee
• Colonel Redl (1985) Nominee
• Hanussen (1988) Nominee
• My Twentieth Century (1989) Ildiko Enyedi won the Camera d'Or at Cannes for her debut but she'd have to wait until 2017 to be among the Oscar nominated films.
• Kontroll (2003) a modern cult classic filmed entirely within the Budapest Metro system at night
• The Turin Horse (2011) The only time Hungary ever submitted the reknowned auteur Bela Tarr (for his final film) but Oscar passed
• The Notebook (2013) Finalist
• White God (2014) This acclaimed film won the "Palm Dog" and Un Certain Regard at Cannes and raised Kornél Mundruczó's international profile. He has recently made his first English language picture Pieces of a Woman, which has generated Oscar buzz for both its lead actress Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn in supporting. 
• Son of Saul (2015) Winner
• On Body and Soul (2017) Nominee
• Those Who Remained (2019) Finalist 

Most Frequently Submitted Directors for Best International Feature Film

Lazslo Nemes winning for "Son of Saul" his debut film and first submission

1. Istvan Szabo  (7 submissions, 4 nominated films, 1 of them winning)
2. Zoltan Fabri (4 submissions, 2 nominated films)
3. Janos Szasz (3 submissions, none nominated but 1 finalist)
4. Laslo Nemes (2 submissions, 1 nominated film which won)
5. [TIE] 2 submissions with 1 nominated film each: Ildiko Enyedi, Karoly Makk, and the duo Imre Gyongyossy & Barna Kabay
6. [TIE] 2 submissions each, neither of them nominated: Marta Meszaros, Peter Gothar, Gyorgy Palfi, Szaboics Hajdu, and Benedek Fliegauf

Most Oscar-Honored Hungarian Artists

Michael Curtiz on the set of "Casablanca" for which he won the Oscar 

1. Miklos Rozsa (17 nominations, 3 wins for Music)
2. William S Darling (7 nominations, 3 wins in Art Direction)
3. George Pal (7 nominations, 1 win... all for animation)
4. [TIE] 5 nominations, 1 win each: Michael Curtiz (Best Director), Joseph Kish (Art Direction), and Hungarian-American George Cukor (Best Director)
5. [TIE] 4 nominations, 1 win each: Emeric Pressburger (Writing), Vilmos Zsigmond (Cinematography), Vincent Korda (Art Direction)
6. Istvan Szabo (4 nominations, 1 win in Foreign Film*)
7. Frank Darabont, born in France but to Hungarian parents (3 nominations, one for Best Picture and the others for Writing) 
8. [TIE] 2 nominations, 1 win each: Geza Herczeg (Writing), Alexandre Trauner (Art Direction), and Hungarian-American Steven Bognar (Documentary)

There are other Hungarians who have been nominated a single time or even won like Best Actor winner Paul Lukas (Watch on the Rhine)

* Yes, we know that "international feature" nominations don't technically belong to the director, but they do to us.

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).