A Bibo Reader
Private Hungary 13

The Bishop and the Philosopher - 1

"The greatest threat to the rule of law is not the people outside it,
but those uncertain and distorted situations in which it becomes bad,
contradictory, and hypocritical."

István Bibó

In his work Péter Forgács presents a poetic overview of the Hungarian terrain in the twentieth century, with the use of magically composed, scratched found footage. As before, he collaborates with composer Tibor Szemzõ, whose mesmerizing music glides us through Hungarian and Middle European history and landscape. A Bibó Reader brings us closer to the eternal and crystal-clear conclusions of the greatest Hungarian political thinker of the 20th century. István Bibó, philosopher, and minister during the 1956 Hungarian revolution, was sentenced to life imprisonment, but later released under an amnesty. He never gave up his faith in freedom. The sensitive rendering of Bibó's social and historical analysis, the meditative texts pace this unique film vision from one chapter to the next. The fascinating images and sounds offer the viewer the unexpectedly special and profound experience.

VIDEO INTRO FROM A BIBO READER

credits
1996 - 69 min - video

Director/Producer • Péter Forgács
Editor • Kati Juhász
Advisor • János Kenedi
Consultants • Géza Bereményi, István Bibó Jr.,
András Forgách, Gábor Hanák, Ági Ravasz
Sound mix • Zoltán Vadon
Music • Tibor Szemző
Music performed by the • Gordian Knot Company
Music recording • Zoltán Regenye
Bibó family films & photos • László Ravasz, Jr.
Video graphics • Zoltán Vida
Film restoration • Márton Kurutz

co production partner of the film version
György Budai - Nextreme Film Ltd.

supported by
NKÖM, NKA, ORTT, Duna Television, Hungarian Television.

festivals
2003 • Rotterdam IFF
2003 • Göteborg IFF
2002 • Budapest Film Festival
2002 • Cannes - Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
2002 • Pesaro IFF
2002 • Taiwan IFF
2002 • Flemish Film Festival

awards