Free fall reflects to the times before the Shoah, the darkest chapter of the 20th century Hungary, based on the home movies of the talented musician, photographer and businessman, György Pető who made 8mm films from 1938. We follow their story, to discover what's behind the Pető’s happiness, how they suppress the fearful signs of threatening evidences of forthcoming massacres. Free Fall envisions the illusions of a Jewish Hungarian family eroded step by step, the happy, banal moments framed by the Hungarian Jewish laws. How do we understand segregation, the racist laws if ‘angels’ voice recites them? We follow their determination, the unpredictable events, and their illusions, and hopes until the very last moments. The Free Fall video opera recitative music composed and conducted by Tibor Szemző.

VIDEO INTRO from FREE FALL

credits of Free Fall
1996 - 75 minutes - video

Director / Editor / Producer • Péter Forgács
Consultants • András Forgách and Géza Bereményi
Assistant Editor • Éva Mihály
Line Producer • Ferenc Komjáthi and Róbert Római
Assistants • Zsuzsa Ujj and Zsolt Neményi
Sound engineer • Zsolt Hubay
Music • Tibor Szemző
Singers, narrators • Ildikó Fodor, András Soós, Tibor Szemző, Caroline Bodóczky and Nicholas Bodóczky

awards of Free Fall
1997 • Experimental Film Grand Prize • Hungarian Film Week, Budapest
1997 • Grand Prix and the CNC Special Prize • International Documentary Film Festival, Marseille
1997 • The Best Non-Fiction of the Year • Prix Europe Berlin

produced in association with
FOR-CREATION Bt. with the support of MTFA, MMKA, The Soros Foundation, Private Photo and Film Archive Budapest, MTV Rt. and BBS

broadcast of Free Fall
HTV Rt., Duna TV, Arte-LaSept, SVT, YLE2, NOS, RTLS.

distributor of Free Fall
Péter Forgács
info@forgacspeter.hu