Margitfilm

Margitfilm reveals the past 35+ years of the creative drama studio, Színjátékország (Playcountry) embraced by the former student, the director Balazs Simonyi. Margit herself and her studio became an “institution”, the students called themselves “Margitos” after the charismatic leader of the studio, the brilliant teacher and playmate, Margit Földessy. Playing, creativity, spontaneity, improvisation, self-liberation, community. Dare to be bad, dare to be creative, dare to play. These were the key components of the drama studio of Margit Földessy (born in 1946) for the generations.

Article (in Hungarian) about the making-of: Mindenkiben megvan a játékosság – interjú Simonyi Balázzsal a Margitfilmről

147′ (director’s cut) & 50′ (TV-version) / 2019 / HD (only in Hungarian) 

Written & Directed by Balazs Simonyi

Camera by Balazs Simonyi, Csaba Hernath, Balint Nagy

Produced by Balazs Simonyi, Laszlo Jozsa

Funded by the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (MediaMecenatura)

Synopsis: Földessy was raised in a family of actors. Acting has been in her family for many generations. She had a number of important acting roles in film and theatre, and she had an iconic voice in the dubbing scene. She founded her drama studio in 1985 and she spends most of her time with the studio ever since. Music, dance, singing, reading dramas, speech practices, situation plays, concentration based activities, improvisation, rhythmical exercises all in the service of the feeling of learning fulfillment of the kids.

The film hits a very personal tone, as the director himself spent 20 years at the studio. Margit Földessy talks about being a pioneer of personality explorations and playfulness in education. She also talks about her studio being the second home.

In the rigid system of socialism, she used a radically different and new method of child and acting pedagogy. How was this possible to creatie her own island of freedom in a way? She created something that is hard to fit into the educational system even today. She focused on the inner freedom of children.

The studio started in a private apartment as an experiment and over the year, it became a widely accepted institution. Hundreds of introverted, or extroverted, sometimes hyperactive children were inspired to open up and let their imaginations and mind fly. Threse playful children became adults, who still dare to play, risk, be naughty, stand up for ideas, speak up and create.

TV-version (50′) https://vimeo.com/321564700 (password: margit50min)