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RELEASES Hungary

Besson, Frears and Tykwer in pole position

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Despite the strong US presence at the Hungarian box office since January, three films by well-known European directors have recorded good results.

First up, Luc Besson’s French animated feature Arthur and the Invisibles [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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– released mid-December through Fórum Hungary – went on to have spectacular success, occupying seventh position at the box office over the weekend of February 9-11 with box office takings of more than 102m forints (approx. €405,000).

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Other films to record impressive results were German helmer Tom Tykwer’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer [+see also:
trailer
film profile
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(distribution SPI International) with a 49m forint gross since its January 11 release, and The Queen [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Andy Harries
interview: Stephen Frears
film profile
]
by British director Stephen Frears (see Focus), released by Budapest Film on January 18 with 23m plus forint grossed.

While both of these titles still figure in the Top 5 in the Hungarian capital, elsewhere in the country they are nowhere to be seen in the Top 10.

Two other European features have been released so far this year: Lights in the Dusk [+see also:
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film profile
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by Finland’s Aki Kaurismäki, which screened in competition at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and opened in Hungary on January 25 through Budapest Film, who today are releasing Norwegian helmer Jens Lien’s The Bothersome Man [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jens Lien
interview: Jørgen Storm Rosenberg
film profile
]
.

However, Hungarian cinema has been lurking in the shadows, using as its showcase the Hungarian Film Week (which ended on February 6). Hungarotop released András Szoke’s Railroad junkies on January 18 and Best Hollywood last week launched Tamás Sas’ popular comedy S.O.S. Love !, starring Sándor Csányi, Mónika Ullman and Ivan Fenyo.

However, Gábor Rohonyi’s road movie Konec (see news) – a debut feature crowned Best Film at the recent Film Week – proved the most popular domestic title finishing in eight position after one month in cinemas (distribution HungariCom) and a €155,000 gross.

Gabor Herendi’s Lora: A Story About Love (Hungarotop, see article), featuring Shooting Star Péter Nagy (see interview) and young US actress Lucia Brawley, remains in the Top 10 with €78,000 grossed after three weeks.

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(Translated from French)

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