FINAL CUT – HÖLGYEIM ÉS URAIM

Tales of romance often begin at the cinema. Under the cover of darkness first tender glances are exchanged to the backdrop of dream factory tales of boy meets girl. Drawing on material from over 450 films György Pálfi has created a highly idiosyncratic version of love between man and woman. Thus we encounter the classic clichés of romantic film in a new light: The first encounters, flirtation, the first kiss, sex, marriage, marital life, the daily grind, jealousy, doubt, crisis and the culmination of either failure or reconciliation. In the process the Hungarian forays through the archives of film history: Greta Garbo and Brigitte Helm, Rita Hayworth and Marilyn Monroe seduce Jackie Chain, Gérard Depardieu, Leonardo di Caprio or Zoltan Latinovics. The director intentionally set his sights beyond the accepted canon of classic film, intermixing Hollywood with Bollywood and the cinematography of both eastern and western Europe, inclusive of neo-cult works from directors such as Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino and James Cameron.

The result is entirely composed of sequences which proceed in rapid succession, concurrently astounding and amusing the viewer who might, though need not be a cinéaste in order to appreciate this remarkable testimony to meticulous diligence and industry. Three years in the making, this work goes beyond the scope of a traditional compilation film, bearing as it does the hallmarks of the director's unique signature style. Endowed with a budget of 20 million HUF (approx. €70,000) the issue surrounding third-party image rights remains unresolved; as such the film is currently permitted to screen solely at film festivals.