Magyar Hírek, 1985 (38. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1985-02-16 / 4. szám
Ms. Júlia Kudlik, hostess ot the video magazine interviewing a young amateur chef at the Sárospatak camp PHOTO: VIKTOR GABOR Video magazine for Hungarians abroad universities offering courses not only in the language of their countries. The lectures and seminars will be held in English right through the six years, but our students from abroad will also learn Hungarian in order to establish as direct as possible relations with patients which start in the third year.” “The English programme is regarded by all as of great importance” Dr. József Szeberényi, a research biologist who recently returned after two years at the Warly University of St. Louis (USA), added. He had done research into molecular genetics.—“One of the advantages of Hungarian medical training is that students may enrol at 1he age of eighteen, and master the four-year curriculum of American colleges within one or twa years. We have five students at the moment, who graduated from such colleges, and we take their qualifications into account in setting their schedules.” “The other advantageous feature of our university is”—continued Professor Tigyi, “that it gives an opportunity for doing research towards a Ph. D. besides obtaining MD qualifications. Several Hungarian scientific institutes—such as the Institute of Anatomy, those of Bio- Physics, Biology, and Neurobiology —offer research facilities to the students.” The tuition fees are $300 a month not including board and lodgings. Since Hungarian students fill the student hostels to capacity, those from abroad live in rented rooms. The canteen of the university is, however, open to them, at subsidized prices. As a consequence, they can keep themselves for around $5-600 a month.” “Doctors with Hungarian qualifications enjoy a high reputation in the United States”—said Marian Fráter, after the anatomy lecture ended.—“My father, István Fráter, a radiologist graduate of the Budapest university, has lived in the United States since 1956. 1 came from Providence, Rhode Island, and feel at home in Pécs, which is a city of similar size. I barely have any time off right now, but when I have, I do my best to get to know the town; I already visited the Vasarely Museum, and been at the Pécs National Theatre. I like to travel very much, and hope I Will soon go to Austria.” “My father is also a doctor, and he as well has lived in America since fifty six”—buts in Sandy Horváth. I come from Philadelphia, where I graduated from the Gwynedd-Merce College. I visit my grandmother on Sundays. She lives at Fertőd, and helps me much in learning Hungarian.” “I read the enrolment notice of the Pécs University in Magyar Hírek—said Zoltán Schmidt. I also graduated from college, majoring in biology and physics at Duke University (Coloniá, New Jersey). My parents are Hungarian. They went to Austria in 1945, then to the United States in 1949. I was born in 1962. This is my first visit to Hungary. My father and I arrived here two weeks before the course started. We travelled all over the country, visiting relations. 1 do my best to explain the rules of American football to my Hungarian colleagues here at Pécs. I miss my parents, but the new friends I made here help a lot. AdAm balazs 1 was in a panorama bus travelling across Elizabeth Bridge, mike in hand, the camera facing me, and the banks of the Danube all around me when the true importance of our job suddenly dawned on me. We see this view day after day: we live and work here, and seldom take notice. But I wonder what will those people feel, whom this programme will reach? What will be the reaction of Hungarians seated in front of the small screen in New York, Cleveland, Cologne, Paris, Stockholm, to whom these views recall perhaps the scene of their youth, or are the environment their parents or grandparents called their home? And how much will we be able to transmit of the wealth of Hungarian culture in just forty minutes? Requests for some of the most valuable products of Hungarian culture for video libraries have reached Hungary with increasing frequency. How much they’d appreciate if they could have at least a taste of the most important works of art, or performances, if they could show them to friends, relatives, to the children. How good it would be to hire a tape occasionally from some nearby Hungarian shop to recall an old song, a well-known poem, or the atmosphere of a dance house. Undoubtedly, video tapes offer all that, but still some courage (and some money) were needed to respond to the demand. The IPV publishing house—which also publishes Magyar Hírek—plunged in and took the risk. The start was made easier by the fact that IPV has owned a film studio for a number of years, which has offered proof of the talent of those associated with it with a number of international prizes. Péter János Sós, editor, and Zsolt Ferenczy, director, undertook the making of the first, pioneering issue of the video series—intended to appear at regular intervals. The aim of the series is to present Hungarian culture, traditions, history, and also to enable viewers to become acquainted with contemporary Hungarian art, artists. This is what the first forty-minutes tape offers: The introductory part—title, credits etc.—including scenes about coming features—are shown to the accompaniment of Liszt’s Les Preludes, in a synthetizer version. A young actor, István Farády recites Attila József’s poem “On the lowest step of the embankment”. Miklós Hofer, the architect of the new National Theatre presents the future building on the future site, in the City Park, with the aid of models, and pictures. A few frames recall the Budapest Spring Festival: scenes of György Cziffra’s piano recital (who is one of the sponsors of the Festival) at the Vigadó Hall. It is intended to devote a part of each issue to various country towns. The first is Sárospatak. The tape presents some valuable pieces of the local library and Calvinist Museum, gives an insight into the life of the summer native language camp, the lectures, exhibition, even into cooking. Then it takes viewers to the general meeting of the old students of Sárospatak. Finally it presents a visit to the birthplace of Hungarian dance-house movement, the club of the Sebők ensemble. Cleveland was the scene of the premiere of the programme, arranged in the Hungarian telecast of the Ethnic Broadcasting Network. The cassettes will be distributed by Hungarian book and record shops, and by Hungarian video traders— provided of course that they will support our cause. Those who produced this programme loved and enjoyed their work. Naturally, every start is difficult, and also a test of what works well, and what does not. Be that as it may, I, together with the editor, the director, and every member of the staff hoDe that we are able to offer something pleasing that is fun —and perhaps even something more. I wish you much joyful viewing. The anchor person of the magazine: JÚLIA KUDLIK MINI-THEATRE The tiniest theatre of Budapest is the Korona Pódium. It started as an intimate patisserie in Dísz tér, in the Castle district. This is a favourite meeting and talking place and not only because of its cakes and ices. Its literary fare is far more widely known. It has been the home of the Buda mini-theatre, the Korona Pódium for the past twelve years, and the scene of more than 2,000 performances. “What we have created here”— says Lilia Mikes, the manager of the theatre—“is what is known as a café-theatre in Paris.” Lilia is really the whole of the executive team of the theatre: she is the manager, and the programme editor. Apart from this, and in the first place she is an actress. Currently she enchants the public night after night with a melodrama she based on Ajar’s: Life is ahead of me. She plays the role of the rakish-innocent little boy, Momo, of Mama Rosa, a prostitute turned into guardian, Mr. Hamil, Doctor Katz, Nadine, Madame Lola, and of the umbrella called Arthur. “What does Budapest’s smallest theatre mean to you?” “Twelve years of my life, and the success of my ideas. A dozen such theatres start and finish every year. We were able to stay on our feet for twelve years. I see the secret of this in that we succeeded to establish a studio for the best Hungarian actors. Ferenc Bessenyei, Éva Ruttkai, Iván Darvas consider it worthwile to appear here with one-man shows.” “This is the spell of the podiumtheatre”—continued Lilia Mikes. “The artist can do his thing, make revelations about himself, his ideas without compromising. At the same time, this one-man theatre is a difficult one, since there is no technical staff, there are no sets, no helpers. Here the artist must fill the space alone. Success is only his, but so is failure. I remember Bessenyei argued at first that he has always played in costume-plays, has been used to costumes and make-up, and he could not play without them. I told him he could put on anything he wanted, we would take these off anyway as we went along. But that was not necessary. Finally he decided himself to appear on the stage in his suit, as he came to realize that the most important things there were the personality and the message.” “Talking about the Korona Pódium one should discuss not only the one-man theatre, but also the foreign language, and bilingual performances .. “We have been playing also in English, French, and German right from the start, We do so in the summer, since we do not close then, and hosts of visitors come to us. who are interested in Hungarian culture. We plav to them in their own language. some of th° best-known works of Hungarian authors.” “You played to audiences composed of foreigners and people ot Hungarian origin in eleven countries .. “We composed our bilingual programmes for Hungarians living abroad, whose spouses or friends are not Hungarians, and whose children and grandchildren no longer have a full command of the Hungarian. We are hapnv that we had the chance to take Hungarian culture, the beautiful sounds of the Hungarian language, to them. I. P. 29
