Magyar News, 1990. november-1991. augusztus (1. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)

1991-07-01 / 9-10. szám

Erika Windisch Forme thesun always shines in Budapest I was born and raised there, and as I recall my childhood, I can see the streets, the hills, the Danube, and the bridges glistening in radiant sunshine. One of die longest rivers in Europe, the Danube is the most famous landmark of Budapest. The Danube is said to have sprung in the courtyard of a gentleman’s house in Ger­many. After twisting and turning its way through or along the borders of seven countries of central and southeastern Eu­rope, it reaches the Black Sea. From the wild beauty of the Black Forest in Germany, Ük Danube flows northeast. Then it turns slightly south to flow past roman üc casües near Vienna and on through the gap that cuts through the western slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. There the Danube begins a southward course to reach Budapest. I love the Danube, not only for its majestic scenery, but also because I used it as a compass. I would roam through every street of Buda and Pest, but I always seemed to sense where the Danube flowed. The river both separates and links parts of Budapest. The Danube divides Budapest into the town of Buda and the town of Pest. Crossing the bridges by car, bus, foot, or just glancing over to the other side are all marvelous experiences. The color of the water is different each day and in every season. At times it is brittle or warm green, but it is never as blue as the description Johann Strauss gives it in his waltz titled “The Beautiful Blue Danube.” Every night, the Danube transforms into a mirror. At times like this, the illuminated bridges are as resplendent as bejeweled diamond bracelets. The reason I like the Danube is that there are so many faces to this river. For the peacefulness of its quiet surface and the variety of scenery along its banks, the Danube is unsurpassed by any of the great rivers of the world. * * * Erika Windisch, as you may have guessed, is from Budapest. She just graduated from Sacred Heart University. Now she has a Hungarian and an American diploma. Erika is going back to Hungary, and she hopes to put her talent and knowledge to good use and bridge the gap between Hungary and the United States. We will be hearing from her in the future. We wish that all her dreams come true and she enjoys a much deserved success. (Editor) WE WON THE BATTLE OF FOOD AND GOOD TIMES The International Festival organized by the Intemaüonal Institute of Connecticut at the Captain's Cove was a real success. The great variety of ethnic food, and the out­standing, exciting program accompanied with the beautiful weather made it a joyful day for everybody participating. The American Hungarian Heritage Association, as it does every year, sponsored a food and craft booth. Members of the Association and the Hungarian Embroidery Circle worked hard to man the booths and repre­sent our Hungarian community. The Hun­garian pastries donated by our lovely ladies were the highlight of gourmet delight. These ladies deserve many thanks, They are: Julie Piritsky, Helen Szabó, Helen Fazekas, Joan Pastor, Marge Gaydosh, Helen Borona, Shirley Bartha, Rose Toth, Grace Toth, Midge Havery, Rozsika Deutsch, Jewel Pak, Betty Margitay, Betty Martin, Betty Telep, Mary Molnár, Bette Johnson, Josie Lasko, Rose S liber, and Florence Balias. If you missed the Festival, then put it on your calendar and come next year. mown®: By JOE MEYERS American moviegoers who are interested in what’s happening on the international scene are depen­dent on unheralded behind-the­­scenes people like Morton Dennis Wax. Two years ago, Wax scored an art-house hit with Gyula Gazdag’s “A Hungarian Fairy Tale” and now he has obtained the rights to a stirring Austrian-produced docu­mentary “Heroes of Budapest” just in time for the 35th anniver­sary of the 1956 Hungarian Upris­ing. The film consists of interviews with people who helped ignite Eastern Europe’s first revolution — one which failed, and resulted in the emigration of many Hungar­ians to American cities like Bridge­port. “Heroes of Budapest” takes us into the lives of these brave revol­­tionaries, and in some cases shows us their emotional reactions when they returned to Hungary in 1990' for the first time in more than three decades. In the course of reunions with other revolutionaries, we get to hear the stories of their terrible punishment at the hands of the Russians who put dpwn the upris­ing. We see that what happened in Hungary 35 years ago was the first expression of the events which ul­timately led to the recent revolu­tionary events in Hungary and other Eastern European countries. Two of the people profiled in the film were not able to leave, however. Arpad Slama and Maria Winner were both condemned to death and spent over 15 years in prison. The interview segments with Wittner are particularly mov­ing because we see the emotional price she continues to pay for her ordeal. As Wax says, the film is “very human, very intimate” and he’s determined to find an audience for it. One innovative possibility for getting the film screened on cable outlets and public television sta­tions around the country involves pairing it with “Hungarian Fairy Tale” as a special two-and-a-half hour cultural package devoted to Hungary. New York’s PBS outlet, Chan­nel 13, got high ratings when it showed “Hungarian Fairy Tale” -last fall, so Wax is convinced there is a select national audience for that film and the documentary. Based on its quality alone, it seems likely that “Heroes of Bu­dapest” will find a home on Arts & Entertainment, Bravo or one of the other culturally-inclined cable services. The film deserves a wide viewership. THE DANUBE

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