Gábor Bódy
Encyclopedia
Gábor Bódy was a Hungarian film director
, screenwriter, theoretic, and occasional actor. A pioneer of experimental filmmaking and film language, Bódy is one of the most important figures of Hungarian cinema.
In 1975 he completed his debut feature at BBS, which was also his graduation thesis film at the university. Amerikai Anzix (American Torso) won the Grand Prize for best new filmmaker at ""International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg"" and the Hungarian Film Critics prize for best first film. The film which depicts the lives of Hungarian 1848 Revolution
veterans in the American Civil War
features Bódy's experimentalism at the fullest. The whole film was re-edited using his own method called "light editing" in order to make it resemble a wracked silent film from the late 19th century.
His next feature Narcisz és Psyché was the largest-scale Hungarian production of its era. This epic production based on Sándor Weöres
's poetic work Psyché
starred Patricia Adriani, Udo Kier
and György Cserhalmi
and exists in three versions: an original 210min two part version, a 136min version for foreign distribution and a 270min three part television version.
In 1980 Bódy began to work on the first international video magazine INFERMENTAL
and managed to publish the first of 10 issues (plus one special issue) while on a residency at DAAD Berliner Küunstlerprogram in 1982. The series published featured a range of guest editors and in total included work from over 1500 artists from 36 countries and was published up to 1991.
After many frustrated projects Bódy managed to complete what was to become his final feature film Kutya éji dala (Dog's Night Song). Bódy cast himself as the lead in this ambitious and influential feature which incorporated Super8 and video footage as well as a range of Hungarian underground punk bands of the time in order to a film "deeply rooted in the fundamentals of today's reality." [1]
In 1985 Bódy died under sketchy circumstances. A later published information (2001) hints his earlier collaboration (1973–1983) with the Hungarian Secret Police, the III/III. Authorities of the time (Hungary was then considered a 'satellite' country of the Soviet Union) stated that he had killed himself. His widow instead preferred a charge of murder against certain unidentified parties. No official investigation followed and Bódy's fate remains a mystery to this day.
Hungary, 35mm scope, B&W, 104'
Hungary, 35mm scope, colour, one part foreign version 136' two part version 270' three part TV version 270'
Hungary, 35mm, colour, 147'
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 87'
Hungary, TV, colour, 90min
Hungary, TV, colour, 95min
Hungary, TV, colour, 173min
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 50'
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 20'
Hungary, 16mm, B&W 42'
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 30'
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 28'
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 40'
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 12'
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 25'
Hungary, 35mm scope, colour, 18'
Germany, video, colour, 3'
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 27'
GDR / Hungary, super8 and video, colour, 28'
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 22'
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 3'
GDR, video, colour, 40'
Canada / GDR, video, colour, 37'
Hungary, video, colour, 3'
GDR, video, colour, 3'
Screenplay, actor
Camera
[1] This quote is taken from an interview with Laszlo Bona and Janos Hollos, first published January 17, 1983 and reprinted in 'Gabor Body: 1946-1985" pub. 1987.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter, theoretic, and occasional actor. A pioneer of experimental filmmaking and film language, Bódy is one of the most important figures of Hungarian cinema.
Biography
Bódy was born in Budapest, in an urban middle-class family. He studied history and philosophy at Loránd Eötvös University and later filmmaking at the Academy for Theater and Film Arts. During his university days he became an influential member of the Béla Balázs Stúdió (BBS). He made his first film A Harmadik (The Third) (a documentary about students preparing an adaptation of Faust on stage) in 1971. He established various experimental and avantgarde projects at BBS including the Film Language Series in 1973 and the K/3 experimental film group in 1976, reshaping the postwar Hungarian avantgarde film's path.In 1975 he completed his debut feature at BBS, which was also his graduation thesis film at the university. Amerikai Anzix (American Torso) won the Grand Prize for best new filmmaker at ""International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg"" and the Hungarian Film Critics prize for best first film. The film which depicts the lives of Hungarian 1848 Revolution
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
veterans in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
features Bódy's experimentalism at the fullest. The whole film was re-edited using his own method called "light editing" in order to make it resemble a wracked silent film from the late 19th century.
His next feature Narcisz és Psyché was the largest-scale Hungarian production of its era. This epic production based on Sándor Weöres
Sándor Weöres
Sándor Weöres was a Hungarian poet and author.Born in Szombathely, Weöres was brought up in the nearby village of Csönge. His first poems appeared when he was nineteen, being published in the influential journal Nyugat through the acceptance of its editor, the poet Mihály Babits...
's poetic work Psyché
Psyché
Psyché is an opera in a prologue and five acts composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully to a libretto by Thomas Corneille adapted from Molière's original play for which Lully had composed the intermèdes...
starred Patricia Adriani, Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
and György Cserhalmi
György Cserhalmi
György Cserhalmi was born on February 17, 1948 in Budapest, Hungary. He is a Hungarian actor. He graduated from the Actors Academy in 1971. He is also the founder of the Labdater Theatre in the Globe cultural centre.-Employment:...
and exists in three versions: an original 210min two part version, a 136min version for foreign distribution and a 270min three part television version.
In 1980 Bódy began to work on the first international video magazine INFERMENTAL
INFERMENTAL
Infermental was the first international magazine published solely on videocassettes. The concept was conceived the Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Bódy in 1980. The name is a combination of the words international, ferment, and experimental....
and managed to publish the first of 10 issues (plus one special issue) while on a residency at DAAD Berliner Küunstlerprogram in 1982. The series published featured a range of guest editors and in total included work from over 1500 artists from 36 countries and was published up to 1991.
After many frustrated projects Bódy managed to complete what was to become his final feature film Kutya éji dala (Dog's Night Song). Bódy cast himself as the lead in this ambitious and influential feature which incorporated Super8 and video footage as well as a range of Hungarian underground punk bands of the time in order to a film "deeply rooted in the fundamentals of today's reality." [1]
In 1985 Bódy died under sketchy circumstances. A later published information (2001) hints his earlier collaboration (1973–1983) with the Hungarian Secret Police, the III/III. Authorities of the time (Hungary was then considered a 'satellite' country of the Soviet Union) stated that he had killed himself. His widow instead preferred a charge of murder against certain unidentified parties. No official investigation followed and Bódy's fate remains a mystery to this day.
Feature Films
- 1975 : Amerikai Anzix / American Postcard
Hungary, 35mm scope, B&W, 104'
- 1980 : Nárcisz és Psyché / Narcissus and Psyche
Hungary, 35mm scope, colour, one part foreign version 136' two part version 270' three part TV version 270'
- 1983 : Kutya éji dala / The Dog's Night Song
Hungary, 35mm, colour, 147'
TV Films
- 1976 : Filmiskola / Film School
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 87'
- 1977 : Katonák / Soldiers
Hungary, TV, colour, 90min
- 1978 : Krétakör / Chalk Circle
Hungary, TV, colour, 95min
- 1981-82 : Hamlet (A fegyveres filozófus) / Hamlet (The Armed Philosopher)
Hungary, TV, colour, 173min
Short Films & Videos
- 1971 A Harmadik / The Third
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 50'
- 1972 Fogalmazvány a féltékenységrõl / Draft on Jealousy
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 20'
- 1972 : Ifivezetok / Youth Organisation Leaders
Hungary, 16mm, B&W 42'
- 1973 : Tradicionális Kábítószerünk / Our Traditional Drope
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 30'
- 1972-75 : Négy bagatell / Four Bagatells
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 28'
- 1974 : Hogyan verekedett meg Jappe és do Escobar után a világ / After Jappe and Do Escobar fought how did the world come to fight
Hungary, 16mm, B&W, 40'
- 1976 : Pszihokozmoszok / Psychocosmoses
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 12'
- 1978 : Privát történelem / Private History (co-dir. Péter Timár)
Hungary, 35mm, B&W, 25'
- 1980 : Mozgástanulmányok 1880-1980 (Homage to Eadweard Muybridge) / Motion Studies 1880-1980 (Homage to Eadweard Muybridge)
Hungary, 35mm scope, colour, 18'
- 1982 : Conversation between East and West co-director Marcel OdenbachMarcel OdenbachMarcel Odenbach, with Ulrike Rosenbach and Klaus vom Bruch, is one of the most well-established and internationally known German video artists. In the 1970s, they formed the producer group ATV...
Germany, video, colour, 3'
- 1982 : Die Geschwister/ Brother and Sister
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 27'
- 1982 : Der Dämon in Berlin / The Demon In Berlin
GDR / Hungary, super8 and video, colour, 28'
- 1983 : Die Geisel / The Hostage
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 22'
- 1983 : De Occulta Philosophia / Philo-clip
GDR / Hungary, video, colour, 3'
- 1983 : Rittersrustung / Armour
GDR, video, colour, 40'
- 1984 Vagy-vagy a Chinatownban / Either/Or In Chinatown
Canada / GDR, video, colour, 37'
- 1985 : Euronyme tanca (Mytho-clip) / Dancing Eurynome (Mytho-clip)
Hungary, video, colour, 3'
- 1985 : Waltzer (Lyric-clip) / Waltz (Lyric-clip)
GDR, video, colour, 3'
Miscellaneous crew
- 1969 : Agitátorik/Agitators dir. Dezsó Magyar (35mm, 82')
Screenplay, actor
- 1976 : Aldrin' dir. László Vidovszky (35mm, 14')
Camera
[1] This quote is taken from an interview with Laszlo Bona and Janos Hollos, first published January 17, 1983 and reprinted in 'Gabor Body: 1946-1985" pub. 1987.