Berlin-based producer Loránd Balázs Imre and Hungarian director András Földes (also a conflict zone reporter whose work has garnered him a Pulitzer Memorial Prize) pitched their new film 80 Angry Journalists at during the Docu Talents from the East session of CineLink 2023.
The synopsis for the new feature documentary, co-directed with Anna Kis, reads like a political thriller.
“War correspondent András witnesses an unprecedented event when 80 journalists from Hungary’s most prominent independent newspaper, Index.hu, walk out of the newsroom in protest against the autocratic government’s takeover, while László, the former lawyer of Index.hu, is called out as a traitor. Led by the determined editor-in-chief Vera, the journalists create a new online newspaper, Telex.hu, facing the challenge of building it from scratch while navigating a hostile environment. The documentary follows their struggle against oppressive forces, with unexpected twists and an ambiguous happy ending.”
Balázs Imre (filmDOUGH) is producing the film “from a still functioning democracy,” he said, before articulating the issue at the heart of the film, not just in Hungary but across all developed democracies. “Can communities with healthy democratic values survive surrounded by the obstruction of democratic institutions such as free press?” he asked.
Director Földes explained his involvement in the project. “I’m a conflict zone reporter [and] I was really surprised when I realized my own environment was turning into a conflict zone when three people with closed eyes to the government of Viktor Orbán appeared in our editorial room, and soon after our editor-in-chief was fired and our publication was turned into a government mouthpiece,” he said. “I have an instinct to record tense life-changing moments, so I grabbed my camera and I started to film the events.”
In his project notes he explains further his need to tell this story. “80 Angry Journalists is an exploration of the human stories at the heart of complex political issues. Through original footage, interviews, and archival material, I aim to create a powerful and emotionally resonant film about the struggle between autocratic forces and human groups committed to freedom.”
“One of the key elements of the film is the use of original footage shot while investigating the fate of the Index media outlet and the launch of the new independent media outlet called Telex,” he adds. “This footage provides a unique and personal perspective on the events, allowing the viewer to see the story from the inside. The interviews with the film’s characters transform them from representatives of ideologies into complex, multifaceted human beings. At the centre of these stories is the film’s protagonist, a war correspondent whose journey is both gripping and thought-provoking.”
The film is budgeted at €100,000 with €55,000 to be raised. In Sarajevo the team is looking for co-producers, festivals, pre-buys and sales representation. Most territories are still available and the doc will be ready for Fall 2024.
