Once Upon a Time in Budapest by Tibor Kocsis

Budapest is one of the most beautiful cities in the world: a stunning panorama, impressive bridges, an ancient castle district, and a teeming inner city – enough for tourists to be lost in the huge variety of photo opportunities.

After the numerous times the city had been destroyed and risen from the ashes, the distinctive features of today’s Budapest were shaped in the fifty years preceding World War I. The period of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy represented such a success story for the capital that it stands without equal even in our modern-day history. The documentary presents how Budapest developed into a metropolis from 1867 to 1916, from coronation to coronation.

The main characters of the movie are the Hungarian achievements of the era and the world famous buildings of Budapest, many of which enjoy special protection as UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Buda Castle, the Fishermen’s Bastion, Andrássy Avenue, Heroes’ Square and the Millennium underground railway.

However, it is not only the current sight of Budapest - captured using spectacular means of filmmaking that the viewer can enjoy: the graceful bridges spanning the Danube, the Academy of Music, the Parliament, the Nyugati Railway Station, the St. Stephen Basilica, the Opera House and the Great Market Hall are shown also in the moment of their birth, owed to the greatest Hungarian photographers of the time and the rare heritage of moving pictures and newsreel footage.

Viewers can gain an insight into the celebrations and daily life to see “Budapest, once upon a time”.

Once Upon a Time in Budapest (Békebeli Budapest), 2016, HU, d. Tibor Kocsis, 54 minutes, documentary - with original voice and English subtitles.

Kocsis Tibor is an award winner Hungarian director, cinematographer and screenwriter focused on creating educational films.