Democracy Noir & Kix

Two films about/from Hungary. “Democracy Noir” by Connie Field and “Kix” by Bálint Révész & Dávid Mikulán.

The first “Democracy Noir” is primarily informative with a lot of tv archive on Victor Orban, but also material shot during demonstrations in the streets and interviews at the homes of the three courageous female protagonists “opposition politician Timea, journalist Babett and nurse Nikoletta (Niko) – who fight tirelessly to expose the lies and corruption embedded in Orbán’s government. But they face a well-funded and sophisticated opposition in Orbán’s ultra-conservative Fidesz party, which has a strong influence on voters and has already changed key democratic constitutional laws to further cement one-party rule.” We knew it all about the disgusting Orban, from newspapers and tv but credit to the ambition to make this film and its subject easy to understand and therefore – I hope – sellable to public broadcasters. Except the Hungarian, of course, as this is controlled by the dictator as he is called in one of the clips from an EU meeting.

“Kix”, yes what is this, what is happening, is it going to be, as it is said in the festival catalogue “handheld skate video” the whole way through. No, it changes, as the protagonist Sanyi changes, he is followed over 10 years and he changes. It is a powerful portrait of him and his pals, his family and their poor living conditions, social problems, a heroic mother who has three jobs to feed the family, a grandmother who can analyze why this and that happens to Sanyi, not to forget the little sister. Lot of reflections on life, poetic rapping voice off; I was totally charmed by the intelligent boy and his growing up, having a girl friend… and then there is a twist at the end of the film. There is so much energy and presence in this film. Yes, let’s use the word Authenticity. Award tonight? I guess so!   

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Tue Steen Müller
Tue Steen Müller

Müller, Tue Steen
Documentary Consultant and Critic, DENMARK

Worked with documentary films for more than 20 years at the Danish Film Board, as press officer, festival representative and film consultant/commissioner. Co-founder of Balticum Film and TV Festival, Filmkontakt Nord, Documentary of the EU and EDN (European Documentary Network).
Awards: 2004 the Danish Roos Prize for his contribution to the Danish and European documentary culture. 2006 an award for promoting Portuguese documentaries. 2014 he received the EDN Award “for an outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture”. 2016 The Cross of the Knight of the Order for Merits to Lithuania. 2019 a Big Stamp at the 15th edition of ZagrebDox. 2021 receipt of the highest state decoration, Order of the Three Stars, Fourth Class, for the significant contribution to the development and promotion of Latvian documentary cinema outside Latvia. In 2022 he received an honorary award at DocsBarcelona’s 25th edition having served as organizer and programmer since the start of the festival.
From 1996 until 2005 he was the first director of EDN (European Documentary Network). From 2006 a freelance consultant and teacher in workshops like Ex Oriente, DocsBarcelona, Archidoc, Documentary Campus, Storydoc, Baltic Sea Forum, Black Sea DocStories, Caucadoc, CinéDOC Tbilisi, Docudays Kiev, Dealing With the Past Sarajevo FF as well as programme consultant for the festivals Magnificent7 in Belgrade, DOCSBarcelona, Verzio Budapest, Message2Man in St. Petersburg and DOKLeipzig. Teaches at the Zelig Documentary School in Bolzano Italy.

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