Check the Gate ‘09 – 2nd Hungarian Film Showcase in London “Before and After 1989”
23-30 June 2009
After last year’s debut success, the Hungarian Cultural Centre in London is proud to announce Check the Gate ’09 – 2nd Hungarian Film Showcase to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1989. This year the prestigious Institute of Contemporary Arts will host the now-traditional event between 23 and 30 June 2009. The motto of the second festival, „Before and After 1989” indicates that the programme - selected by our distinguished, international team of curators – will showcase films from before and from after that exceptional year. Our aim is to give a better and more complete picture of what the old system and the transition were like.
The Thief of Baghdad – Family screening, 27th June, 11.30am, Cinema 1
The Hungarian Cultural Centre and the ICA present a special screening in honour of the Korda family. In this lavish 1940s fantasy adventure Prince Ahmad is the rightful King of Bagdad but he has been blinded and cast out as a beggar. Now a captive of the wicked Grand Vizier Jaffar he is cast into a dungeon where he meets Abu, the best thief in all Bagdad. Together they escape and set about a series of adventures that involve a Djinni in a bottle, a mechanical flying horse, an all-seeing magic jewel, a flying carpet and a beautiful princess.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with David Korda, patron of Check the Gate Hungarian Film showcase in London and son of Zoltán Korda (co-director of The Thief of Bagdad, and director of Jungle Book (1942)). Mr Korda will be in conversation with Charles Drazin, author of the definitive biography of Zoltán's brother, Sir Alexander Korda.
Free to ICA Members, Westminster ResCard holders, and members of the Hungarian Cultural Centre.
