We have received the following news from Budapest concerning a new film which deals with the life of gay men in Hungary during the times of the state capitalist regime (eastern block)….

How did gay men live during the communist era in the heart of Central Europe?
Is it true that the subculture flourished from the 60s? What was the extent of government harassment? How did gay men hook up or have relationships during this time of oppression? How did the situation change after the regime change and the new surge of nationalism?

After 1962, homosexuality was not considered a crime any more, but gay people were under surveillance and blackmailed into spying on their peers by the authorities. During the Kádár era (named after János Kádár, General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party and de facto leader of Hungary) they lived underground. Not until the late 1980s and early 1990s did the first visible communities begin to form and initiate a movement.

Milán, Gábor and Péter and their anonymous friend – who is hiding his identity from the broader public and his relatives – investigate the past of the older generation as they enter a dramatic and often secret world, as well as uncover personal stories of both generations.

The film brings to life important scenes and key venues of the communist past: for example, the Egyetem Bár, the best-known gay bar in Budapest at that time; the Duna-korzó, a popular cruising area; or the Island of Rab in Croatia, which was the embodiment of freedom for many Hungarians. By the use of exciting private home videos from some of our older-generation protagonists as well as archival footage and photos, it is possible to recall and uncover this neglected part of history of Central Europe.

“We have nearly finished shooting the film and have already started working on the footage, but we still need approximately 8-10 million Forints (27,000-34,000 Euros) to complete it.” – says Mária Takács, director of the film. “We believe that this is a very important film for the entire global LGBT+-community and for everyone who would like to know more about the history of the region or wants to support democratic values in Europe.”

Because of the financial difficulties the cast started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. They would like to collect 14000 USD for the post-production work. If you can afford, please support their work.

visit the website of the project here

the trailer of the film