City of Culture presents the first Slovak film about Sándor Márai

Commemorative room undergoes modernization

The film Proti vetru (Against the Wind), directed by Martin Štelbaský, uncovers the complex fate of the author S. Márai in a modern format. This is the first Slovak film dedicated to the memory of this famous Košice local. The nearly hour-long film is open to the public for free and can be downloaded by visitors to the modernized commemorative room of Mäsiarska ul. 35 in Košice. The film, revitalization of the commemorative room, brochure, map and the “In the steps of Sándor Márai” trail are the results of a year-long Košice 2013, n.o. project prepared in cooperation with the Sándor Petőfi Literary Museum in Budapest.
Against the Wind takes the audience on a journey following the footsteps of Sándor Márai through Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and finally to the USA in San Diego. A new young actor, Viktor Szabó, is in the lead role of the curious explorer who decides to get to know Márai by travelling to the authentic sites important in his life and by meeting with various experts.
“Of the nine existing films on the author I was only able to see three of them. All of them seemed to be depressing and sad to me. This film is a shining exception. While Márai did have a tragic and sad life, the film provides the audience with facts about his life in a more attractive form. The film is enriched with historical film and photographic materials of Košice and Budapest from the start of the 20th century; the editing of the film is also interesting as the past and the present are connected in real time. The atmosphere of the film is created by readings of his work undertoned with original music composed for this film,” said the project manager Flóra Ondová Reiter from Košice 2013, n.o.
The film was shot in the actual environments where Sándor Márai was active and lived, including the Centrál Café and Rudas Spa in Budapest; the film also used his personal items: passport, the book of visitors from his favourite cafe and excerpts from letters from his best friend, of which more than 50 remained. One new feature is that the Against the Wind film will premiere at the author’s family home, an address which has been only controversial until recently.

“Until now everyone thought that Márai’s family home (Grosschmied de Mára) had been demolished and that a parking lot was currently standing on the same spot. After more detailed architectural research into the changes of building foundations and on the basis of archaeological research completed by local historian Zoltán Balasz, we discovered that Sándor Márai’s family home stood at Bočna ul. 2 (then Szegfű u. 6.),” explained F. Ondová Reiter, according to which S. Márai moved a number of times in Košice. “He also lived on Bočna, Hlavna and Mäsiarska streets.”
Košice’s own Martin Štelbaský was in charge of directing the film and for its setting and subject matter; he is well known for various other documentary projects. “I was surprised with the end of his life. During a single year he lost his wife and adopted child. His wife had been with him his entire life and I think she was his best friend. On the other hand, living with him must have been extremely difficult. Márai simply couldn’t survive the death of his child and wife. From interviews I learned that he had prepared for leaving the world long in advance. I do not think he was an optimist. His jokes were always cutting, he really knew how to drive the knife in,” admitted M. Štelbaský, for whom Against the Wind is his first significant documentary film. The film can be seen in the commemorative room on Mäsiarska ul. 35, where visitors will also be able to download the film on a USB key where it can then be enjoyed from the comfort of home. In the near future, it will also appear on the official websites for the project: www.sandormarai.eu and www.maraisandor.eu.
The public can also attend the premier of Against the Wind at Máraiho štúdio divadla Thália (Márai Theatre Studio – Thália), Timonova 3 in Košice, today, 20 October 2011 at 17:00 in Slovak and at 19:00 in Hungarian.

“In the steps of Sándor Márai” trail

Košice 2013, n.o . has prepared a free city tour along the “In the steps of Sándor Márai” trail on Saturday, 22 October, in both Slovak and in English. The trail starts at Hlavna ul. 59 from in front of the historical city hall (Košice Visitors’ Centre) at 9:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00. The route takes 120 minutes and visitors will gain access to the restored commemorative room. The map, printed on recycled paper, and brochure in four languages (English, Hungarian, German and Slovak) is available at the Košice Visitors’ Centre at Hlavna ul. 59. Information on the route, guide services and the commemorative room can be found by calling +421 55 625 88 88 or at visit@visitkosice.eu or at www.visitkosice.eu. In Budapest, the map can also be found with the project’s partner, the Sándor Petőfi Literary Museum.

Sándor Márai commemorative room

At Mäsiarska ul. 35 in Košice, visitors can look forward to a 21st century museum with the commemorative room that has undergone revitalization, resulting in a modern design and solution. The author of the design and implementation of the work is the Spanish architect César Fernandez Bravo from the Servac architectural studio in Madrid. A number of new features are awaiting guests. “Against the Wind will be shown on an interactive panel where visitors can select the language and specific chapter of the film. The presentation will take visitors on a journey around the world to all places where S. Márai was active. In the future, other materials recording dramatic performances of his work will also be added. Another feature is the several minute long readings of parts of his work delivered by actors in four languages, which the visitors can listen to from installed headphones. The film and the presentation in the commemorative room also use citations from works that have not yet appeared in Slovak,” added F. Ondová Reiter.

KULTOUR project

Within the 2007 – 2013 Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme for Hungary and Slovakia, the Košice 2013 non-profit organization in cooperation with the Sándor Petőfi Literary Museum in Budapest held on 24 January 2011 the celebratory start of the project named: “Creation and promotion of a shared cultural tourism product on the theme of Sándor Márai” (KULTOUR). The City of Košice wants to use this project to bring Sándor Márai, a native of Košice, closer to the visitors and residents of the city. The project has been supported by the European Fund for Regional Development and the state budgets of Slovakia and Hungary within the 2007 – 2013 Operational Programme Cross-Border Cooperation HU-SK totalling €154,000.