Speaking to reporters prior to the festival’s opening, Binoche commended Hungarian film directors. She branded multi-award winning director-scriptwriter Béla Tarr as “the greatest master” whose films have “touched a lot of people. You should be delighted having him as yours,” Binoche said.

She said that she has been trying to persuade Tarr to continue to make films telling the Hungarian director that world needs such artists. Binoche also commended Miklós Jancsó who died in 2014, describing him as a strong personality with a rather unique perspective.

Jancsó had a provocative political opinion which is “needed today,” too, she said. She also commended 2016 Oscarwinning director László Jeles Nemes who she said should be supported so that he can present his perspective in his own unrestricted way. CineFest opened with a screening of Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Three Colours: Blue, starring Binoche.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.

MTI photo: Vajda János