Directed by Denes Nagy, a Silver Bear winner for Natural Light, the film offers an unusually candid look at the life and work of Kurtag, one of the most significant and active figures in contemporary classical music.

"I never wanted to be a modern composer; I only wanted to tell the truth," Kurtag says in the film. Nagy's sensitive and distinctive approach captures not only the composer at work and with his family but also follows him across continents -- from the Reykjavik home of Icelandic pianist Vikingur Olafsson to British cellist Steven Isserlis's masterclass in Cornwall.
 

"Who Gyorgy Kurtag is and what his music is like are not separate things. The film explores how his life and his music are, in some way, identical: if you see the man, you recognise his music, and vice versa. Kurtag embodies both perfectionism and doubt, which comes with immense suffering," Nagy said in a statement from distributor Mozinet.

Though much of their conversations did not make the final cut, Kurtag spoke openly about his weaknesses and mistakes as a kind of confession.

Kurtag Fragments is Nagy's second feature and first documentary, following his 2021 Silver Bear-winning drama Natural Light. Cinematography is by Tamas Dobos, with Julianna Ugrin producing, Laszlo Goz as executive producer, and Belgian editor Nicolas Rumpl.

The Eclipse Film production was fully funded by the National Film Institute with a budget of 428 million forints (EUR 1.1bn).

To celebrate Kurtag's centenary, the Budapest Music Center (BMC) has organised a year-long programme series, "Kurtag100".

The festival features international stars and leading Hungarian contemporary musicians performing cross-sections of his oeuvre in Budapest, in Mupa, the Academy of Music and in the BMC, as well as in the cities of Gyor, Szombathely, Pecs, and Szeged.
 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com
 

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