A major documentary on the Hungarian Parliament titled The House of the Nation is currently being filmed and will showcase the architectural, historical, and artistic richness of the building, as well as emblematic moments in Hungarian history to an international audience.
According to a press release, the creators’ aim is to give foreign and domestic audiences a better understanding of the Parliament and to bring the history of Hungary closer to the audience through the building’s story.
A corridor in the Parliament building. Photo: Pixabay
The statement recalls that it was 140 years ago, in 1883, that the plans for the Parliament were approved and the construction of the monumental Danube-side building began. The Parliament, designed by Imre Steindl, is now considered one of the most famous buildings in the world.
We were able to use a lot of technical tools – drones, high light lenses, for example – that were not available before. So we were able to get close to parts of the building that no one had ever seen before, not even the people who built it,”
highlighted director-cinematographer András Nagy.
Photo: Facebook/Országház
In addition to footage of the Parliament, viewers can see excerpts from interviews with experts, art historians, and architects, as well as archive footage, but the documentary also recalls important historical events, such as the assassination attempt on former Prime Minister István Tisza in 1912.
Since 2001, the Holy Crown and other coronation insignia (with the exception of the coronation robes) have been on display in the Parliament. Photo: Wikimedia
The documentary is narrated by Ema Horvath, an American actress of Felvidék origin (Upperland, formerly part of Hungary, now part of Slovakia), known for her work in the prequel series of The Lord of the Rings, who takes the audience through Hungarian history, including the bombing of Budapest during World War II, the 1956 Kossuth Square massacre, and the dismantling of the Red Star in 1990.
The Assembly Hall. Photo: Facebook/Országház
The film also recalls that in the early 1920s, during the winter months, almost 300 children who had arrived in Budapest with their families from the territories annexed by the Trianon peace treaty, and were living in unheated railway carriages because they had no homes, were housed in the empty rooms of the Parliament building.
Photo: Facebook/Országház
The documentary is expected to be screened in autumn 2023.
Featured photo via Pixabay