EU backed Co-Production Brings Magda Szabó’s Fairy Tale to Life

Hungary Today 2024.12.03.

A Hungarian-Canadian-German co-production is making a feature-length animated film based on Magda Szabó’s best-known fairy tale. At their last meeting, the Council of Europe’s co-production film fund, Eurimages, approved a EUR 500,000 grant for the production of The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree (Tündér Lala), supported by the National Film Institute.

The Eurimages grant was awarded to The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree, a feature-length animated film based on the Magda Szabó story.

Produced by Mythberg Films in collaboration with Cinemon Entertainment, Storyteller Pictures, Lakeside Animation, and Traumhaus Studios, the story of The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree is a visually stunning, inspiring, humorous, and sometimes more serious “folk tale” for children and adults alike, encouraging young and old alike to embrace their imperfect selves – we are all just beautiful parts of nature.

Szabó’s best-known story is an emotional and lyrical tale that appeals to all ages.

The feature-length animated film adaptation is adapted by Attila Veres, directed and written by Anita Doron, with the screenplay by Attila Gigor.

“We are extremely pleased with Eurimages’ decision to support our animated film project The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree with the maximum possible grant. In addition to the pre-production support from the National Film Institute and the successful applications from our co-production partners, Eurimages’ support has brought the start of production of the film within reach,” stressed József Berger, Executive Producer of The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree.

In the story of The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree, the only fairy child in the realm of the immortal fairies, Lala, wants to learn about the world of the humans forbidden to her. However, Áterpáter, the great wizard, considers humans dangerous and destructive and wants to end their existence. To do so, he must cut an ancient thread that binds fairies to humans, ending the love that still remains in their hearts. After Lala meets Bea, a 12-year-old human child grieving for her mother, their friendship convinces Lala that humans deserve a chance.

The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree is an animated feature film directed by producers József Berger, Krisztina Endrényi, Réka Temple, Paul Lenart, Courtney Wolfson, and Michael Luda, and supported by the National Film Institute, Eurimages, Telefilm Canada, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Creative Europe Media, and Ontario Creates. It is

scheduled to be released in 2027.

Fact

Magda Szabó was Hungary’s foremost female novelist. She also wrote dramas, essays, studies, and jpoetry. Although Szabó lived and wrote in the mid and late 20th century (she died in 2007), her work has only begun to gain international recognition since her 1987 novel The Door was available in English. Stefan Draughton translated The Door in 1995, but it was Len Rix’s 2005 translation that gave the book the spotlight it deserved, especially the 2015 edition that made the New York Times Book Review Top 10 list. Despite having had a couple of books translated in the 1960s (unavailable today), Szabó’s work came to the international spotlight in the 21st century, and today she is the most translated Hungarian author with publications in over 40 countries and 30 languages. Her famous translated works include The Door, Abigail, Katalin Street, Iza’s Ballad.

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Via Index; Featured image via Pixabay