Van Valami Furcsa és Megmagyarázhatatlan (For Some Inexplicable Reason) | Hungarian Film DVD

Product Information

• UPC/EAN: 5999546337518 
• Product Type: DVD Movie 
• Genre: Comedy/Drama 
• Language: Hungarian 
• Format: DVD 
• Release Year: 2014 
• Runtime: 90 minutes 
• Director: Gábor Reisz 
• Age Rating: 16+ (Not recommended for viewers under 16) 
• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (1.78:1) 
• Audio: Hungarian Dolby Digital 5.1, Hungarian Dolby Digital 2.0 
• Subtitles: Hungarian for hearing impaired, English, French

Overview

"Van Valami Furcsa és Megmagyarázhatatlan" (For Some Inexplicable Reason) is a critically acclaimed Hungarian indie comedy-drama that follows 29-year-old Áron, a recently graduated humanities student navigating the complexities of post-university life in contemporary Budapest. Recently dumped by his girlfriend and pressured by his parents to find employment, Áron impulsively purchases a ticket to Lisbon after a night of heavy drinking. His journey abroad and eventual return home become a catalyst for self-discovery as he attempts to make sense of his directionless existence. Director Gábor Reisz's debut feature film captures the zeitgeist of Hungary's millennial generation with raw honesty, wry humor, and a distinctive visual style that has drawn comparisons to the quirky sensibility of "Amélie" but with a distinctly Budapest twist.

English Translation - Overview

"For Some Inexplicable Reason" is a critically acclaimed Hungarian indie comedy-drama that follows 29-year-old Áron, a recently graduated humanities student navigating the complexities of post-university life in contemporary Budapest. Recently dumped by his girlfriend and pressured by his parents to find employment, Áron impulsively purchases a ticket to Lisbon after a night of heavy drinking. His journey abroad and eventual return home become a catalyst for self-discovery as he attempts to make sense of his directionless existence. Director Gábor Reisz's debut feature film captures the zeitgeist of Hungary's millennial generation with raw honesty, wry humor, and a distinctive visual style that has drawn comparisons to the quirky sensibility of "Amélie" but with a distinctly Budapest twist.

Product Features

• Award-winning Hungarian indie film (multiple international festival honors)
• Gábor Reisz's directorial debut
• Multilingual subtitles (Hungarian for hearing impaired, English, French)
• High-quality audio options (5.1 and 2.0)
• Extensive bonus features including:
  • "VAN WERK" behind-the-scenes documentary (12:23)
  • Deleted scenes (24:19)
  • Screen tests (07:53)
  • "EZ VAN-LAKÁS" demo (05:16)
  • Concert footage of the film's soundtrack band performing at A38 (49:57)
  • Audio commentary with director Gábor Reisz and the film crew

Interesting Facts

"Van Valami Furcsa és Megmagyarázhatatlan" was produced on a remarkably small budget of approximately 7 million Hungarian forints (roughly $24,000 USD at the time), yet it achieved unexpected commercial and critical success. Made as Gábor Reisz's graduation project at the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, the film's guerrilla production approach turned budgetary limitations into creative advantages. The production team often had to improvise solutions, shoot without permits, and rely heavily on favors from friends—constraints that ultimately contributed to the film's authentic, unpolished aesthetic that resonated strongly with audiences.

The film is frequently cited as a significant milestone in contemporary Hungarian cinema, often compared in cultural impact to Péter Gothár's 2001 film "Moszkva tér" (Moscow Square), which similarly captured the zeitgeist of a generation at a crucial historical moment. Both films have become touchstones for their respective generations, with "Van Valami" speaking directly to millennials' experiences in post-financial crisis Hungary, addressing themes of economic uncertainty, aimlessness, the tension between staying in Hungary or emigrating, and the prolonged transition to adulthood.

The marketing and distribution strategy for the film was as innovative as its production. A "cinema bus" was created that would come to viewers upon request and screen the film, creating a unique viewing experience. The film's promotion relied heavily on social media and word-of-mouth, which helped it develop a devoted following and achieve box office success unusual for a low-budget Hungarian independent film. According to box office reports, it sold over 63,000 tickets and earned approximately $181,554 internationally, making it one of the more commercially successful Hungarian indies of its era.

Hungarian Translation - Interesting Facts (Érdekes tények)

A "Van Valami Furcsa és Megmagyarázhatatlan" figyelemreméltóan alacsony, körülbelül 7 millió forintos költségvetéssel készült, mégis váratlan kereskedelmi és kritikai sikereket ért el. Reisz Gábor diplomafilmjeként készült a Színház- és Filmművészeti Egyetemen, és a produkció gerillamegközelítése a költségvetési korlátokat kreatív előnyökké változtatta. A stábnak gyakran improvizálnia kellett, engedélyek nélkül forgattak, és erősen támaszkodtak a baráti szívességekre – olyan kényszerek, amelyek végül hozzájárultak a film autentikus, csiszolatlan esztétikájához, amely erősen rezonált a közönséggel.

A filmet gyakran emlegetik a kortárs magyar mozi jelentős mérföldköveként, kulturális hatását tekintve gyakran hasonlítják Gothár Péter 2001-es "Moszkva tér" című filmjéhez, amely hasonlóképpen ragadta meg egy generáció életérzését egy kulcsfontosságú történelmi pillanatban. Mindkét film viszonyítási ponttá vált a saját generációja számára, a "Van Valami" közvetlenül szól a millenniumi generáció tapasztalatairól a pénzügyi válság utáni Magyarországon, olyan témákat érintve, mint a gazdasági bizonytalanság, céltalanság, a Magyarországon maradás vagy kivándorlás közötti feszültség, és a felnőttkorba való elhúzódó átmenet.

A film marketing- és forgalmazási stratégiája ugyanolyan innovatív volt, mint a gyártása. Létrehoztak egy "mozibuszt", amely kérésre a nézőkhöz ment és levetítette a filmet, egyedi filmélményt teremtve. A film promóciója nagymértékben támaszkodott a közösségi médiára és a szájhagyományra, ami segített egy elkötelezett rajongótábor kialakításában és szokatlan jegypénztári siker elérésében egy alacsony költségvetésű magyar független film esetében. A jegypénztári jelentések szerint több mint 63 000 jegyet adtak el rá, és nemzetközileg körülbelül 181 554 dolláros bevételt ért el, ami a korszak egyik kereskedelmileg legsikeresebb magyar független filmjévé tette.

Plot Summary

Áron Szentesi is a 29-year-old humanities graduate living in Budapest who has recently been dumped by his girlfriend Eszter. Unemployed and still living off his parents' support, he struggles with the typical millennial anxieties of post-university life—finding a job, establishing independence, and dealing with heartbreak. During a night out drinking with friends to drown his sorrows, Áron makes an impulsive decision that he only discovers the next morning: he has purchased a non-refundable plane ticket to Lisbon.

After some hesitation, Áron decides to take the trip, leaving behind his overbearing parents and the city that constantly reminds him of his ex-girlfriend. In Lisbon, away from the familiar pressures of Budapest, he gains perspective on his life and begins to process his breakup. The film weaves between reality and Áron's imagination, including darkly comedic sequences where he envisions himself dying from heartbreak in various locations around Budapest.

Upon returning home, Áron begins to see his city and life with fresh eyes. No longer merely drifting through existence, he makes tentative steps toward accepting his circumstances and finding his own path. The film concludes with Áron making peace with his situation and embracing the beautiful chaos of life in Budapest, suggesting that the "inexplicable something" of the title might be the very unpredictability that makes life meaningful.

Cast & Crew

Cast:

• Ferenczik Áron as Szentesi Áron
• Takács Katalin as Szentesiné Erzsébet (Áron's mother)
• Kovács Zsolt as Szentesi Endre (Áron's father)
• Makranczi Zalán as Szentesi Balázs (Áron's brother)

Crew:

• Director/Screenwriter/Cinematographer: Reisz Gábor
• Composers: Csorba Lóci, Reisz Gábor
• Production Designer: Klimó Péter
• Costume Designer: Szlávik Júlia
• Sound Engineers: Lukács Péter Benjamin, Gáspár Szabolcs
• Editor: Tálas Zsófia
• Assistant Director: Fekete Xénia
• Production Managers: Nemes-Jeles Veronika, Reich Ida
• Co-producer: Petrányi Viktória
• Producers: Berkes Júlia, Bosnyák Miklós

Critical Reception

The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from Hungarian critics and audiences:

"VAN is finally a film about modern Hungary. A splendid piece. Nothing is overcomplicated or overtalked; Reisz tells stories with shameless honesty." - Géza Csákvári, Népszabadság

"The experience feels a bit like meeting the seventh district cousin of 'Amélie.'" - Péter Ferenci, WeLoveBudapest

"As they show the boy collapsing lifeless at different points in Budapest, I already know this won't be bad: that mixture of irony and empathy with which Reisz talks about the seemingly fatal but somehow repeatedly survivable pain of a breakup is perfect." - Bori Bujdosó, Origo Filmklub

Publishers/Distributors

Presented by Cirko Film and We Love Budapest. A production of Proton Cinema and the University of Theatre and Film Arts (Színház és Filmművészeti Egyetem). DVD distributed by Ars Longa.

We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!

Hashtags

English:

#HungarianCinema #ForSomeInexplicableReason #IndieFilm #BudapestMovie #GaborReisz #EuropeanCinema #MillennialLife #AwardWinningFilm #GenerationY #TravelFilm

Hungarian (Címkék):

#MagyarMozi #VanValamiFurcsa #FüggetlenFilm #BudapestiFilm #ReiszGábor #EurópaiMozi #MillenniálisÉlet #DíjnyertesFilm #YGeneráció #UtazásFilm