Transitions Central Europe: Frankenstein-Project

ΗUNGARY

The beast is in revolt. This time he no longer belongs to the realm of science fiction. He is a contemporary teenager, unapproachable and unable to adjust. Having grown up in an institution, he returns to his home, only to be rejected by those nearest. He finds a father figure in a filmmaker who, in turn, sees in him an ideal protagonist. However, the unleashing of violence seems to be socially predetermined.

This radical redo of Mary Shelley’s classic novel "Frankenstein" by the internationally acclaimed Hungarian director and filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó (b.1975) and his celebrated company will be presented at the Transitions Festival at the Onassis Stegi.

The setting of this award-winning production is an abandoned area in central Athens. An audition for actors turns into a hardcore drama of merciless humor: a can of composting fruit instead of a wedding cake. Later the can becomes a murder weapon, while the shooting of a pilot film becomes a bloody thriller of revenge, full of splatter scenes and over-the-top trash imagery.

The archetypal myth of Frankenstein reappears here as a dark parable of institutionalized intolerance for ‘difference’. The theatrical world of Mundruczó merges with that of his films, where dogs revolt against humans ("White God"), two stepsiblings fall in love on the banks of Danube ("Delta"), and Joan of Arc sings arias ("Johanna"). His main themes remain Eastern Europe in transition and life in post-socialist Hungary, a non-negotiable commitment to humanity and an exploration of the origins of ‘evil’, and fascism in particular. However, his humor, even though pitch black, always finds its way to the spectator...