To be, or....?
The birth of the international festival-winning short film TO BE, OR...?
We just do our job in an unnoticed way. During our daily work we make the last journeys with family members with full of grace. However, as an association we seize every opportunity, to distinguish our profession from the world of thought taboos, prejudices and meanings carrying merely sadness. For this reason we annually organize our gravedigging competition, where funeral service colleagues can show their profession in such a man- trying work, they do every day. During these occasions the emotional burden may be replaced by the spirit of competition and the strained muscle work.
But how the international festival award-winning film was made thereof? The help of Zsolt Pozsgai, (Béla Balázs Prize-winning artist and film director) and of András Kerekes (cinematographer) was needed to achieve it. Incidentally the director watched the media news announcing the fourth national gravedigging competition in 2019. At that time, even he did not know what to expect from the event, although he felt he had found a special theme - told us during the official premiere of the film in Hungary.
He said they had managed to take great raw shots. András Kerekes captured every emotion and situation. They could then see how the special blend of funeral profession and competition was such an emotional subject. It is more than a competition. It contains the paradox of existence. The atmosphere of competition – full of purpose, strength and joie de vivre - is combined with the sight of grave pits, reflecting the passing. Beside, the film is accompanied by the English version of „To be or not to be” monologue from Shakespeare, performed by Mel Gibson.
The film is a vivid representation of what we intend to show by shovels and cups for the outsiders. The presence of soul behind the dignified farewell, the mental focus and the strength in the muscles. The gravedigging colleagues who are called „Our boys” in professional environment, deserve all the credit. We are grateful for the film because it has made us visible to the whole world.
The film's main awards won in short film category so far:
- Tokyo Film Fest
- Cairo Intern. F. F.
- Accord Cine Fest - New York
- Uruvatti - India
- Kat Eye - Kalkutta
- Roshani FF – India
- Kateye International Film Festival [KIFF] (Calcutta, India)
- Twilight Tokyo Film Festival [TTFF] (Japán ,Tokio)
- Port Blair Iinternational Film Festival [PBIFF] (India, Port Blair)
- Accord Cine Fest (Olaszország)
- Uruvatti International Film Festival [UIFF] (India, Chennai)
- Nawada International Film Festival (India, Nawada)
- Roshani International Film Festival (Aurangabad, India)
- Triloka International Filmfare
- Sydney Indie Short Festival (Ausztrália)
- Cosmo Film Festival
- Goa Short Film festival (India, Pune)
- Golden Earth Film Award
- Kesari Movie Awards (Shorts)
- Pune Short Film Festival (India, Pune)
Finalist in the following international film festivals:
- Sacramento Underground Film & Arts Festival (USA, California)
- Madrid International Film Festival (Spanyolország, Madrid)
- Nice International Film Festival (Olaszország, Nizza)
- Cannes Shorts (Franciaország)
- Dallas Shorts (USA)
- Hollywood International Golden Age Festival
- Best Documentary Award (Anglia, London)
- Dubai Independent Film Festival (Egyesült Arab Emírségek, Dubai)
- Berlin Short Film Festival (Németország)
- Serbest International Film Festival (Moldova)
- Thinking Hat Fiction Challenge (India, Ajitwal, Punjab)
- Golden Earth Film Festival (Suriname, Paramaribo)
- Short Cine Fest
- MP Film Award
- Open Window International Film Challenge (India, Kalkutta)
- International Festival Signs of the Night (Thaiföld, Bangkok)
- Best Global Shorts (India, Chennai)
- Nashik International Short Film Festival (India)
- Kesari Movie Awards
- Košice International Monthly Film Festival (Szlovákia, Kassa)
- Lime Light Film Contest
- Short Shot Fest (Oroszország, Moszkva)
- Moody Crab Film Fest (India, Moga, Punjab)
- Ebullience Shorts
- Iconic Images Film Festival
- Dumbo Film Festival
