1998 Hungarian Experimental Films 'Tükrözõdések' and 'Presszo' Explore Memory and Absurdity

In 1998, two Hungarian films offered distinct cinematic perspectives. 'Tükrözõdések' (Mirrorings), directed by Istvan Darday and Gyorgyi Szalai, presents an experimental narrative about a dying scientist, Teo Fabricius, who suffers from Chernobyl-related injuries and faces threats from a doctor-Mafioso figure. Filmed across Budapest, Venice, and New York, this visually fluid work blends grotesque imagery with allegory, drawing from philosophical influences like Schopenhauer, Whitman, and Hungarian writer Bela Hamvas. The film explores themes of time, memory, and mortality through a Lynchian double-ending. Meanwhile, 'Presszo' (Espresso), directed by Tamás Sas with a script by Gabor Nemeth, is a comedy set entirely in a Budapest café, capturing the city's urban life through absurd dialogue and characters entangled in sexual liaisons and Mafia undertones. Featuring performances by Andrea Söptei, Andrea Fulljtár, and Karina Kecskés, the film reflects the cynical quality of Eastern European urban existence, reminiscent of István Örkény's absurdist literature. Both films were reviewed by Noelle Dupuy in Paris on January 28, 1999, highlighting their contributions to contemporary Hungarian cinema.