Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2025
Set in the 1970s, Hungarian Wedding follows two Budapest students whose journey to a cousin’s nuptials in Transylvania turns into a tale of adventure, love and tradition. What begins as a scheme to smuggle icons across the border is transformed when Péter falls for Kati, the bride’s sister, and a marriage of convenience blossoms into true devotion. Against the backdrop of a vibrant Kalotaszeg village wedding, the film interlaces romance with the pulsating rhythms of folk music and dance. A sweeping love story where passion and heritage intertwine, celebrating both the resilience of young hearts and the timeless power of Hungarian culture.
Csaba Káel (b. 1961, Miskolc, Hungary) is a film and opera director whose work bridges the worlds of cinema and music. He studied film direction at the Academy of Drama and Film under renowned masters such as Károly Makk and István Szabó. Káel gained early directorial experience through hundreds of commercials, music videos, and documentaries before turning to opera. His 2002 film adaptation of Ferenc Erkel’s Bánk bán, shot with Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, was hailed as one of the most successful fusions of opera and cinema. Alongside opera and film, Káel has also directed acclaimed documentary portraits on cultural figures such as Béla Bartók and Mihály Munkácsy.
National Film Institute - Hungary
