Taxidermia

Grandfather, father and son. Three stories and three different historical periods, holding the mirror up mostly to the present. During World War II, the grandfather passes the days of his frosty autumn of life by indulging in exciting fantasies and perverse dreams that are difficult to put stop to. In times of the Cold War, the father is a champion in speed eating, intending to become Europe’s best in this peculiar discipline. In the present days, the son is trying to lead a normal life – unsuccessfully. As for his profession, he stuffs animals. The projection will be introduced by the director György Pálfi and the co-writer Zsófia Ruttkay. The film is a part of the Visegrad programme within the main section of the seminar.

György Pálfi
The Hungarian director György Pálfi made his debut with his feature film Hukkle (2002), for which he won the European Discovery of the Year Award. However, his short films started attracting attention already during his time of direction studies at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. His next feature film Taxidermia, which he co-wrote with his wife Zsófia Ruttkay, was first screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. Its worldwide recognition and the large number of awards it received can be attributed to connecting Pálfi’s unique feel for opulent visuals with bizarre motifs and messages relevant for the present. His third feature film balances on the edge of a documentary and an actors’ film. His I Am Not Your Friend from 2009 is an episodic film with a choice cast of non-actors. In 2009 Pálfi assembled yet another feature film by using bits of five hundred different cult classics of cinematography. The film’s well-fitting title is Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen. His most recent feature film Free Fall appeared in 2014. Apart from cinema pieces, György Pálfi produces various TV films and series and works as a pedagogue.

Zsófia Ruttkay
The Hungarian dramaturge and screenwriter Zsófia Ruttkay graduated in dramaturgy at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. She is the author and screenwriter of most films directed by György Pálfi (Hukkle (2002), Taxidermia (2006), a compilation film Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012), an episodic film Free Fall (2014)), and she co-directed their third collaborative feature film I Am Not Your Friend in 2009. She mostly (and gladly) specializes in tragicomedy. Apart from that, Ruttkay co-operates with several theatres as a dramaturge.

Taxidermia (György Pálfi, HU/AT/FR, 2006, 91 min., OV+CS, Q&A)