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Background: In 1981, Robert Redford and some of his friends and colleagues sat down in Sundance, Utah, to discuss the possibility of an artistic regeneration of American film. The discussion resulted in the establishment of the Sundance Institute, which targets the sponsoring and education of independent film-makers.
From the outset, the Institute has included screen-play writers, directors, dramatists, performance artists and cameramen among its protégés.
Over 60 films, originally "developed" as part of the Feature Film Program of the Sundance Institute, can be seen in movie theatres and television programs all over the world, e.g. Hard Pressed, Impromptu, Walking and Talking...
As its advisors, the Institute has won names like Sydney Pollack, Glenn Close, Alan Pakula, Terry Gilliam and Denzel Washington.
The Sundance Institute is a non-profit organisation, with an annual budget of USD 3. 4 million, of which 40 % is derived as income from business activities and 60 % is made up of subsidies.
The artists and films sponsored by the Institute have won numerous Oscars, Emmies and other international festival awards.
The Sundance is now directing its attention towards Eastern Europe, as they feel that the Institute's contacts and method may be instrumental in the reconstruction of the film-making industries of these countries. Eastern-European screenwriters and producers have been, and continue to be, trained at government-operated film schools, where the focus has always been on the technical aspect of both film-making and film-directing. An introduction to screenwriting and film-production in line with the rules of a market economy is mediocre at its best, and sometimes hardly exists at all. The Selection Committee has selected the eight screen-plays which are to participate in the Workshop out of 99 Hungarian and 82 Polish screen-plays. The members of the Committee are: Filip Bajon, Jolán Árvai, Cesary Harasinowitz, János Herskó, Andrzej Kowalczyk, Gabriella Prekop, Boguslaw Linda, Sándor Simó, Jacek Szczerba, János Xantus The members of the Committee have read the screen-plays without the names of the authors being written upon them. The Selection Committee have selected eight screen-plays, envisaging the potential of films which, once made, could mean the beginning of the reconstruction of independent Hungarian and Polish film.
The following people hold positions at the Eastern-European Sundance Sreenwriting Workshop:
Program Manager: Péter Miskolczi (Studio Eurofilm, Hungary)
The Polish program manager is Darius Jablonski. According to the approach adopted by the Sundance Institute, selected applicants are given the possibility of work under workshop circumstances, i.e. they can exchange views with experienced screenwriters, who monitor their careers as tutors. These advisors in creativity offer their time and services free of charge. The Workshop offers tailor-made support to screenwriters. The creativity advisors sit down with the authors to analyse screenplays during individual, story-oriented discussions, usually aiming at problem-solving. These purpose of these individual discussions is supporting the screenwriters in finding their own voice - aided by their tutors - and helping them make the very best screenplays out of their original idea. Tutors are not trying to fit screenplays into some kind of a pre-conceived stylistic trend, but offer writers the chance to experiment with and develop their own individual idea.
CHARACTERS:
Feature Film Program Manager: Michelle Satter
Screenwriters:
DAY 1 Scene 1, 5 p.m. EXTERIOR CASTLE GATE The arrival of participants to Seregélyes. Participants are handed their information brochures, i.e. the timetable and schedule of meetings, the participants list, their room numbers, the week's menu, as well as the whether report! (to make them feel cared for) Scene 2, 6.30. p.m CASTLE INTERIOR Participants sit in a circle, and the first person to welcome them is Michelle Satter. Michelle Satter has worked for the Sundance Institute since 1981. She has supported a number of film-makers who later become renown (Quentin Tarantino, Tom DiCillo). Satter has been responsible for setting up numerous art programs and workshops etc. in Latin-America and Europe. She is currently working on launching a program for finding gifted children. In 1989 she was co-producer of Waldo Salt's documentary, A Screenwriter's Journey, also nominated for an Oscar. Introducing the participants, general guidelines, i.e. who is who, what their task is going to be, what people would like to see here, what is to be found where. The language of communication is English, yet each screenwriter has his/her personal interpreter. Scene 3, 7.30. p.m. INTERIOR - WINE-CELLAR Dinner: continuing to get to know each other. Everyone would like to know more about the others. What people have written so far, what kind of tasks they had, whom they have worked with..... and what they think of dinner tonight. Scene 4, 8.30. p.m. INTERIOR SCREENING ROOM
Screening of a film: the screening of the works of participants. Scene 5, 10.30. p.m. EXTERIOR /INTERIOR A few people, (mostly Hungarian) are having a conversation on the terrace, then move into the building because of the rain. Later everybody moves into their own rooms and tries to get prepared for tomorrow's first onset. DAY 2 Scene 1, 9.00. a.m. INTERIOR - DINING HALL Breakfast. The Polish participants keep together a lot, paying much regard to each other. Scene 2, 9.30. a.m. INTERIOR - MUSIC HALL (SILENT.) Meeting of the creativity advisors. Of this meeting the screenwriters, as they are not themselves participating, are only informed through one of their tutors. Meanwhile the screenwriters watch and contemplate .... (i.e. those of them interested) 9.30. a.m. INTERIOR - SCREENING ROOM Pál Erdőss': King, a Soldier to Me! Scene 3, 11.00. a.m. INTERIOR Everyone is looking for their mate as by the schedule. Pairs of screenwriters and advisors having found each other are walking away smiling, in order to find a peaceful and intimate site for their discussions. (Now it is our turn to meet Kati and Jerzy.) Jerzy Domaradzki - studied in Poland and Australia. He graduated from the Lódz Film Academy. He is a film, television and theatre director. He has been screenwriting and acting as a producer of films since 1973. Many of his documentaries, feature films and television films have been award-winning at international festivals. Katalin Thuróczy - started as a property-master at Hungary's National Theatre, later becoming assistant director. In 1983 she joined the Katona József Theatre, then left to become the member of the New Theatre. In 1996 she was awarded a writer's grant by the Pécs National Theatre, where she has been working as a dramaturgist. Her oeuvre include opera-librettos, theatre-plays and short stories. Part of her time is devoted to journalism, and her interviews and articles are published by different weekly and daily papers. In 1993, her drama entitled "Thursday Feast" won the Special Award of the Víg Theatre's drama competition. Two years later she won the "Vilmos Award" of the Open Forum. POOR EDUARD - The story depicts a clean man, who, although an adult by age, has a soul no more than 8-10 years old, having been blocked in development at that age. Eduard lives in a small rural village with his father under great hardships. One of his two brothers is the local priest, the other is a globe-trotter who only arrives home to attend their father's funeral. The central theme of the screenplay is their three ways of staying clean. Eduard is clean because he is a child, while the priest is trying to purge himself through religion, and the third brother through the pleasures of life. Scene 4, 1.00. p.m. INTERIOR - DINING HALL Discussions continue even during lunch. Scene 5, 3.00. p.m. INTERIOR - TEA-ROOM Pairs of people leave again to exchange views. (We stay behind with Larry and Andrzej) Lawrence Konner - He has been co-writer of a number of films with Mark Rosenthal. The best known of these are: The Legend of Billie Jean, The Pearls of the Nile, Star Trek VI. He has been the screenwriter of television series, and has recently completed his first documentary about homeless people, entitled One Thing I Know. He is the member of the Film Academy as well as of the Workshop of Screenwriters. Andrzej Golda - He initially studied Polish literature and has been working as a journalist for the past six years. In 1996 he won the "Polish Pulitzer Prize". In the same year he graduated from the Lódz Academy of Film, having majored in screenwriting. His screenplay Lady-bird, Lady-Bird has won numerous awards, and he eventually managed to sell it. The shooting of the film will commence during autumn 1997. LADY-BIRD- LADY-BIRD... - psycho-thriller. A gang of twenty-somethings break into a church, whereupon the priest curses them. The curse takes effect, and the young people die one after the other, under mysterious circumstances. The main character, Thomas, is the longest-living among them. Scene 6, 3.00. p.m. INTERIOR (In the neighbouring hall of the castle, Susan and Paulina are having a conversation.) Susan Shilliday - Her television series Thirtysomething won the awards of the Screenwriting Workshop in 1988. After a great number of screenplays that never turned into a film, she wrote Legends of Fall, which was directed by Edward Zwick. She also worked on Waldo Salt's screenplay for Don Quijote. Paulina Bochenska - studied journalism at the University of Warsaw. The Third Part of an Apple is the first screenplay she wrote by herself. Before that she has participated in the writing of many screenplays, and a few of those were filmed at the Lódz Academy of Film. She is currently conducting negotiations about her most recent screenplay with the TOR Film Studio. THE THIRD PART OF AN APPLE - Joanna is twenty six years old and works by a lawyer. Her husband, Pawel, is a journalist. They live a happy married life until Adam, the fifty year old bio-chemist, enters the scene. Adam has long been living in the United States. Joanna finds herself emotionally more and more attached to the ageing man. In the end she is at a loss, wondering whether she should take chances and perhaps loose all she has, or leave everything unchanged. Scene 7, 6.30. p.m. INTERIOR - SCREENING ROOM Those who have had their discussion with their partner in turn may sit down to see a film made out of a screenplay by Judith Rascoe, entitled Eat a Bowl of Tea, about Chinese people living in the United States. Scene 8, 8.30. p.m. INTERIOR- WINE-CELLAR During dinner, but especially afterwards, everyone is trying to relax after the first working day. Light, good-humoured conversation is on at each table. DAY 3 Scene 1 INTERIOR Montage: breakfast, advisors' meeting, screening of András Salamon's Je t'aime. Scene 2, 11.00. a.m. INTERIOR - HALL (Conversation between Tom and Tomasz.) Tom Rickman - From among a number of his films, The Miner's Daughter has been nominated for the Award of the Academy and the Workshop of Screenwriters. He has written many screenplays for both movie and television films. He both wrote and directed The River Rat. His Truman was recently awarded an Emmy. He has been on the Board of the Sundance Institute for six years. He taught screenwriting in California and participated in workshops around the world. Tomasz Fleszar - He is the youngest participant, 21 years old. He is studying screenwriting in a course. His first screenplay has been award-winning at different national competitions. ROOTS OF THE WIND - Local businessmen stage an amateur theatre festival in a small town. A group of young actors possess proof that these businessmen are dishonourable. Blackmailing, conflicts and a love-story usher us towards a climax of blood-shed. Scene 3, 1.00. p.m. INTERIOR - DINING-HALL Signs of becoming over-weight are observable on some of the participants during lunch. A few Americans are already dropping out from the mid-day meal, being unable to cope with the jumbo-size portions. Scene 4, 3.00. p.m. INTERIOR - FLOOR I (Let us follow two Hungarian participants.) István Szabó - graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Music in 1961. Many of his short- and feature films have been nominated for international awards in Cannes, Berlin, Locarno and Oberhausen. Mephisto won the Oscar for the best foreign film. Count Redl was awarded the Prize of the British Academy. His best-known films are: Age of Dreaming, Father, Love-film, Tales from Budapest, Trust, Hanussen, Meeting Venus, Sweet Emma Dear Böbe. Erika Ozsda - In the past 15 years she has played 7 major and a number of minor roles in different films. She graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Film in 1992. She is currently working as a television film editor and reporter, also making interviews for film periodicals. BITTER-SWEET - portrays four young women living in Budapest. Each Friday they gather to play poker. During the week they go to school, work, come and go, date men, drink, make love. The story depicts phoney lives, almost-loves, half friendships and true death. Scene 5, 5.30. p.m. INTERIOR- SCREENING ROOM The Miner's Daughter, made out of Tom Rickman's screenplay, is screened for the audience. Tom is bombarded with questions afterwards. DAY 4 Scene 1, 9.30. a.m. INTERIOR- SCREENING ROOM The writers are conversing with Michelle. Michelle wants to know everyone's opinion, asking for advise on how to organise the next workshop. Many participants mention that they find these few days rather a short time, and would like to spend more time with their tutors on repeated occasions. Writers would also like to know more about each other's screenplays. Scene 2, 11.00. a.m. INTERIOR - HALL (Larry Cannal withdraws to the library.) Larry (we know him well by now) Can Togay - Graduated from the Budapest University, having majored in English and German, and later went to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. He received his diploma in 1984 as a director. He was a member of Studio Béla Balázs. He directed his first film, entitled The Holiday-Maker , in 1991. He worked in foreign films as an assistant, playing minor roles occasionally. His partners included Isabelle Huppert and Hanna Schygulla. He is currently directing his second feature film. SOLAR ECLIPSE 2000 - The story mixes three genres, the adventure film, the comedy and magic movie. Out of the three protagonists, one is a 50 year old Hungarian entomologist who leaves his family to turn over a new leaf. The second is a South-American girl sent by her father to France to work as a stripper. The third is a Paris playboy who has strange visions. The three of them meet while their plain is hijacked. The end of the story reveals how they face the great questions of their lives in the depth of the jungle. Scene 3, 3.00. p.m. EXTERIOR - GARDEN (Gyula is having a conversation with Jacek in the garden.) Gyula Gazdag - film-, theatre and television director. He has been teaching film-directing over many years in the USA. He is vice-president of UCLA. His best known films include: Whistling Cobble-Stone, Esplanade Bastion 74, Once Upon a Time, Illusions Lost, Hostage Story. He has also directed numerous documentaries. He has recently completed his documentary-diary about Allen Ginsberg, entitled the Poet of the Lower East Side. Jacek Wyszomirski - has originally been a musician. Later he made reports and documentaries for Polish television. In 1996 he won the Main Prize of the Kielce Sports Festival. HOW ARE YOU, TERESA? - The seven year old Teresa moves to the town with her parents. One day she is hit in the head by a stone at the play-ground. She goes to an auxiliary school, where she meets Renata. The two girls start stealing habitually, and Teresa steals the purse of a handicapped man. And that is where the troubles begin.... Scene 5, 3.00. p.m. INTERIOR - ROOM (Judith and Andras are trying to convince each other.) Judith Rascoe - started to work as a short-story writer and journalist. Her first collection of short stories appeared in 1973 under the title Yours and Mine. Her first screen-play was Road Movie, directed by Joseph Strick. Her best known films include: Havana, Endless Love, Eat a Bowl of Tea. András Salamon - was 8 years old when he first acted in a film. In 1980 he started his studies at the Academy of Theatre and Film, something he never completed. He first worked abroad, then wrote the screenplay of Je t'aime, which he also filmed in 1991. He has since then directed and photographed 30 documentaries of different duration. He has been teaching documentary-making at the Budapest University since 1977. CLOSE TO LOVE - The three main characters of the story are Karcsi, the policeman, Bobi, the dog and Maria, the Chinese girl. After a while, the dog and the girl mean more than anything to Karcsi. As Karcsi is arrested, the girl and the dog disappear... Scene 6, 6.30. p.m. INTERIOR- SCREENING ROOM First film: a documentary by Lawrence Konner, entitled One Thing I Know. Larry asked documentary-directors all over the United States to shoot films about the local homeless at the same time of the same day. Second film: István Szabó's Steadying The Boat. This 50 minute film is about Budapest. It shows what the director sees out of and in the Hungarian capital, and how he sees that. DAY 5 Scene 1, 9.30. a.m. INTERIOR Montage: during the meeting of the advisors Can Togay's The Devil's Day is being screened. Scene 2, 11.00. a.m. INTERIOR-SCREENING ROOM Meeting of writers and advisors. Title: How to solve the problem of the structure of the screenplay? The advisors are trying to answer the overwhelming number of questions from the writers. The session is based on improvisation, yet it must(!) be said that screenwriting has its basic rules. i.e. that a screenplay should have a beginning, a climax and an end. There are thirty-two basic stories, it is almost impossible to come up with a radically new story. There are reference books, which of course are worth reading, but it is not mandatory. To comply with every single rule is impossible, too. (Examples: Joseph McBride: Filmmakers on Filmmaking, Syd Field: The Screenwriter's Workbook, Irwin R. Blacher: The Elements of Screenwriting). The essential rule is that rules can only be broken if we are familiar with them. There are tricks of the trade that should be observed. Susan does not care much about structure, she rather concentrates on the characters and the action. She does not use reference books. Tom also thinks that the screenwriter should not focus too much on the structure, as that is built by the characters of the story rather than consciously. Characters should lead the screenwriter! Beware of the greatest danger, tediousness! Judith holds that as the writers of old all came from theatres, dramaturgical structure was inherently part of their screenplays. She adores Ferenc Molnár, and believes that one should analyse as many dramas as possible. Larry thinks that screenwriting courses are new, nobody heard of them before. The legitimacy of the screenplay is a by-product of valuable films. Sometimes nothing seems to happen, yet the story is tense, at other times one gets bored of a row of interesting events. All depends on the way a story is presented. The method he uses for deciding whether his story is interesting enough is that he starts telling it to his friends, then at one point he goes out to the kitchen. If they follow him, wanting to know what comes next, the story is good. The screenwriter should show what a character wants, hopes for, what obstacles he faces, what complications ensue, what the conflicts are. What kind of obstacle the writer puts in between the antagonists and what that results in is of great interest. Who wins and who looses. The unusual, the unexpected is what catches the attention. Just look at Fellini's films, the essence there is not on the surface, but hidden somewhere. One has to learn what is cinema-like and what is life-like. Gazdag believes that if one knows why you feel urged to tell a story, one finds a suitable structure more easily. Rules and structures are observable not only when analysing drama, but music as well. Istvan Szabó maintains that tension is between words and faces. A film is written on the faces that appear in it. A good actor cares not for the text, but for who is going to suffer. Every story has its own way, but one has to find the best way for recounting that particular story. Scene 3, 1.00. p.m. INTERIOR Writers leave for lunch all confused, with antagonistic ideas whirling around in their heads. Scene 4, 3.00. p.m. EXTERIOR- GARDEN It is the last chance for screenwriters to talk about their screenplays at length. Today couples choose each other as they like. (Montage about people sitting in the garden.) Scene 5, 6.30. p.m. INTERIOR - MAIN HALL During the farewell dinner-party many are coming and going between tables, joining the others for a few words, laughing, encouraging each other, whispering opinions, making promises, taking notes, then going to the next table. Table companies form themselves around the invited guests, including journalists and János Herskó, who was a member of the Selection Committee. DAY 6 Scene 1, 10.00. a.m. EXTERIOR/ INTERIOR / Farewell: packing, carrying of suitcases, shaking hands, tears, kisses, waving of hands. The transport of participants in turns. Everything is over. Thanks a lot! |
 left: Jerzy Domaradzki right: Susan Shilliday 93 KByte | |
 left: Judith Rascoe right: Susan Shilliday 79 KByte | |
 Laurence Konner 103 KByte | |
 István Szabó 69 KByte | |
 Gyula Gazdag 72 KByte | |
 left: Tom Rickman, middle: Eszter Répássy (interpreter), right: András Salamon 92 KByte | |
 Kati Thuróczi and Can Cogay 71 KByte |
