Péter Forgács (born 10 September 1950) is a Hungarian media artist and independent filmmaker. He is best known for his "Private Hungary" series of award winning films based on home movies from the 1930s and 1960s, which document ordinary lives that were soon to be ruptured by an extraordinary historical trauma that occurs off screen.

Biography

Since 1976 Péter Forgács has been active in the Hungarian art scene as media artist/filmmaker. In the late 1970s and '80s he collaborated with the contemporary music ensemble Group 180, at the same time he started to work in the Béla Balázs Filmstudio. Forgács established the Private Photo & Film Archives Foundation (PPFA, 1983) in Budapest, a unique collection of amateur film footage from the '920, and has made this material "the raw data" for his unique postmodern re-orchestrations of history. In 2002 The

Getty Research Institute The Getty Research Institute (GRI), located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, California, is "dedicated to furthering knowledge and advancing understanding of the visual arts".

held an exhibit ''The Danube Exodus: Rippling Currents of the River''. His international debut came with the ''Bartos Family'' (1988), which was awarded the ''Grand Prix'' at the World Wide Video Festival in

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

(1990). Since then Forgács has received several international festival awards in Budapest,

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...

the Documentary Golden Gate Award 1998,

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...

2005; At the Prix Europa, Berlin received the European TV Documentary of the Year Award 1997. Forgács received the 2007

Erasmus Prize The Erasmus Prize is an annual prize awarded by the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation to individuals or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe and the rest of the world. I ...

, which is "awarded to a person or institution which has made an exceptionally important contribution to culture in Europe." In 2009 Forgács represented Hungary at the Venice Biennale, exhibiting the Col Tempo - The W. Project installation. In 2013 Forgacs created the ″Letters to Afar″ video installation at

Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews () is a museum on the site of the former Warsaw Ghetto. The Hebrew language, Hebrew word ''Polin'' in the museum's English name means either "Poland" or "rest here" and relates to a legend about the ar ...

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

with The Klezmatics Group; and at

EYE An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

Netherlands Filmmuseum Amsterdam the "Looming Fire - Stories from The Dutch East Indies 1900-1940" installation.

Filmography

* 2011 - ''GermanUnity@Balaton - Honeyland'' - produced by Lumen Film Amsterdam / Uj Budapest Film / for zdf/arte - HDCAM video * 2009 - ''Video Active - documentary'' - for Video Active EU TV online archive promo - web version * 2009 - ''Hunky Blues - The American Dream'' - produced by Filmpartners Ltd. - HD CAM * 2008 - ''I am Von Höfler'' - Private Hungary 15 (video) * 2007 - ''Own Death'' - fiction film - novel by Péter Nádas (video) * 2006 - ''Miss Universe 1929'' - Lisl Goldarbeiter - a Queen in Wien (video) * 2005 - ''El Perro Negro'' - Stories from the Spanish Civil War (video) * 2004 - ''Do You Really Love Me?'' (video) * 2004 - ''Mutual Analysis'' (video) * 2003 - ''Der Kaiser auf dem Spaziergang'' - light & image project (DVD) * 2002 - ''The Bishop’s Garden'' - Private Hungary 14 (video) * 2001 - ''A Bibó Reader'' - Private Hungary 13 (35mm film and video) * 1999 - ''Angelos’ Film'' (video) * 1998 - ''The Danube Exodus'' (video ) * 1997 - ''The Maelstrom - A Family Chronic'' (video) * 1997 - ''Kádár’s Kiss'' - Private Hungary 12 (video) * 1997 - ''Class Lot'' - Private Hungary 11 (video) * 1996 - ''Free Fall'' - Private Hungary 10 (video) * 1996 - ''The Land of Nothing'' - Private Hungary 9 (video) * 1994 - ''Meanwhile Somewhere 1940-43...'' (video) * 1994 - ''The Notes of a Lady'' - Private Hungary 8 (video) * 1994 - ''Hungarian Totem'' (video) * 1993 - ''Conversations on Psychoanalysis'' - documentary series 5/5 * 1993 - ''Simply Happy'' - with Albert Wulffers (35mm film and video) * 1993 - ''Culture Shavings'' (video) * 1992 - ''Bourgeoisie Dictionary'' - Private Hungary 7 (video) * 1992 - ''Wittgenstein Tractatus'' - INTERLUDE series (video) * 1991 - ''Arizona diary'' - with poet György Petri (video) * 1991 - ''Photographed by László Dudás'' - Private Hungary 6 (video) * 1991 - ''D-FILM'' - Private Hungary 5 (video) * 1991 - ''Márai Herbal'' - INTERLUDE series (video) * 1990 - ''The Diary of Mr. N.'' - Private Hungary 4 (video) * 1989 - ''Either - Or'' - Private Hungary 3 (video) * 1989 - ''Dusi & Jenő'' - Private Hungary 2 (video) * 1988 - ''The Bartos Family'' - Private Hungary 1 (video) * 1987 - ''Episodes from the Life of Professor M.F.'' (video) * 1986 - ''The Portrait of Leopold Szondi'' (video) * 1985 - ''Spinoza Rückwertz'' (35mm film) * 1978 - ''I See That I Look'' (video)

Installations and performances

* 2013 - Forgacs created the ″Letters to Afar″ video installation at Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw with The Klezmatics Group; * 2013 - "Looming Fire - Stories from The Dutch East Indies 1900-1940" installation. at

Netherlands Filmmuseum Amsterdam the * German Unity @ Balaton - Deutsche Einheit am Balaton – Die private Geschichte der deutsch-deutschen Einhei

�� media installation with Gusztav Hamos • Collegium Hungaricum Berlin • 2009 • Dortmund • 2010 • Vaszary Villa - Balatonfüred/Hungary • 201

* Col Tempo - The W. Project • installation • 53rd Venice Biennale • Hungarian Pavilion • curator András Rényi �

• 2009 • * Black Hole • Performance, with Tamás Tóth bass guitar • 1984 * Case of My Room, The • video installation • 1994 * Chlorophyll • performance with L. Lugo Lugosi • 1986 * Danube Exodus, The • installation • 200

* Der Kaiser auf dem Spaziergang • video installation • Light and Image • Aegina • 1996 * Dixi & Pixi • video performance with Dixi, Group 180, L. Lugo Lugosi • 1982 * Dream Inventory • installation • 1995 * Free Fall • Oratorio • 1997 * Educational Cinema • installation • 2005 * Hung Aryan, The • Video Installation • 1997 * Hungarian Totem • installation • 199

* Hungarian Video Kitchen Art • video installation • 1991 * INAUGURATION • video performance • 1978 * Monomotapa & The Game (the "Kempelen" installation video - with György Jovánovics • 2007)

Kunsthalle Budapest The Budapest Hall of Art or Palace of Art, ( Hungarian − ''Műcsarnok Kunsthalle''), is a contemporary art museum and a historic building located in Budapest, Hungary. Description The museum building is on Heroes' Square, facing the Buda ...

, ZKM-Karlsruhe * New York - BUDAPEST • paintings-photos with L.Lugó Lugosi • 1984 * Paintings & photographs • One man show - Fotohof Salzburg • 1987 * Pig paintings • paintings • 1985 * Pre Morgue • video installation • 1993 * Private Exits • performance with Szemzõ • 1985 * Rembrandt Morphs • installation • 2006 * Saloon, and Then! • installation • 1997 * SIGHT • photo installation • 2004 * Snapshot from the Island • performance with Tibor Szemző • 1984 * Stanley & Livingston • performance • 1979 * Thee á' El Greco • video Installation • 1991 * Two Nests and Other Things • video installation • 1991 * Visit, The • installation • 2004 * Work Desk • video performance and installation with Tibor Szemzõ • 1985

Awards

* 2020 Dragon of Dragons Award • Krakow Film Foundation,

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, Poland * 2009 I am von Höfler • Hungarian Film Critics Special Award * 2008 Own Death • Best Experimental Film Prize, 39th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 2008 I am von Höfler • Creative Documentary Film Prize, 39th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 2007

• Praemium Erasmianum Foundation,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

* 2006 El perro negro • Documentary Film Grand Prize, 37th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 2005 El perro negro • The Maysles Brothers Documentary Film Grand Prize,

Denver International Film Festival The Denver Film Festival is held in November, primarily at the Denver Film Center/Colfax, in Denver, Colorado, now the Anna and John J. Sie FilmCenter (Sie FilmCenter). Premiere events are held in the Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House ...

, United States * 2005 El perro negro • Feature Length Documentary, Grand Prize, Tribeca International Film Festival, New York * 2001 A Bibó Reader • Official selection Quinzaine des Réalisateurs,

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

, France * 2001 A Bibó Reader • Best Director Prize of Short & Experimental Film, 33rd Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 2000 Angelos' Film • Documentário Longa Grand Prize, XI Encotros Internacionalis De Cinema Documental,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

* 1999 The Maelstrom • Grand Prize, Out of That Darkness International Film Competition, London * 1999 Angelos' Film • Documentary Golden Gate Award, the Golden Spire,

, United States * 1999 The Maelstrom • The Best Documentary Film Award, Jerusalem International Film Festival,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

* 1999 The Danube Exodus • Silver Dragon prix and FIPRESCI prize, Kraków Int. Doc. & Short Film Festival, Poland * 1999 The Danube Exodus • Documentary Film Grand Prize, 30th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 1998 The Balázs Béla Film Award, Hungarian Republic, Budapest * 1999 Free Fall • The Best Documentary-Fiction and the Best Film Music Prize, Hungarian Film Critics Prize, Budapest * 1997 Free Fall • PRIX EUROPA, ''Best Non-Fiction Program of the Year'', Berlin

* 1997 Free Fall • Grand Prize & CNC "Image de la culture" special award, Marseilles International Document Film Festival, France * 1997 Free Fall • Short & Experimental Film, Grand Prize, Budapest 28th Hungarian Film Festival, Budapest * 1995 Meanwhile Somewhere • "Lattücht" Prize Dokument, ART 95 Festival,

Neubrandenburg Neubrandenburg (, Low German ''Niegenbramborg'', both lit. ''New Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg'') is a city in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located on the shore of a lake called Tollensesee and forms the urban c ...

, Germany * 1994 Wittgenstein Tractatus • Grand Prize, Montecattini, Terme, Italy * 1993 Culture Shavings • St. Germaine de Geneva Prize, 5th Semaine Internationale de Video,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

* 1993 Wittgenstein Tractatus • Video Grand Prize, VIPER Film & Video Festival,

Lucerne Lucerne ( ) or Luzern ()Other languages: ; ; ; . is a city in central Switzerland, in the Languages of Switzerland, German-speaking portion of the country. Lucerne is the capital of the canton of Lucerne and part of the Lucerne (district), di ...

, Switzerland * 1993 Wittgenstein Tractatus • Sound Base Arts Video Festival, Grand Prize,

Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...

, Poland * 1992 The Private Hungary series • Best Hungarian Documentary Film Prize, Hungarian Film Critics, Budapest * 1991 Dusi and Jenő • Grand Prix, European Document Film Biennial, Marseilles, France * 1990 The Bartos Family • Grand Prize, World Wide Video Festival,

, Netherlands

Works in Public Collections

* Museum of Fine Art Budapest · Modern Collection· * Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI) CINEMEDIA,

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

* C3 Media Art Center, Budapest * Centre National du Cinématographe,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

* Centre Pompidou & Musée d'Art Moderne, Paris *

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California, United States, housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthies ...

, Special Collection,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

College Library,

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

USA * Haus der Dokumentarfilm collection,

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

* Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest * KIASMA Contemporary Art Museum,

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

* Ludwig Contemporary Art Museum, LUMU, Budapest * Moffitt Library UC

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

USA * MOMA, Film and Video collection, New York * Montreal Cinematheque, Permanent Collection * Museum of Fine Arts, 20th century Collection, Budapest * Nederland Filmmuseum,

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

, Bobst Library NYU N.Y. USA * Open Society Archive, CEU, Budapest * Pacific Film Archives, Berkeley CA USA * Samlung Oppenheim,

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

Library, Green Library, USA * UIAH

Helsinki University The University of Helsinki (, ; UH) is a public university in Helsinki, Finland. The university was founded in Turku in 1640 as the Royal Academy of Åbo under the Swedish Empire, and moved to Helsinki in 1828 under the sponsorship of Tsar Al ...

Art Department collection *

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

Film School - Annenberg Center for Communications, Los Angeles * Yad Vashem, The Visual Center,

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

* Zentrum für Medien Kunst, ZKM collection, Karlsruhe

Secondary literature

*''Cinema’s Alchemist. The Films of Péter Forgács'', ed. by Bill Nichols and Michael Renov, Minneapolis, Minn. tc.: University of Minnesota Press, 2011

References

External links

*
Péter Forgács' exhibition at the 53rd Venice Biennale - Hungarian Pavilion

The Danube Exodus data website

videos of Péter Forgács
on vimeo.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Forgacs, Peter 1950 births Living people Hungarian film directors Hungarian contemporary artists