Charted by Birds: ‘Lyrebird’ in Budapest
The Message of the Lyrebird: European premiere ***** A lantfarkúmadarak üzenete ***** International Nature and Environment Protection Festival ***** Nemzetközi Természet-és Környezetvédelmi Fesztivál *****
The Message of the Lyrebird: European premiere ***** A lantfarkúmadarak üzenete ***** International Nature and Environment Protection Festival ***** Nemzetközi Természet-és Környezetvédelmi Fesztivál *****
Above: Image from The Message of the Lyrebird: Hungarian political refugee, Laszlo Erdos during his filmmaking days on lyrebird country, Dandenong Ranges, Australia. Courtesy of Jennifer Erdos, Laszlo Erdos Nature Films.
Australian nature documentary The Message of the Lyrebird has been included in the 8th International Nature and Environment Film Review's competition program, and will screen for the first time to a European audience during the annual Hungarian event – May 27-29, 2022.
The festival presents 100 high quality films from around the world with an emphasis on protection of nature. Checkout the official (and super cool) festival trailer.
Nemzetközi Természet-és Környezetvédelmi Fesztivál trailer.
What is remarkable about the festival is the grand idea to combine screenings of environmental films with concerts, performances and children’s attractions, along with traditional Hungarian foods and an opportunity participate in spectacular Trash Art; a program giving new life to seemingly worthless materials.
*** The Message of the Lyrebird screens @11:15 AM on 28 May in the Baroque Theatre Royal Palace of Gödöllő
*** The Message of the Lyrebird screens @11:15 AM on 28 May in the Baroque Theatre Royal Palace of Gödöllő
In the southernmost wing of the Palace, The Boraque Theatre was constructed between 1782 and 1785. Image above: Royal Palace of Godollo website
The largest environmental festival in the country takes place at the Royal Castle of Gödöllő in Budapest; the home city of the late Laszlo Erdos, a political refugee who arrived in Australia in 1949.
A long-standing antique dealer, naturalist and wildlife filmmaker, Laszlo Erdos produced 4 Australian wildlife films during his lifetime with his wife, Jennifer. Kingdom of the Lyrebird [the first and only other produced feature film concerning the superb lyrebird] became a definitive documentary of the time in 1985.
Kingdom of the Lyrebird (1985). Laszlo Erdos Nature Films
Despite Laszlo and Jennifer’s detailed documentation of Australian songbirds during the 1980s and 1990s, the films have never been aired on Australian television.
“By far the best reception of their films was in Europe,” reads Laszlo’s Obituary.
Kingdom of the Lyrebird went on to have many successful screenings throughout Europe and the Vatican surprisingly purchased a copy of the film.
Balangara Films celebrates the European premiere of Lyrebird in honour of Laszlo Erdos and his surviving wife, Jennifer Erdos for their pioneering work of Australian nature films.
Laszlo’s Obituary affirms he lived a remarkable life with a spiritual connection to the birds…
“Birds were Laszlo’s lifetime preoccupation… He was just six years of age exploring the countryside outside his native Budapest when he first became fascinated with birdlife… He credited birds with saving his life during World War II… Laszlo was a quiet achiever, a man whose life was charted by birds.”
Click here to read Laszlo’s full Obituary by Tony Barrett, The Sydney Morning Herald.
LYREBIRD FILM FACT
~ Nick Hayward, cinematographer of 'The Message of the Lyrebird' (2021) worked under Laszlo Erdos, cinematographer of 'Kingdom of the Lyrebird' (1985). Both men have won awards from the Australian Cinematographers Society for visual documentation of birds. ~
LYREBIRD FILM FACT ~ Nick Hayward, cinematographer of 'The Message of the Lyrebird' (2021) worked under Laszlo Erdos, cinematographer of 'Kingdom of the Lyrebird' (1985). Both men have won awards from the Australian Cinematographers Society for visual documentation of birds. ~
Hungarian filmmaker Laszlo Erdos aiding his wife/sound recordist, Jennifer in the Dandenong Ranges, Australia. Circa 1985. Courtesy of Jennifer Erdos, Laszlo Erdos Nature Films. Kingdom of the Lyrebird (1985) ~ Secrets of bird behaviour (1992) ~ Feathered Nomads (1993) ~ When birds don’t know you’re there (1996).