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István Szabó(I)

  • Director
  • Writer
  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeter
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István Szabó
István Szabó was the first director to bring home to Hungary the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The movie receiving the award was his 1981 film Mephisto. In January 2006, it became public that he had been an agent of the III/III department, a former communist agency of interior intelligence. After the revolution in 1956, he was blackmailed and forced to cooperate, though later he was considered willingly cooperative. Allegedly, he wrote reports about fellow Hungarian directors, actors, and actresses such as Miklós Jancsó, Mari Töröcsik, Károly Mécs. A well-known Hungarian journalist Zsolt Bayer has said the following about it: "This is the time to re-watch Mephisto. It has just become obvious that Szabó directed his own life in the movie, masterfully." Szabó has never denied the charges and considers his agent work heroic and needful, claiming he saved the life of a friend sentenced to death for his involvement in the revolution of 1956.
BornFebruary 18, 1938
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornFebruary 18, 1938
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Won 1 BAFTA Award

Photos

Jeremy Irons and István Szabó in Being Julia (2004)
Jeremy Irons and István Szabó at an event for Being Julia (2004)
István Szabó at an event for Being Julia (2004)

Known for

Sunshine (1999)
Sunshine
7.5
  • Director
  • 1999
Mephisto (1981)
Mephisto
7.7
  • Director
  • 1981
András Bálint in Father (1966)
Father
7.5
  • Director
  • 1966
Enikö Börcsök and Johanna ter Steege in Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe (1992)
Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe
7.1
  • Director
  • 1992

Credits

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IMDbPro

Director

  • Klaus Maria Brandauer, Károly Eperjes, and András Stohl in Final Report (2020)
    Final Report
    • (directed by)
  • The Door (2012)
    The Door
  • Sándor Csányi, Károly Eperjes, Erika Marozsán, and Ildikó Tóth in Rokonok (2006)
    Rokonok
  • Jeremy Irons and Annette Bening in Being Julia (2004)
    Being Julia
  • From Europe Into Europe (2004)
    From Europe Into Europe
    • (segment 2)
  • Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
    Ten Minutes Older: The Cello
    • (segment Ten Minutes After)
  • Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgård in Taking Sides (2001)
    Taking Sides
  • Sunshine (1999)
    Sunshine
  • Minden Ami Zene
  • Offenbachs Geheimnis (1996)
    Offenbachs Geheimnis
  • Enikö Börcsök and Johanna ter Steege in Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe (1992)
    Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe
  • Meeting Venus (1991)
    Meeting Venus
  • Hanussen (1988)
    Hanussen
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer in Colonel Redl (1985)
    Colonel Redl
  • Bali

Writer

  • Klaus Maria Brandauer, Károly Eperjes, and András Stohl in Final Report (2020)
    Final Report
  • The Door (2012)
    The Door
  • Glenn Close, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Mia Wasikowska in Albert Nobbs (2011)
    Albert Nobbs
  • Sándor Csányi, Károly Eperjes, Erika Marozsán, and Ildikó Tóth in Rokonok (2006)
    Rokonok
  • Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
    Ten Minutes Older: The Cello
    • (segment Ten Minutes After)
  • Sunshine (1999)
    Sunshine
  • Enikö Börcsök and Johanna ter Steege in Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe (1992)
    Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe
  • Meeting Venus (1991)
    Meeting Venus
  • Hanussen (1988)
    Hanussen
  • Isten teremtményei
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer in Colonel Redl (1985)
    Colonel Redl
  • Bali
  • Mephisto (1981)
    Mephisto
  • Der grüne Vogel (1980)
    Der grüne Vogel
  • Péter Andorai and Ildikó Bánsági in Confidence (1980)
    Confidence

Actor

  • Ivan Barnev in Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006)
    Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále
  • Sándor Csányi, Károly Eperjes, Erika Marozsán, and Ildikó Tóth in Rokonok (2006)
    Rokonok
    • (voice)
  • Shem (2004)
    Shem
  • Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgård in Taking Sides (2001)
    Taking Sides
    • (uncredited)
  • Place Vendôme (1998)
    Place Vendôme
  • TV a város szélén (1998)
    TV a város szélén
  • Franciska vasárnapjai (1997)
    Franciska vasárnapjai
  • Utrius (1994)
    Utrius
  • Túsztörténet (1989)
    Túsztörténet
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer in Colonel Redl (1985)
    Colonel Redl
  • Bali
  • Mephisto (1981)
    Mephisto
    • (uncredited)

Personal details

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    • February 18, 1938
    • Budapest, Hungary
    • Vera Gyürey1961 - present
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Interviews
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986.
  • Quotes
    [on Mephisto (1981)] I only wanted to show the problem and hoped that the viewer will identify with that character and then feel ashamed. And if they do feel ashamed, they will encounter themselves. Then they can get to know themselves better. And maybe that feeling of shame - that cathartic sense of shame - is a vaccination against actually being like that. This is out effort with that film, and I view the film as a medicine.
    • Cinematography by Lajos Koltai

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