Documentary: Géza Anda – Pianist, conductor, teacher

Last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of Géza Anda, the Hungarian-born Swiss pianist. On the occasion of the anniversary, the Zurich-based Géza Anda Foundation and the Hungarian National Film Archive launched a joint collaboration, which we continue this year in House of Music, Hungary. Within the frame of the Budapest Classic Film Marathon, a remarkable documentary on the life and achievements of the artist made in 1966 is presented in the library of the House of Music. We are among the first to screen in Budapest the work by documentary film director Richard Leacock. Leacock, a champion of direct cinema and cinéma verité, was not interested in filming his own ideas and opinion but instead he wanted to explore the world around him. He believed that anyone who sat long enough in front of a camera would eventually start behaving totally normally. The Géza Anda film faithfully reflects this directness and naturalness.

Directed by Richard Leacock, Rolf Liebermann
Screenplay by Richard Leacock, Rolf Liebermann
Director of photography: Richard Leacock, Rolf Liebermann
Music by F. Chopin, W. A. Mozart, F. Mendelssohn, R. Schumann
Cast: Géza Anda
Genre: documentary