Canadian Premiere
Since 2010, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party has been in power in Hungary, dismantling democracy and implanting far-right ideologies into the country’s political and social structures. From blatant cronyism and media censorship to restricting the rights of women, immigrants, and LGBTQ communities, Orbán’s government is chipping away at Hungary’s social fabric, ushering in an atmosphere of hate and religious nationalism. Democracy Noir highlights three women working tirelessly to fight for their country’s soul in the face of personal, public, and institutional pressures: Timea, a politician; Babette, a journalist; and Nico, a nurse.
Director Connie Field (The Whistleblower of My Lai) chronicles each woman’s life and work and tracks years of activism and protests as they bravely push back against Orbaìn’s corruption, media manipulation, and hate-mongering rhetoric. More than just a chilling exposé of far-right nationalism in the heart of Europe, Democracy Noir lights a beacon of hope, inspiring solidarity in its portraits of joyful, relentless resistance.
Sept 30 & Oct 1: Q&A with director Connie Field
Media Partner
Nikoletta Antal, Babett Oroszi, Timea Szabo, Maria Antalne Deak
USA/Denmark
2024
In Hungarian and English with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Geralyn Dreyfous, Adam Lewis, Melony Lewis, Romain Bessi, Philippe Levasseur
Producer
Sigrid Dyekjær, Connie Field
Cinematography
Connie Field, Gergo Somogyvari
Editor
Gregory Scharpen, Jakob Juul Toldam
Original Music
Jonas Struck
Connie Field
Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning director Connie Field has made several high-profile documentaries that have been shown all over the world and broadcast in over 30 countries. She is the recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim grant, as well as numerous awards from the Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities (and Arts), and the MacArthur Foundation. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
Filmography: The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter (1980); Have You Heard From Johannesburg? (2006); Al Helm: Martin Luther King in Palestine (2014); The Whistleblower of My Lai (2018)
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