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Liza, the Fox-Fairy
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Wikipedia article
'Liza, the Fox-Fairy' is a 2015 Hungarian black comedy film directed by Kroly Ujj Mszros, starring Mnika Balsai, Szabolcs Bede-Fazekas and David Sakurai. The film drew an audience of over 100,000 in Hungary, thus qualifying as a domestic success, and was awarded the Grand Prize at the Fantasporto Film Festival in Portugal, where it premiered internationally.
The film's music was elected for "the 2015 year most successful soundtrack" in Hungary and four songs were recorded on a limited 7 inch vinyl.
Plot summary
Liza is a 30-year-old, nave, lonely nurse living in "Csudapest", the capital of a fictionalized 1970s Hungary with a capitalist system. She has taken care of Marta, the widow of the former Japanese ambassador, for the last 12 years. On her 30th birthday Liza goes to a Mekk Burger restaurant to find romance, upon reading about it in a Japanese romance novel. While shes away, Marta is killed by Lizas only friend, Tomy Tani, the ghost of a Japanese pop singer from the 1950s, resulting in Liza inheriting her apartment. Relatives report Liza to the police for murdering Marta. Sergeant Zoltan is put on the case, who gets very nearly killed in the process, and falls slowly in love with Liza after moving into her apartment as a flatmate. She gains confidence, but all her dating efforts end in fatal accidents. Liza is convinced that she has become a fox-fairy, a demon from Japanese mythology. According to the legend, men who fall in love with a fox-fairy die soon afterwards.
Cast
* Mnika Balsai as 'Liza', the Fox-Fairy
* David Sakurai as 'Tomy Tani'
* Szabolcs Bede-Fazekas as 'Sergeant Zoltn'
* Piroska Molnr as 'Mrta', the widow of a Japanese Ambassador to Hungary
* Zoltn Schmied as 'Henrik'
* Antal Cserna as 'Kroly'
* Gbor Reviczky as police Colonel
* Mariann Kocsis as 'Hildcska'
* gi Gubk as 'Inge'
* Lehel Kovcs as 'Mr. Ludvig'
* Gyz Szab: 'Mr B.', or Jonny
* Jnos Bn as 'Heartbreak'
* Istvn Hajdu as 'Ferenc', a manager
* Lszl Ndasi as 'staff sergeant'
* Sndor Szcs as 'police doctor'
* Nra Dina Takcs as 'Police Secretary'
* Dezs Rancs as 'chimney sweeper'
* Vali Dniel as 'Teri'
* Zsuzsa Treky as 'Edit'
* Mria Bkay as 'Vilma'
* Istvn Gz as 'Dr. Keser'
* Kata Bartsch as 'Kriszta'
* Klra Jarbik as 'Orsi'
* Rodrigo Crespo as 'Orsi's husband'
* Batjav Batod as 'Eskimo'
* Zoltn Karcsonyi as 'Teleshop Giovanni'
* Katalin Kiss Horvth as 'Johnny's daughter'
* Orsolya Mihly as 'Mekk Burger's salesgirl'
* Andrea Balzs as 'sick-nurse'
* Katalin Ben as 'Malvinka'
* Kata Losonczi as 'Timi'
* Gyngy Brces as 'Cosmo cover girl'
* Gbor Harsnyi as Narrator (voice)
Production
The film is based on the play 'Liselotte s a mjus' by Zsolt Pozsgai. The Japanese theme was added by Kroly Ujj Mszros, who was fascinated by Japanese culture, especially pop music from the 1960s and 1970s. He was also attracted by similarities between Japanese and Hungarian traditions. He had directed several commercials in Japan, which gave him further familiarity with Japanese culture. The film was produced by FilmTeam with co-production support from Origo Film Group. The budget was 420 million forint (1,6 million USD), of which 220 million came from the Hungarian National Film Fund. The cast rehearsed for a month before filming started.
Premiere and festival screenings
*Budapest premiere: February 19, 2015
*International premiere: Fantasporto Film Festival (Portugal), March 2, 2015
*Asian premiere: Osaka Asian Film Festival (Japan), March 10, 2015
*South-American premiere: Pantalla Pinamar (Argentina), March 11, 2015
*Dutch premiere: Imagine: Film Festival (Netherlands), April 12, 2015
*North American premiere: Seattle International Film Festival (USA), May 25, 2015
*Troms International Film Festival: Film Festival (Norway), 2016
Awards
'2015'
* 35th edition of the Oporto international Film Festival Fantasporto
:- Grand Prix of the fantasy competition and
:- Special Effects Award
* 31st Imagine Film Festival
:- 'Silver Scream Award', Mlis dArgent for the best European fantastic film
:: nominated for Golden Mlis
:- The audiences top-3 of the festival
* 33rd Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF)
:- '7th Orbit Award' for Best Film (havent already been presented at Brussels and have been produced in the last two years, attributed by a national jury of professionals)
:- The 'Pegasus Award, Prize of the Audience'
* Nocturna 2015 - Madrid International Fantastic Film Festival
:- "Paul Naschy" Award(Best Film)
:- Best Director
:- Best Play: Actor (Szabolcs Bede-Fazekas) and Actress (Mnika Balsai)
:- Best Screenplay
:- Best Special Effects
* Fantaspoa - XI. International Fantastic Film Festival of Porto Alegre
:- Best Actress (Mnika Balsai)
*41st Seattle International Film Festival
:- Grand Jury Prize, New Directors Competition (Kroly Ujj Mszros)
*8th CinEmaCity International Film Festival - Serbia and the region
:- Cineuropa Prize, which singles out the best international film hailing from the Danube countries
* 10th Fantastic Fest - Austin
:- Audience award 2nd Place
* 21st Lund International Fantastic Film Festival Lund
:- 'Siren Award' for best international film,
:- 'Audience Award' for Best Feature
* 4th Monsters of Film - Stockholm
: - 'Audience Award' for Best Feature
* 3rd Cellar Door Film Festival - Ottawa
:- 'Audience Award' for Best Feature
* 15th Hungarian Film Festival of Los Angeles
:- 'Best Film "Hungarians in Hollywood" Award': Kroly Ujj Mszros
:- 'Best Actress Award' jury prize: Mnika Balsai
* 29th Leeds International Film Festival - Leeds
:- 'Audience Award for New Narrative Feature'
* 17th European Film Festival in Essonne - Ris-Orangis
:- 'Grand Prix' (2015)
2016
* 54th Hungarian Film Critics Award - Budapest
:- 'Best First Film' of 2015 (Kroly Ujj Mszros)
* 2nd Hungarian Film Week: 'Hungarian Film Award' - Budapest
:- Best Feature (Kroly Ujj Mszros)
:- Best Director (Kroly Ujj Mszros)
:- Best Actress (Mnika Balsai)
:- Best Film-editor (Judit Czak)
:- Best Scenery and Costumes (Balzs Hujber, Ibolya Brdosi)
:- Best Film composers (Ambrus Tvishzi, Dniel Csengery)
:- Best makeup, hairdressing and make-up artist (Csilla Horvth, Erzsbet Rcz, Nra Kaps)
* 13th Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival - Monaco
:- 'Best Actress' (Mnika Balsai)
Adaptation
Indian adaptation version Aafat-E-Ishq released on 29 October 2021.
Notes
References
;Notes
;Sources
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144242/http://mnf.hu/doc/MNFCannes2013.pdf Cannes 2013 International Village Hungarian pavilion 106] 2012 Liza, the Fox-Fairy synopsis p. 1, Hungarian National Film Fund
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095715/http://mnf.hu/doc/EFM2015net.pdf Catalogue 2015], Liza, the Fox-Fairy synopsis p. 5, Hungarian National Film Fund
*
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