Series DescriptionPéter Forgács and his team conducted and recorded oral history interviews with Hungarian amateur filmmakers, or with the family members of the filmmakers. These interviews were originally recorded on 216 analog audio cassettes as part of a research project by Forgács, in order to gain background knowledge about the events and people appearing in home movie footage. He used these interviews both for his own documentary films or other art projects, and for scientific research that was conducted in the framework of the Private Photo and Film Foundation.
Forgács handed over the interviews to the Open Society Archives (OSA) for research and cataloging. The analog recordings on 216 audio cassettes were digitized at OSA in 2019. As a result, the entire collection was made accessible digitally in MP3 file format for the general public in 2021.
The over 200 hours of audio interviews were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s with Hungarian amateur filmmakers themselves and/or their family members. In these interviews the interviewees talk about family life and events recorded in home movies in the 1930s through the 1960s.
The over 200 hours of audio interviews were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s with Hungarian amateur filmmakers themselves and/or their family members. In these interviews the interviewees talk about family life and events recorded in home movies in the 1930s through the 1960s.
The stories are told by and about many different kinds of members of the society, including artists, professionals, politicians, aristocrats, with different believes, social background and ideology.
The stories cover the families’ everyday lives, vacations in the countryside in Hungary and on the beach in Croatia, housing projects, leisure time, pig killings, weddings, baptisms, sport events etc.
The storytellers also talk about major historical events such as the persecution of Jews, the demise of the Hungarian 2nd army in the Soviet Union during WWII, the visit of Victor Emmanuel III in Hungary, and the 1956 revolution. What you get is a kaleidoscopic picture of the 20th century.
Uniquely, the home movies discussed in the audio interviews – actually many were recorded while the participants were watching the films or family photo albums – are themselves available at OSA. Studying the two collections side by side offers a rare opportunity to look into the micro worlds as parts of big history from multiple angles.
The interviews were conducted by Péter Forgács, Edit Kozma and Judit Scherter. The transcripts of the interviews are within the archival series HU OSA 320-1-5.
Series DescriptionPéter Forgács and his team conducted and recorded oral history interviews with Hungarian amateur filmmakers, or with the family members of the filmmakers. These interviews were originally recorded on 216 analog audio cassettes as part of a research project by Forgács, in order to gain background knowledge about the events and people appearing in home movie footage. He used these interviews both for his own documentary films or other art projects, and for scientific research that was conducted in the framework of the Private Photo and Film Foundation.
Forgács handed over the interviews to the Open Society Archives (OSA) for research and cataloging. The analog recordings on 216 audio cassettes were digitized at OSA in 2019. As a result, the entire collection was made accessible digitally in MP3 file format for the general public in 2021.
The over 200 hours of audio interviews were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s with Hungarian amateur filmmakers themselves and/or their family members. In these interviews the interviewees talk about family life and events recorded in home movies in the 1930s through the 1960s.
The over 200 hours of audio interviews were conducted in the 1980s and 1990s with Hungarian amateur filmmakers themselves and/or their family members. In these interviews the interviewees talk about family life and events recorded in home movies in the 1930s through the 1960s.
The stories are told by and about many different kinds of members of the society, including artists, professionals, politicians, aristocrats, with different believes, social background and ideology.
The stories cover the families’ everyday lives, vacations in the countryside in Hungary and on the beach in Croatia, housing projects, leisure time, pig killings, weddings, baptisms, sport events etc.
The storytellers also talk about major historical events such as the persecution of Jews, the demise of the Hungarian 2nd army in the Soviet Union during WWII, the visit of Victor Emmanuel III in Hungary, and the 1956 revolution. What you get is a kaleidoscopic picture of the 20th century.
Uniquely, the home movies discussed in the audio interviews – actually many were recorded while the participants were watching the films or family photo albums – are themselves available at OSA. Studying the two collections side by side offers a rare opportunity to look into the micro worlds as parts of big history from multiple angles.
The interviews were conducted by Péter Forgács, Edit Kozma and Judit Scherter. The transcripts of the interviews are within the archival series HU OSA 320-1-5.