Director's note
Notonly do I respect László Hudec’s 30 years of architectural workmanship and findhis personal story compelling and even inspiring, I also have a personalconnection to his story and the archival material he left behind – he was myhusband’s grand-uncle. The woman who recently discovered half a century worthof documents and pictures on her back porch – all written or created by Hudec himself– is my mother-in-law.
And she has entrustedme, as well as some of the other relatives in the family, with creating the“Hudec Heritage Project,” an effort to research and archive these new documents– which even Hudec’s own children, living in the U.S.and Canada,do not know about – and to create from them a documentary film, a book and awebsite.
Ever since Imade my first documentary film, JourneyHome, which is about my sister and my search for our father’s true storyabout his role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 -- my husband’s family saidthey also have a ‘famous’ relative who might deserve a more in-depthinvestigation and film, and, in a word: recognition.While L.E. Hudec was and is still famous in Shanghai,he is not as well known in Europe, andalmost entirely unknown in his native land – Hungary.
Now that theYear of Hudec in Chinais celebrating the 50th anniversary of his death, in a city that isonce again feeling an economic, cultural and architectural rebirth – thespotlight has again turned to his work. “Uncle László” has always been part ofthe family legend, and now that the Chinese have ‘rediscovered’ him as thefamous Hungarian architect, the family has also dusted off the boxes and boxesof letters and photos and albums preserved in wooden trunks and entrusted themto me.
This material isbeginning to reveal – although much research is still to be done on them-- so more about Hudec than just hisfamous architecture. I doubt that Iwould be devoted to making a biographical film about just an architect. On the contrary, the person behind thisarchitect – L.E. Hudec – and the material that has recently come to light isalmost a screenplay for a feature (fiction) film. His life mixes personal fateand that of big History, difficult choices and right decisions - and it evenallows us to give a historical perspective towards today's China. But not in a cold,distanced, didactical way. In a way that today’s audience can follow the ups and downs. In a way thatone can feel what it meant to be an exile, a POW, a self-made man, a famousarchitect, a believer and a father - allin one man.
As documentaryfilmmakers know, at times real life is more interesting than fiction.
This is one of those times.
Réka Pigniczky
