István Szabó can look back on an eventful life: he is an Oscar winner and has filmed with world stars, but later he was treated with hostility by his own compatriots. Now the Hungarian director is coming to Munich.
When István Szabó won an Oscar in 1982 for his Klaus Mann film adaptation “Mephisto,” he danced. To be more precise, his leading actor Klaus Maria Brandauer danced with him; The two were so overwhelmed that they jumped across the stage together. “Mephisto” is the best-known film by the director, who is considered a wanderer between worlds, who filmed with Hollywood stars such as Glenn Close, Helen Mirren and Harvey Keitel, but also worked regularly in his Hungarian homeland in between. The Film Museum is honoring him with a small retrospective, and the 86-year-old will also be coming to Munich for the occasion. During a telephone conversation at the beginning of March, Szabó lived up to his reputation: He is an attentive conversation partner who speaks German well and answers even unpleasant questions with exquisite politeness.