Pelikan Blue

Original Title: Kék Pelikan
Released: 2023

Hungary’s first film that inventively combines animation with documentary. In the 1990s Hungary, travelling is finally possible but unaffordable. By forging international train tickets, three young men provide the opportunity for a whole generation to experience the outside world. With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hungary’s borders suddenly open up. Everyone wants to travel to Western Europe – young people in particular – but the price of a train ticket is prohibitive. What good is freedom if you can’t afford it? Ákos, Petya and Laci discover a simple method of using household detergents to dissolve Pelikan Blue’s carbon ink, allowing them to forge train tickets to any destination. Over time, they become professional and infamous forgery artists. For a long time, everything goes along smoothly, but when the police starts an investigation, the friends discover that freedom comes at a price.

Director: László Csáki
Screenplay: László Csáki
Editor: Dániel Szabó
Music: Ambrus Tövisházi, Miklós Preiszner
Sound Design and Mix: Tamás Zányi
Director of Photgraphy: Árpád Horváth
Starring: Olivér Börcsök, Judit Csoma, Gábor Csőre, Zoltán Kálmánchelyi, Miklós Kopácsy, Ágoston Kenéz, Noman Lévai, Renátó Olasz, Vivien Rujder, Kornél Tegyi, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Nóra Trokán, Vilmos Vajdai
Producers: Miklós Kázmér, Ádám Felszeghy
Production company: Umbrella Entertainment
Co-producer: Réka Temple (Cinemon Emtertainment)
Line producer: Cui Sissy
Support of the film Hungarian National Film Institute’s Incubator Program 4.0

Official site

Awards:

  • AnimaVerso Festival – Best Director and Best Editing
  • KABOOM Animation Festival – Nancy Award
  • 44th ANIMA, The Brussels International Animation Film Festival – Special Mention
  • 44. Hungarian Film Week – Feature Lenght Animation Competition, Best Director
  • BIDF – Budpest International Documetary Festival – Hungarian Competition, Main Prize
  • Association of Hungarian Journalists, Film Critics Prize for the Best Animation Film
  • DOK Leipzig – International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film – Golden Dove Feature-Length Film
  • ANIMEST 19th International Animation Film Festival – Teen Jury Award & Best Feature Film
  • ANIMIX International Animation and Comics Festival – Grand Prize
  • ANIMATOR Festival, Poznan – Jury Honorable Mention & The Audience Award for the Best Feature Film of International Animated Feature Film Competition
  • IFF ART FILM, Košice – Special Mention in the International Competition of Films from Central and Eastern Europe
  • ANIMAFEST, Zagreb – Special Mention
  • Cartoons On The Bay – Pulcinella Award for Best Animated Feature
  • DocsBarcelona – Young Jury Award DocsBarcelona

Creator of the Installation

concept: Bettina Szremkó, Máté Horesnyi