Gábor Áron utca

Once a carpenter, agriculturist and frontier guard, Transylvanian Gábor Áron Lemhényi (1814-1849) was an artillery officer who achieved notoriety by making money off his properties to financially support the Hungarian forces with cannon production. Gábor Áron literally sacrificed everything he had, including his own life: he was killed in action (hit by a cannonball) in 1849 while fighting against the Tsarist invading forces.

Bajza utca

József Bajza (1804-1858) was a poet, theatre manager and critic, who used all his well-deserved prestige to support Hungarian statesman Lajos Kossuth, governor-president of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time. His pen was his weapon. After the fall of the revolution Bajza’s life was in danger, he was forced to go into exile. Only after 1951 he could return to Pest, but the revolution took its toll on his health: his mind had entirely gave away.

Guyon Richard utca

British-born Hungarian soldier Richard Guyon-Debaufre (1813-1856) joined the Hungarian Hussars in 1832. Later, he was among the firsts to offer his services to the national governments and became an officer of the Royal Hungarian Army. He won great distinction in multiple battles, even managed to defeat the imperial army in the battle of Hegyes. Unfortunately, his battalions had to retreat on 9 August 1848; Guyon then escaped to Turkey where he continued his military career under the name Kourshid Pasha.

Lebstück Mária utca

Born into a wealthy Croatian merchant family, Mária Lebstück (1830-1892) was a Hussar officer during the Hungarian War of Independence. When she was only 17, she dressed herself as a man and enlisted in the universities regiment. Mária kept this disguise until 1848, when she appeared at a military event wearing a dress. Among other battles, she served with great valour in the Battle of Verpelét (northeast Hungary), saving more than 86 wounded fellow men.

How did you get the leading role in Guerilla?

After the first semester at university, I had to perform a transition from one state of mind to another on stage, in total silence. Gyuri (director György Mór Kárpáti – the ed.) saw my performance and invited me for a rehearsal. When he told me that I got the leading role, I couldn’t believe it was really happening. I had no idea what to expect as it was going to be my first experience working on a film.

How did you prepare for the shooting?

Gyuri helped me a lot. He recommended a few war films to watch and observe the actors’ ways of expressing emotional states. Although Gyuri didn’t want the film to have anything to do with the old history books we all studied from once, I did read the chapters on the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. I also looked through soldiers’ diaries and letters. Since the movie was shot on 16 mm, we had several rehearsals before the shooting as a roll of film is quite expensive. We had to complete each scene in the least amount of takes possible, three or four times to the max.

The film was shot in 27 days in the summer of 2017. What was the shooting like?

We began shooting at 5am every day which made me exhausted but somehow spirited at the same time. It is a low-budget film, so it was shot with a small crew. We were like a big family: when we were moving from one location to another, everyone helped lug the pieces of the filmmaking equipment.  During the last few days the grass had to be trodden on a filming location, so the whole crew set off to trample.

Did you have to overcome any difficulty?

A few. There is a scene in which German soldiers shoot a Hungarian captive. In the moment of firing the camera shows a close-up shot of my face. At first I was so stressed that I couldn’t capture the right emotion. An actual gun was fired, but I still couldn’t do it. I was given a few seconds to get it together. I remember leaning on my knees while the whole crew was waiting for me to look up, nod my head, and start shooting. Eventually, the scene turned out so good it was cut right before the title pops up in the trailer.

Your character, who is the main protagonist of the film, is a young Hungarian who escaped from the army’s 1848 enlistment. Do you have anything in common?

There are situations in which we make similar decisions. In the film Barnabás hits the road to find his brother and take him home. Due to his immaturity, he starts to feel frightened soon and does everything to avoid conflict. I also tend to avoid conflict, but I’m working on this. I’ve already realized that I need to express myself to avoid being frustrated for days. What’s more, the anger that makes Barnabás kill a Russian at the end of the film is a feeling I think I have in me too.

What are the things in which you are exact opposites?

Barnabás wants to meet the soldiers’ expectations, so he puts himself in a situation where he is forced to lie several times. I don’t lie.

If you had to enlist in the army, what would you do? Would you run away like Barnabás does in Guerilla?

If I had to fight for a country that is worthy of being fought for, I would do it. Otherwise no.

You’re also seen in a fencing scene with actor Ákos Páll-Gecse. How much time did you have to practice?

A stunt man taught us the choreography during the breaks between takes. We rehearsed it a few times, but we made a couple of mistakes during shooting, so Ákos started to improvise. He was coming after me when his weapon accidentally slipped and cut my hand. I was actually fighting for survival.

Is there anything you would change in your acting?

There are some things I would do differently as I couldn’t really watch the scenes on site. It would be easier, though, to spot my mistakes while watching the movie. They mainly include gazes; I looked down too often, but I think it became a characteristic of Guerilla as others did it too. In some scenes I would act at different pace. I should have thought more about the character’s state of mind when making a certain movement, so that it would fit better into the scene.

How did it feel to watch the final version of Guerilla for the first time?

I saw the final version in January for the first time. I was in the projection room with Gyuri and Blanka (actress Blanka Mészáros – the ed.); Gyuri was sitting with his arms crossed while Blanka and I were giggling like kids. It felt strange, even a bit shocking, to watch myself on film for 90 minutes straight. I couldn’t even pay attention. I got used to the visuals, but the audio kills me. My voice sounds much higher on film than I thought it would.

Guerilla in theatres from 7 March.

Photo credit: Kriszti Németh – Egy jó kép rólad

… that the Hungarian revolution of 1848 started on 15 March, at Pilvax Café, where Sándor Petőfi wrote and recited his poem, the National Song? The enthused youth walked over to the National Museum, attracting a crowd as the spirit of the revolution spread out between the on-lookers. Petőfi’s poem was read out, and people began to chan the last words of every stanza. The fire of revolution was aflame.

… that Lajos Kossuth, Governor-President of Revolutionary Hungary is the earliest Hungarian in the world who has his voice recorded and preserved on wax cylinders? This was made possible thanks to a speech he gave in Turin, Italy, the place of his exile after the failed revolution, in 1890.

… that Artúr Görgei, who was born in 1818 and died in 1916 after a long and eventful life, was not only the Major General of the Honvéd Army in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, but a successful chemist as well? Görgei discovered the separation process of fatty acid homologues during his time spent at Prague’s Charles University before the revolution.

… that the revolution had supporters from all around Europe, fighting for an independent and liberal Hungary? One of them was Britishman Richard Guyon, who won several battles as a general in the revolutionary army. His famous encouragement “what are you? A Hungarian? You’re shit, not Hungarian, you deserve shit, not freedom. Forth!” earned him an eternal place in the pantheon of badasses.

… that the flag of Hungary comes from the freedom movement leading to the 1848 revolution? The anti-Habsburg movement was partly inspired by the ideals of the French revolution, and so was the tricolor form of the flag. The colors came from the historical Coat of Arms of the country, with some saying red represents strength, white represents faithfulness, and green standing for hope.

… that the Hungarian army almost caused the whole Habsburg Empire to collapse? After a series of defeats in 1849, the new Emperor Franz Josef had to call for Russian help in the name of the Holy Alliance, a coalition created by the monarchist great powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia after the defeat of Napoleon. Czar Nicholas I sent 200,000 Russian troops against the Hungarians: General Görgei surrendered to the Russians on 13 August at Világos, so that the war would be considered a Russian, and not an Austrian victory.

… that one of the greatest heroes of the revolution wasn’t even a Hungarian? As a man who fought for Polish independence during the aftermath of the November Uprising in 1830, and then later on led the Székely troops in Transylvania to a number of awe-inspiring victories, General Józef Bem is a national hero of both the Polish and the Hungarian nations. In Hungarian he is often called affectionately as Bem Apó (Grandpa Bem), while his statue at Bem József tér was the origo of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

… that many of those who went into voluntary exile to the United States continued to lead a politically active lifestyle, while some of them even participated in the US Civil War? Notable Hungarian Forty-Eighters who fought on the Union side include Alexander Asboth, Charles Zágonyi and Julius Stahel, who received a Medal of Honor for gallantry in action at the Battle of Piedmont.

Little do Budapesters know that where present-day Szabadság square stretches, bordered by the beautiful and grand turn-of-the-century buildings, once stood the giant reminder of post-revolution Habsburg tyranny: the Neugebäude (New Building). It was inside this building’s giant courtyard where count Lajos Batthyány, Hungary’s first prime minister was executed. His place of execution is now marked by a sanctuary lamp.