Q&A with Jim Chressanthis
EDITORIAL BACKGROUND
QUESTION: Jim, you are primarily working as a narrative film cinematographer with a busy schedule. What motivated you to initiate the making of this documentary?
 CHRESSANTHIS: After I graduated from AFI, I interned with Vilmos (Zsigmond) while he was shooting The Witches of Eastwick. That in itself was a wonderful experience. One afternoon in the middle of a busy production schedule, he hosted a luncheon to celebrate the anniversary of the outbreak of the October 1956 uprising against the communist regime in Hungary. Laszlo (Kovacs) was there, along with various other Hungarian expatriates. I remember thinking how important it was for someone to tell their inspiring story about what they did during the revolution, their journey to freedom in the United States in pursuit of a dream, their extraordinary friendship and their influence on the evolution of the art of filmmaking. I was just out of school and didn't have any resources, and couldn't imagine tackling such a giant undertaking. I always assumed that somebody else would do it, but the years went by and it never happened. When I realized that the 50th anniversary of their arrival in the United States was approaching, I decided it would be a tragedy not to share their story with the world.
QUESTION: How did Laszlo and Vilmos respond when you first approached them?
CHRESSANTHIS: I think Laszlo was a bit skeptical at first. I believe that was because there were several previous attempts to tell their story in documentaries, which didn't happen for one reason or another. Laszlo didn't dwell upon that, but once we started doing research and filming interviews, he couldn't have been more enthusiastic. Vilmos told me at one point they were happy that I was producing and directing this film. I think they trusted me to tell their story, because I'm also a cinematographer. I think they felt it takes a cinematographer to understand what they went through, what they achieved, and how they influenced the art and craft and filmmaking. Their success also inspired young filmmakers in Hungary and other countries behind the Iron Curtain.
 QUESTION: How many people did you interview besides Laszlo and Vilmos?
CHRESSANTHIS: There were more than 50 interviews, including directors and actors who they worked with, other cinematographers whose lives they touched both directly and indirectly, film critics and, of course, Laszlo's and Vilmos' families.
QUESTION: How did people react when you approached them?
CHRESSANTHIS: Everyone who we spoke with was enthusiastic about participating in this project. They all wanted to share their stories about how they felt about Laszlo and Vilmos, the contributions they made to the cinema, and also how they influenced them on a personal level. They touched every one of their collaborators, whether they were actors, directors, crew members or students who they met at seminars.
QUESTION: What kind of support did you get for this ambitious endeavor? CHRESSANTHIS: It was amazing. I received a tremendous amount of help from all corners of the industry. Directors and actors gave freely of their time for interviews. Various people volunteered to work on the documentary, and just about every organization we contacted provided services and other support. I think people wanted to play roles in saying thank you to Laszlo and Vilmos for everything they have done as human beings, and not just as artistic filmmakers. They are wonderful role models.
QUESTION: What did you personally learn from this experience?
CHRESSANTHIS: That is a very difficult question, because I suspect that years from now I will realize how I have been affected by things I learned while making this documentary. I felt very sad that Laszlo passed before we completed the film. I wanted him to see what people thought of him. His spirit and the grace with which he handled his failing health made an indelible impression upon me. One of Vilmos' very early pictures was called Scarecrow. I remember him talking with him about the roles that Al Pacino and Gene Hackman played. They were strangers who became brothers. Vilmos spoke about the underlying message of humanity that was woven into the fabric of that story. He spoke about the importance of supporting other people who return the favor. Otherwise, it becomes a very lonely world. I think that was the biggest lesson for me. It reminded me of things I already knew, but they bear repeating.
QUESTION: Laszlo and Vilmos actually came from different backgrounds.
CHRESSANTHIS: Laszlo grew up in a farming community surrounded by people who loved him. His mother and father, aunts and uncles all nurtured and encouraged him. They all contributed to sending him to school in Budapest. He lived life intuitively and in the moment as though he didn't had a care in the world. Vilmos grew up in a factory town with his father and step mother. He didn't see his mother for 25 years. His father was a soccer coach who went to work in Morocco when Vilmos was nine years old. When he visited his father, he was put into a school where he didn't speak the language. He was taunted by the other boys, but within seven to eight months, Vilmos was at the head of his class. His father demanded that he become the best at whatever he did. . His father sent him home to live with his stepmother who ran a bar. Vilmos was a self-taught still photographer who taught the other workers in the factory where he worked how to take pictures. The communist government rewarded Vilmos by allowing him to go to film school in Budapest. The plan was that he would come back to the factory and teach the workers how to make movies, but history intervened.
QUESTION: What reactions are you getting from people who see the film?
CHRESSANTHIS: I think the most interesting reactions come from people who didn't know Laszlo and Vilmos. Maybe they knew them as artists, but they didn't know their stories and what it took for them to achieve the American Dream… it's a dream come true… their lives, their imagery and the roles they played in making so many powerful and memorable films. They were fearless in translating their experiences either directly or intuitively into their visual grammar. I don't want to give away the ending, because it would spoil the experience, but every time I see it, tears come to my eyes.
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