The first episode of 2026 is dedicated to extraordinary films of Hungarian filmmaker Zoltán Huszárik (1931 - 1981).

Huszarik’s shorts and two feature films are dazzling in their formal experimentation and their attention to detail and texture. His work has gone on to influence contemporary filmmakers such as Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy, Flux Gourmet).

Huszárik’s small but remarkable filmography has been beautifully restored and released in a box set by Second Run. The set includes the director’s most famous feature, Szindbád, a 1971 adaptation of stories by Hungarian author Gyula Krúdy which centre on the adventures of the titular character, a middle aged dandy and bon viveur played by Zoltán Latinovits.

Joining host Dr Pasquale Iannone to talk about Szindbád as well as some of the other films in the Second Run set is Michael Brooke. Michael is a film historian and a prolific author and critic who specialises in central and Eastern European cinema. In the discussion, Michael and Pasquale place Huszárik in the context of other notable Hungarian filmmakers such as Miklós Jancsó and Béla Tarr. They then discuss Szindbád in detail, exploring key scenes from the film such as the memorable restaurant sequence. Michael also provides some fascinating insight into his work on audio commentaries, including his tracks for Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda’s War Trilogy (also for Second Run).