Actor Tamás Kovács at the screening of the movie Hungarian Wedding
The feature film Hungarian Wedding (Magyar Mennyegző), opening in cinemas on January 22, has already generated significant excitement among critics and audiences alike. Hungary Today attended an advanced screening of the film, which vividly brings to life the rich folk dance, music, and cultural traditions of Kalotaszeg (Transylvania), showcasing both professional dancers and authentic village communities.
Speaking to Hungary Today, actor Tamás Kovács revealed that his biggest hope with starring in a movie like this is to bring folk dance and music closer to audiences, from Hungary, Transylvania or even on an international scale, and ultimately to encourage people to participate in folk dance events.
I think that if someone is inspired to attend a folk dance event and tap their feet a couple of times, it is already worthwhile.”
“This film excellently showcases the richness of Hungarian folk dance and folk music, and that it is not a museum piece, but something very alive, dynamic, and unique. It is unlike anything else. The energy and atmosphere experienced at a dance hall are also unparalleled, he explained. “
Fact
Hungarian Wedding tells the story of two young men from Budapest—András and Péter—who travel to Transylvania in the late 1970s to attend a family wedding. Set in Kalotaszeg (near Cluj-Napoca), the film evokes the vibrant music and dance of living folk traditions. The main characters are played by Franciska Töröcsik (who portrays Kati) and Tamás Kovács (who plays Péter), both familiar to Hungarian audiences from recent film and television roles. Kalotaszeg is a historical and cultural region in Transylvania, in western Romania, located mainly on the border between Hargita and Kolozs counties.
Its name is well known in Hungarian culture and folk traditions, and it is famous for its folk costumes, folk music, and handicrafts. Thanks to its unique richness of colors and ornateness, the folk costume of Kalotaszeg is one of the most well-known traditional folk costumes of Hungary. Nowadays, it is possible to see older pieces of the original costume at church holidays and family events (weddings, christenings, confirmations, funerals).
Although Tamás Kovács did not have any prior experience with folk dancing, he was eager to learn the Kalotaszeg dance style required for the film.
I had no connection to folk dancing whatsoever, but it is a very rewarding task as an actor to learn new skills. I love it when I have to pick up a new skill or deepen an existing knowledge.
When asked about a favorite moment from the shooting of the film, he recalled that the final kiss between him and Franciska Töröcsik was improvised. The couple performed the lively Mezőségi dance in the last scene in a group setting.
“The last scene was particularly memorable. It was actually a spontaneous scene: we all started dancing, and the instruction was that Tamás (Producer Tamás Lajos- editor’s note) would only take cutaway shots. In the end, only Franciska and I were left, everyone stood around us, and Tamás came very close to us. The music was playing, it did not stop, and we did not get any other instructions except to dance. There we did that, and I waited for someone to say that the scene is over. However, the camera kept rolling. I did not know what to do, thus I kissed Franciska Töröcsik. It was completely spontaneous, and then Csaba (Director Csaba Káel- editor’s note) said that he was cheering from behind the monitor for me to kiss her. They did not give us any instructions, it just happened.”
Zoltán Zsuráfszky, head choreographer, at the press day for the film Hungarian Wedding (Magyar Mennyegző) in Budapest at the Lónyay-Hatvany Villa on January 20, 2026. Photo: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt
Renowned Hungarian dancer and choreographer Zoltán Zsuráfszky, who served as the head choreographer for the production, emphasized that the movie is a groundbreaking work that presents a rich cultural material, collected over decades, in an original way, covering living dance culture, costumes, songs, and music.
“It is very rare to find a dance film that captures Hungarian dance from the past decade. We have documented dances in a scholarly manner, though not professionally for the film, but this production allows our work to reach a wider audience, which is very important.”
This opens doors: hundreds of thousands of people will see the film, and I think they will enjoy watching this wonderful culture.”
They will get a picture of the dance culture, music culture, costumes, and locations of Kalotaszeg, including Nádasmente, Cifrakalotaszeg, the beautiful gates, the traditional house roofs, costumes, songs, parades, the interior of the church in Vista, and the streets of Magyarvista and Méra. All of this appears in a documentary style and provides a wonderful backdrop for the feature film, where we can see the dance culture brought to life.
The choreographer praised the performances of the two main actors, revealing that they took on the challenge of learning the dance styles with grace and determination.
“Both Tamás Kovács and Franciska Törőcsik learned to dance very well, in the end it was as if they were born in the village and they moved on the same level as the dancers of the professional dance troupe in the film, thus their performance as the main characters was beautifully complemented by their dancing skills.”
Learning to dance on the level seen in the movie is a very serious investment of energy, he stressed.”
In the film, the Hungarian National Dance Ensemble and the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble joined forces with choreographer Zoltán Zsuráfszky to bring the most beautiful folk dance sequences to the screen. According to the head choreographer the dancers practiced up to five hours daily to give their best performances in the movie.
“What is great in the movie is that the authentic village community also appears on screen, next to the professional dancers: the elderly people who cook the meals, as well as the family members. Therefore, not only the young dancers, but both older and younger villagers together, as a large community, make up the cast.”
Hungarian Wedding (Magyar Menyegző) can be seen in cinemas starting January 22, offering audiences a captivating glimpse into Hungarian folk culture and traditions.
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