Thaindian News

Kolkata, Nov 14 (IANS) Hollywood doesn’t treat low budget movies as works of art because it is more interested in generating business, says Hungarian filmmaker Endre Hules adding that the small and meaningful cinemas have a longer shelf life.

“Hollywood looks at low budget movies with a completely different approach in comparison to India and Europe. In India and Europe, low budget films are films and they are films that’s we enjoy, that talk about us directly, about our daily life and struggles,” Hules told IANS.

Also a known name in Hollywood, Hules has acted with superstars such as Tom Hanks, Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt in Hollywood movies like “Angels & Demons”, “Seven”, “Apollo 13″ and “The Craft”.

“Hollywood looks at low budget films as sort of a trying ground - they feel that if it’s a good story, buy the story and change it accordingly. I feel they don’t treat meaningful low-budget movies as a piece of art. They take it as a thing which can be used in different pieces,” said the recipient of Screen Actor’s Guild Award.

“These films have been treated badly because if a meaningful low budget movie can’t make money, then it will not be made - that’s the rule in Hollywood. Hollywood is business oriented and it doesn’t care for art,” said Hules.

Hules, who was born in Hungary and is settled in the US, started directing films with 2007 release “Torn From The Flag”.

“Low budget movies have a longer shelf life. Films like ‘Batman’ and ‘Tintin’ will be huge for two months and then they will disappear. But low budget movies somehow mature with years. Art movies have long term impact and long life,” said Hules who loves to watch movies of Legendary Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray.

He is currently in Kolkata for the Indian premiere of his second film “The Maiden Danced to Death” at the 17th Kolkata Film Festival.

The plot of “The Maiden Danced to Death” revolves around two brothers, Steve and Gyula, who are born in Hungary under the Communist regime.

Both brothers are dancers. While Steve is expelled from the country, Gyula remains in Hungary and runs a cash strapped dance-company. After 20 years, Steve returns and the two brothers decide to revive their last project together, a dance based on the old ballad “The Maiden Danced to Death”.

As the film moves towards the inevitable showdown, dramatic scenes seamlessly slip into dance and music.

“The story is about temptation, how we destroy ourselves and how the circumstances and social pressures force us into our destruction with our own concept. The film also tells us how we keep doing compromises and there should be a fine line telling us where we should stop,” said Hules.

(Pradipta Tapadar can be contacted at pradipta.t@ians.in)