Stranger-friends in Monte Carlo… ready play the game?

 “When is your book coming out in English?” is probably the question I heard the most amount of times in the past three years since I left Hungary. And as much as I’d love to put effort in translating my short stories I have to admit: my mind is like it’s pulled by a bunch of wild horses. In my head I’m always involved with a next project, and I just can’t revisit a book I’m already “done with” in my head. But maybe now… This summer I’m bringing out a new book and in my opinion this is the One I should get done in English as well.

Can you imagine a guy going on a crazy adventure with a complete stranger? Well, now you can: that guy is me. I met my travel buddy, Mary trough Craigslist, where she advertised a rather peculiar opportunity. She needed company for a luxury cruise all over Europe. As we went trough a serious rough patch with my boyfriend back then I decided: it’s time for me to think outside the box… and inside a cabin of the Norwegian Jade. Mary and I spent together eight unforgettable days, and as I got to know more and more about her I found out: my heart wasn’t even broken, next to hers. Our adventures brought us to a fancy wedding on the street in Palma de Mallorca, Naples’s most famous pizza place, known from the bestseller Eat Pray Love, and to the shrine of the Casinos, Monte Carlo, where Mary won a small (well, a really small) fortune on the poker machine.

As I was dancing my nights away on the fancy dress parties with the retired couples and posh American tourists I quickly realized… I’m not so miserable after all, and by the time our ship returned to Barcelona my diary was filled with the most amazing memories a writer can dream of. And now I know how grateful I am for that “almost-break-up” what brought me to experience the ultimate journey of a heart in love. A 4 page story of our trip has been published in the Hungarian Marie Claire magazine, and this summer the best of the rest is hitting the bookstores. This will be my message in a bottle. I believe it can be a secret map to find the island of happiness for all of us.

Being Paris Hilton

I am not saying all this because I translated Paris Hilton’s book to Hungarian or because I had the chance to meet her in person a couple of times. I’m saying it, because I want everyone to see this perfect example of how cruel bitch media can be. Channel 7 is being a moron. They do use the name and the fame of Paris Hilton what she built up for herself, and they are aware of it that they are benefiting from being an ass, knowing how many people would be thrilled if they could trash the heiress. So acting like as if it was okay to start an interview with visible intolerance they decided to embarrass Paris in front of the whole wide word. Not cool at all. I’m sure anyone with a bit less ego could easily embarrass this so called reporter, who is just visibly flying above herself, thinking “I did it. I’m a hero.” I can’t be bothered with looking up her name, but this goes out for her. Honey. Paris Hilton’s job is to stay gorgeous at any time. She did a perfect job. You did not menage to interrupt her, not even for a second.

What the hell is the world’s problem with Paris Hilton being Paris Hilton? If you don’t approve her relevance, do not be occupied by her. And if you are occupied with her so deeply and obsessively, that you are spending hours with writing all these witty declarations , and editing this shamefully unoriginal report on your so called victory, I have news for you. Sorry, bitch, you are a closeted Paris Hilton fan. Oh, and as a side note… green makes you look pale. Or you were just a wee bit nervous?

MDNA promo shot by Mert & Marcus

Because for me this is what MDNA is. Madonna falling down – and here comes the twist – into Wonderland. I’m not afraid to say it: Madonna’s new record is not the new Ray of Light or Confessions, it’s not even the new Erotica. It’s BETTER then ANY of these. We have here the dance queen, the weirdo, the trash princess, the spiritual godess, the bitch, the sexual icon, fighter, the broken flower, the new yorker and the londoner, the mother and the daughter on ONE album. Finally on one album we see all the Madonnas we love or hate, but most importantly we all KNOW. And not surprisingly at all, we also have TOTALLY new sounds, what in some years the fans will refer to as “The MDNA Sound.” Unquestionably incredible.

I’m lucky enough to publish some reviews in the next few days, in English I’ll write for The Wild magazine, in Hungarian (if you’re interested but you don’t speek Hungarian you can always use Google translate ) for the Marie Claire blog and in print for the EXIT, one of Hungary’s best known weekly program magazines. As I live in Tel Aviv I already have my ticket for the opening night… so stay tuned for more. And for now, the lyrics of my favorite one… a song of Madonna, The Believer. A heartbreaking poem fit into tingling, crying, whispering classical music. Written by Madonna, Willian Orbit, and a Laurie Mayer, someone who I never heard of, but I think I should. Listen to the song here on SoundCloud.

When I move a certain way
I feel an ache I’d kept at bay
A hairline break that’s taking hold
A metal that I thought was gold

And pure so sure I’d struck a vein
I wanted you to feel the same
So when you did ignite a spark
Rescue me from all this dark
See our hearts are intertwined
Then I’m free, free of mine

I’m falling free

And see our hearts are intertwined
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine

When I raise a certain wing
And crawl beneath that growing thing
It throws a shadow over time
And keeps yours falling next to mine

Your days were meant to fly and do
I fall and fold mine into you
And what you take is just enough
And what you give is what I love
And when you lift you raise the sail
And then I’m free, free to fail

I’m falling free

Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, we’re free to go

When I lose a certain claim
That tries to know and needs to blame
Whatever river runs aground
It turns my head and washes down

The face of God that stands above
Pouring over Hope and Love
That all of might, and life, and limb
Could turn around and love again
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, free to go

I’m falling free

Deep and pure our hearts align
And then I’m free, I’m free of mine
When I let loose the need to know
Then we’re both free, we’re free to go

UPDATE: Personal milestone. After I published my review on The Wild blog, Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary shared my link on his Twitter. One of  THOSE moments… thank You. 

Madonna art work by Kobi

A few days ago Madonna’s Israeli team announced it on a major press conference: the material mum is starting her world tour in Tel Aviv. While most tickets have been sold in pre-sales, not getting a ticket is not the only fear Israeli Madonna fans are now facing. Since so many artists (like the Klaxons, Pixies and Gorillaz) have cancelled their Israeli shows in the past because of government tensions, the fans are now concerned: will Madonna follow their lead? Will the show be called off in case of a possible war with Iran? Kobi Zvili asked himself this question before he created a Facebook group, where he asked Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to please not attack Iran, or if he must, at least not before the long waited Madonna concert. I met up with the super creative pop-peace activist on a sunny day in Tel Aviv to give you this exclusive interview.

First of all you are a genius. My only problem is that it’s not easy to find your site?

I know, when I created the group I really did it as a joke. I had no idea it will blow up the Internet. This is why I made the title in Hebrew, and it turns out after two hundred “likes” you can’t change the name of the group.

How did your idea became a global phenomenon?

I was just watching it happening, on the first two days it was only some friends and me, and when a friend of a friend mentioned it in a local newspaper, all the big papers and magazines started to run the story.

Did you get any reaction from anyone special? Maybe from Madonna or Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu? 

Nothing from the prime minister or the government. A few reporters approached me after it was published in New York Post and Los Angeles Times. It was even mentioned in the morning news. Madonna or her team didn’t get back to me, but I’m sure she had to hear about it. Some of my friends are pretty sure sooner or later she will give us a sign.

The international feedback was great, but naturally there always have to be some haters. What do you think about the people who think that it’s insensitive that you are not declaring that you are against the war generally, but only if it’s before the Madonna gig?

Some people took it in the wrong way, of course I am against any kind of war at any time. This is just a funny way of dealing with the sometimes not-so-funny life in the Middle East.

So did you buy your ticket already?

Of course, no question about it. I have my Golden Circle ticket. I’ve been a huge Madonna fan since Ray of Light. And as Madonna will stay in Tel Aviv for two weeks, rehearsing her show I hope she might surprise us with some unexpected appearances in some clubs as Kylie does when she is the New York City. For me Madonna is the queen, Kylie is the princess.

How about GaGa?

Honestly I think she should go on a long holiday to give us the chance to see if we’d miss her if she’d be gone. I loved the Fame Monster album and I still think Bad Romance is one of the greatest songs of pop history, but now she is just way too much.

You can join Kobi’s anti war, pro-Madonna group here. This entry was published in The Wild magazine blog.

Kabbalah isn’t what most people think it is. It isn’t a Jewish thing. It isn’t a Madonna thing. It isn’t a self-help thing. It’s not a religion, and in truth, it’s not even spirituality. Kabbalah is a 2000-year-old wisdom for change that over a million people around the world are learning. It is the same wisdom that was once taught and understood only by thought leaders throughout history, including Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein, all of whom used it to uncover the fundamental nature of this world—ahead of their time. Today, because of modern technology the wisdom of Kabbalah is available to anyone who wants to learn.

A bestselling author and luminary authority on Kabbalah, Yehuda Berg is part of a long line of Kabbalistic masters, and the son of Rav and Karen Berg. Recognized as “the world’s leading authority on the Kabbalah movement” by Newsweek, the magazine named him as one of the top five rabbis in the U.S. in 2007. In 2009, GQ magazine’s The Gentlemen’s Fund honored him for being an Agent of Change in the field of Education. Yehuda has authored more than 30 books on topics ranging from self-empowerment and depression to sex and the Bible. His bestsellers are “The Power of Kabbalah” and “The 72 Names of God”, which have been translated into 20 and 14 languages respectively. His daily Tune-ups are sent to more than 200,000 fans, and he contributes regularly to Huffington Post. Yehuda speaks internationally and teaches thousands of people from all walks of life. He believes in the power of human consciousness and personal transformation, and utilizes Kabbalah as a tool for change.

Each and every one of us has a Divine spark of potential inside, a purpose to fulfill in this lifetime. If we are alive, we are here on earth for a reason and we are capable of more. The reason our lives are filled with confusion, uncertainty and fear is because we are not on the path towards achieving our potential. But learning the wisdom of Kabbalah rouses us from our sleep, awakening us to our greater potential, activating our inner compass, and pointing us in the direction of what we came here to do—to shift our mindset and awaken consciousness on a personal level so that we can achieve lasting global change. This is the purpose of studying Kabbalah… and that is why you can’t miss this opportunity to meet Yehuda in Hungary, on the 19th of May, 6 pm sharp, at the Alexandra Bookstore, Andrassy avenue, Budapest. To register for the event, please click here.

A Glorious Night…

Mr Michell, I’m sure you’re aware that in this country the title of the film, I’m told, can mean something… Different?

RM: I had heard that it can have a second meaning. I think Paramount caught up with this possible confusion quite late in the day. I’m not sure if it’s something current in America, Patrick are you familiar with the expression?

PW: I think it’s left a bit open by ‘late in the day’, the way I understand it.

Was there any question of changing the title for Britain’s sensibilities?

RM: On the contrary, I think it’s especially appropriate to Britain.

As well as being a comedy, the film makes some pertinent points about the blurring of journalism and entertainment nowadays. Is this something you were keen to get across without being preachy or shoving it down our throats?

RM: Exactly. The film doesn’t attempt to proselytize about what the balance between hard news and entertainment should be. Clearly that is the debate television in general and morning television in particular. How far do you stress the hard news bit and how far do you stress the funky cooking bit and that’s integral to our characters and to our plot. The film raises that debate and then kicks it around with some passion but it doesn’t pretend to come up with a formula or a particular answer.

Ms McAdams, I was struck by how much your performance reminded me of a young Katherine Hepburn, I wondered if that was the way you approached it, to capture that tone and zestful feeling?

RMcA: Thank you, that’s very flattering. I don’t know what I was thinking. I really loved the way [scriptwriter] Aline [Brosh McKenna] wrote this character. I thought she was really hopeful and energetic. There was lots of room for physicality which is something I love to do and Roger encouraged that a lot. I don’t know that I had anyone in particular in mind. I certainly met a lot of producers – not many women in this role, because it is a really taxing job and difficult to have balance in your personal life. I liked her energy and her gusto.

Mr Wilson, there would be no need for you to…

PW: [interrupting] to speak at all!

That’s true!

PW: [Motions as if to leave] Thank you, thank you!

I’m far too polite to let such a thing happen. There was no need for you to go to anchorman school for this film, you just needed to phone your dad.

PW: That’s right, my dad and my brother are both TV anchors, on the same station.

No rivalry there then?

PW: I think my brother’s waiting for my dad to retire to take over the spot.

What was their critical assessment of the film?

PW: They loved it. I remember there was a time when my dad, who’s been a night time anchor for over forty years, was switching channels and had to do the noon news and that wasn’t even a morning show – it was hilarious to see my dad up, much less speaking at eleven or noon. That’s one of the things I said to Roger when I first met him, for what it’s worth, the script is a pretty accurate description of the attitude of the evening presenter. My dad’s not nearly as crotchety as Mr Ford’s character, but the attitude of the evening news men towards morning fluff was pretty accurate.

In another lifetime, I worked on a morning programme and apart from the comedy, the film’s depiction is sadly spot-on. Mr Ford, you give a brilliantly dry comic performance, but we so rarely see you in comic roles. Is this through choice or do you not get enough comedy scripts?

HF: I don’t think there’s a lot of wit in comedy anymore. In America it’s taken on a certain adolescent humour. I’m a little too old for that. I was grateful to have this script. It was very well-written and the character was an interesting one for me to play.

Were any of you watchers of breakfast television before making the film and do you have any newfound respect for the practitioners who make it now?

RM: I didn’t watch much of it and I had the usual kind of prejudices and almost contempt for them, until we started to see how they were made in New York, where there’s such a vibrantly competitive market for these shows. I became more and more in awe of the people who stay up all night doing these shows and by ten o clock it’s all over and they have to do them again. Rachel and I spent a lot of time hanging out with these people, going to their meetings, seeing what their lives were like, what remained of them and seeing what a difficult balancing act it was for these networks with morning shows to assemble a news-y, entertaining programme, so I came out of it with much more respect for them.

Ms McAdams, what was it like making a film about one of the programmes you’ve undoubtedly appeared to promote your films in the past?

RMcA: It’s very interesting to be on the other side of the fence. I watched a lot of morning television growing up as a kid because I skipped school all the time. I didn’t play hooky or go out and smoke pot or do normal things, I watched daytime television. So I had a fair amount of experience with what you see in front of you but not so much behind the scenes, so it was really fun to go on these shows and see the anchors with their fluffy slippers on behind the desk or their accoutrements beside them off camera. And from the point of view of the control room, it’s a gong show back there, it’s completely crazy, fast-paced, melodramatic… I had a hard time following it when we first got there, it’s so vast. Stories are over before you’ve even acknowledged it. I have a lot of respect for what happens back there and how much energy and vitality you have to have to make it through a 3am to 10am shift and then do it all over again the next day.

Mr Wilson, did growing up in a TV family give you a different perspective on breakfast television, if indeed you watched it at all?

PW: I did watch it. I watched a lot of news. I think what was interesting was watching the shift from news to entertainment back pre-cable when everybody watched the news and the ratings were astonishing because the numbers of people that watched news were just huge. It was a daily ritual. With cable it became much different with people jockeying for a position, ratings became more important so news became much more like entertainment. That was really interesting to see from a perspective of growing up around news and watching how that’s shifted. I had the same reaction growing up in a newsroom, watching the madness. The good presenters and anchors are the people listening to someone yelling in their ear going, ‘camera one! Stall them! Keep going!’ [adopts, calm, measured newsreader tone] and all the while you’re sitting there, talking, telling the news. The good ones are the ones that don’t get rattled or if the teleprompter screws up being able to speak and not just be automatic.

What is your experience of watching or not watching morning television Mr Ford?

HF: My experience comes from appearing on morning television over the years to promote films. I have been part of all kinds of morning shows. I certainly admire those people that do it well and there are a lot of people I think that do. My character [Mike Pomeroy] is a pretentious, stuffy, self-satisfied person who really only has respect for what he’s done, his particular form of journalism. I could understand what Mike’s point of view was, but as I say, I respect people who do a good job, no matter what their job is.

He’s an old-school journalist; he’s always done his job properly and got the story, which is a dying art…

HF: He thinks it’s a sacred profession. And in a sense it used to be. In the United States, the most trusted man in America was Walter Cronkite, who kept his opinions out of it until nearly the end of his career when he came out against the Vietnam War. I still think that the network news anchors do a very good job, they have the resources and the budget in order to do it, but there’s another brand of news now that confirms whatever political prejudice you have and is full of bombast and vitriol and I think that contributes to the divisiveness and the lack of civility in American culture.

Ms McAdams, can you tell us your favorite news programme favorite broadcaster?

RMcA: Actually nowadays, I really like to listen to the radio; I find it a nice way to start the morning. I’m not as up on television anymore, I think I wore it out when I was younger. I OD’d on it. I really like CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]. I still live in Canada so I listen to CBC Radio every morning, John Givenchy, Matt Galloway. Shout out to the Canadian radio guys!

Mr Ford, can you tell us about your environmental work?

HF: I’m delighted to be involved in communicating about the environment. For twenty-five years or so I’ve been involved with an organization called Conservation International and it was at their behest that I went to Nagoya [where a UN Biological Diversity Convention was held last year] to urge adoption of their agenda by the 192 nations that were assembled there, of which, only three nations are not signatories to the UN Convention on Biodiversity, one is The Holy See, The Vatican, the other is Andorra and guess what the third one is? The United States of America. So I went not only to urge for the protection of more of the terrestrial surface of the earth and the ocean, but to interesting the American government in stepping up to the plate and use that opportunity to become a signatory to the Convention. I feel that there was some significant agreement at Nagoya that was followed up by some positive approaches the following Convention. It’s an ongoing battle but I’m happy to be able to be part of it. It’s critical that we make significant attempts to address the issue so our children can have something left of the world to live in. It’s that simple.

Mr Michell, what are your thoughts about ITV’s Day Break, which shares its name with the fictional programme in your film and how do you think it might improve its ratings?

RM: Well just a little background to that: we got there first! We were called Day Break before they were called Day Break. We had to go through all the names of the real TV shows and we were amazed to find that of all the 250,000 stations, no one had thought of the name Day Break. Adrian Chiles’s mob then put us wrong by choosing that name. [Addressing McAdams and Wilson] Weren’t you on that show today? I think that’s going out tomorrow. I have it on good authority that Rachel McAdams makes an anchovy and chocolate omelet.

PW: Mars Bar and anchovy, a McAdams specialty.

RMcA: [Embarrassed] they said not to take it seriously!

What was it like, Ms McAdams, taking part in the programme?

RMcA: It wasn’t the tastiest interview I’ve ever had. Patrick won the omelet competition that I wasn’t aware we were having and proceeded to eat his omelet and not share any.

PW: Not so much. Harrison looks after the environment, I make an omelet.

RMcA: Yes he did, he made a nice, fluffy omelet and I made a Mars Bar omelet, which I think will catch on one of these days, so you better get used to it.

Mr Ford, how do you think Piers Morgan will do in succeeding celebrated television host, Larry King?

HF: He’s promoting his show by professing to be looking for the truth in his subjects. So I shall have nothing to do with him! I’m not interested in the truth; I’m interested in selling product. You want the truth? Go someplace else. Not my business.

Mr Ford, how did you find playing the ‘third worst person in the world’, as your character is repeatedly described and can you tell us anything about the forthcoming Cowboys and Aliens?

HF: I had no difficulty at all slipping into the skin of the third worst person in the world. It was a very well written script, the characters were very clear, the path of the character, from being the third worst person in the world to perhaps the fourth, that he had through his relationship with Rachel’s character, was a clear dramatic obligation and it was great fun to play that character. Cowboys and Aliens, which comes out in July, seems to be the kind of movie people go to these days, more than once. I liked being involved in one of those. I think everyone involved did a bang-up job. It was wonderful working with Daniel Craig, who is a funny, smart, guy and the director, Jon Favreau. It was a very different kind of movie, I was very happy to do it. I love Westerns, it’s great to be outside all day on a horse. I play a grumpy old man in that as well.

I understand Kim Jong-il as being the worst person in the world, but what did actress Angela Lansbury do to be the second, Mr Wilson?

PW: Oh, that’s the trick right there. It was a toss-up between her and Betty White. But she’s not pleasant, let me tell you that.

How was it acting like you didn’t like Diane Keaton in the film, when clearly she’s so likable, Mr Ford?

HF: I’m in it for the money, that’s what I do. It was clear that that was the relationship. She’s fun to work with, she’s very smart. I’ve always admired her work; she was a pleasure to work with. Roger is a really helpful director, he sets up situations very well and it was easy and fun to do.

And how did you find working with Diane Keaton, Ms McAdams?

RMcA: I’ve been fortunate, this is the second time I’ve worked with Diane. It was sort of a strange shift because I played her daughter in The Family Stone a few years ago and then to go to playing her boss, whom she didn’t like – I was so used to being her baby and she was so lovely and we were on the same team against Sarah Jessica Parker’s character and now she’s slamming doors in my face and making fun of me and calling me Gidget and I was like, ‘well this isn’t fair!’ But it was great to have those two very different experiences with her because she can do so much and I love being around her as an actress and as a person. She’s a fabulous person, even at six o clock in the morning.

Mr Ford, there’s a scene in the film we’re you’re in a bar with several real-life newsreaders, what did you talk about off camera with them?

HF: Chicks. No, we told terrible, bad jokes. It was midday, in a bar, with no drinks, with several people I’d never met before. They were all very charming, but their jokes were terrible. So that’s what we did, we sat around telling jokes, we didn’t talk about the news business.

Back to Diane Keaton, there’s an amusing scene in which she plays the bagpipes, had she had any lessons before?

RM: We did have group bagpipe rehearsals but unfortunately only Diane showed any aptitude for the instrument. That was a longer sequence as you can imagine, but no she never really got a single note out of it. It was her only attempt and it was a dismal failure, but it’s funny.

Mr Ford, do you recall working with Alison Doody, on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? What was she like to work with? I met her recently and she had nothing but praise for you, she said you perhaps one of the most important people she’d ever met.

HF: What was the name? Of course I remember her, she was a pleasure. She was quite new at the game at that point but she was great. Quite beautiful, playing my love interest… lucky me. She brought a lot to the table. She was delightful. I never got to know her quite as well as she got to know me, apparently, but she was really sweet.

You’ve obviously got a great sense of humor; who makes you laugh Mr Ford?

HF: I laugh a lot, largely at appropriate junctures. A lot of people make me laugh, Steve Martin, Robin Williams. Steve Martin’s a classic comedian and Robin is in a world of his own. I like Billy Connelly quite a lot, but then I like Benny Hill.

Ms McAdams, have you, like your character, ever had trouble with your work life interrupting your relationships?

RMcA: Probably that I’m not aware of, yeah! I think that the nature of film is that you work really intensely for a few months and you leave your home and your family, everything behind and it’s really easy to become very myopic and focused on that one thing, so I’m sure I’ve pissed a few people off doing that. But then you get time to come home and reconnect.

Because they worth it!

Staying Alive is an MTV international initiative to encourage HIV prevention, promote safer lifestyle choices and fight the stigma and discrimination which fuels the HIV epidemic. Staying Alive is now the world’s largest HIV mass media awareness and prevention campaign. It features the world’s biggest stars from Beyonce to Justin Timberlake, Mary J Blige, Diddy, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, to Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton. I was honoured and happy when the MTV Hungary asked me to be the ambassador of the campaign, and on the side of many other Hungarian artist, promote health and safe sex in the form of concerts, documentaries, public service announcements, TV film, film competitions and many others.

Staying Alive began in 1998 as a one off award winning documentary, of the same name, about six young people from around the world and how their lives were affected by HIV and AIDS and hosted by George Michael. Now, a bit more than decade later we’ve been hosting an amazing, all day event in the heart of Budapest, with free and anonimus HIV testing, exhibition, a press conference, and an all night long party with top bands and singers. Just one sentence from my speech in front of the crowd: let’s not call the people “sick”, or “ill”, who suffering from HIV. Let’s call them “healing people”.

There are so many people out there who are terrified of not being able to celebrate Christmas with us next year. You… we are capable of giving them a gift. The same way,as Dorothy needed all her friends to be able to get back to Kansas, the same way as Santa needs Christmas spirit to fly on his sleigh, they need us to believe. The cure is here with us! With the power of collective consciousness we are capable of changing our reality into a world where we all take care of each other. The Bible says, love your neighbour as you love yourself… well I say, sometimes it’s okay to love them even a bit more.

Fashion-smashion in Budapest!

Within the framework of the festival Digital Fashion Week offers a new showcase platform to the Hungarian fashion community of designers, photographers, and video artists side-by-side with international participants: replacing the format of traditional runway fashion shows, new collections are presented via fashion videos.

Along with our desire to become an international festival, we would like to create an authentic forum to present the fashion industry of Hungary, bringing recognition to Hungarian designers both domestically and internationally and initiate an ongoing dialogue within the industry in the context of an exciting and forward-looking series of events. Our intent is to provide appropriate communication channels and infrastructure, by including offline and online media, members of the fashion industry and the general public as well.

In recent years the new medium of fashion video – due to its attractive qualities and cost-effective mode of presentation – is gaining increasing popularity on the international fashion scene,which enables designers to keep abreast of rapid shifts in community-generated online media and allows their work to reach the widest audience.

The festival will feature two categories of videos: by-invitation and pre-selected from submissions through an open competition. The best featured videos will receive prizes from a relevant professional jury: Kathryn Ferguson, film and video director, Maroy Krisztina, Glamour magazine editor-in-chief, Lakatos Márk, stylist, tv personality, teacher, Oltai Kata, curator of Museum Ludwig – Contemporary Art Museum, Zanin Éva, founder&CEO of Sonntag Media, aestete, fashion critic, Martinkó József, design and architecture critic, journalist, Fliglauf Benedek, film director, Pálos Máté, filma esthete, editor of film magazine Prizma, Andreas Waldschuetz, video director… and myself, Steiner Kristóf, journalist, and – as they called me very kindly on the program sheet – pop culture expert.

In addition to the video screenings, the festival offers a variety of programs. There will be a slew of petcha kutcha presentations, interactive installation and film screenings on the topics of fashion and new media. Fashion meets culture in Hungary? I’m lovong it!

Rob still got it…

How do you feel when you’re offered parts that aren’t entirely normal?

Zach Galifianakis (ZG): I only get … I really haven’t been offered a lot of parts except by Todd, but they’re never normal. But I prefer that … I like it.

Robert Downey Jnr (RDJ): This just reminded me … it had the potential to be like some of the films tonally that I’d grown up really enjoying, and that impacted me. But it had its own sensibility, obviously as it’s a Todd Phillips movie, and then it was just an incredibly creative venture.

How did you develop your screen chemistry?

RDJ: (Looks at Zach) Don’t just stand there with glistening eyes, answer the fucking question!

ZG: Yes, sir.

RDJ: He’s formulating his answer to the question now, while he stumbles getting ready to answer the question.

ZG: I think you’re seeing the chemistry in action, this is basically how it went down each morning: insults, insults, insults, and then somehow magically and beautifully some of that energy was put into the movie, quite honestly. Pretty good answer, huh?

In comedy how far is too far, and that’s for everyone but especially Zach?

RDJ: He’s the wrong person to ask.

ZG: I think with Todd’s movies, that’s the whole point, to go too far. Sometimes in comedy I would imagine you have to do that because so many beats have been done in movies before but the good thing about Todd is that there are things, like a masturbating dog, that you haven’t seen since the old silent films.

Is it true that you were allergic to the dog?

ZG: I have an allergy to certain … Yes, I got a hair in my eye and my eye got big but there’s not much of a story there.

Robert, this is a question not about this film…

RDJ: What is the pertinence? What the fuck is wrong with you people, can’t we just talk about what we’re going to talk about?

It’s about your career?

RDJ: I’m sorry, go ahead.

You’re very successful right now…

RDJ: Yeah, right now. I love the preface. What’s with the passive aggression? What’s the fucking question?

And you’ve had ups and downs in your life...

RDJ: Oh fuck, here we go. Couldn’t have called it.

Was it a hard struggle, when you came back after years of…

RDJ: Next question please.

Zach, your character seems very camp in the film. What is this very gay thing what you are doing?

Director Todd Phillips (TP): He’s not playing a gay.

Yes, I know that, that’s why I don’t understand why is he acting like very stereotypical one.

ZG: I think the character is theatrical and emotional and a little show offy and if that’s gay then I’m gay. Todd and I discussed that, we didn’t want him to be seen either way.

TP: We wanted to make sure he came off as asexual but we made a point of pointing out that he lost his virginity at nine-years-old to Sheila Pimples, so there’s a badge of heterosexuality I think.

RDJ: There was more to that, wasn’t there?

TP: Well it used to be his dad’s secretary but people had issues with that.

ZG: Heart of gold but slow typist.

You’ve worked with Todd on three films in short space of time, so is he the love of your life?

ZG: To be honest, Todd is the … (rattles cup and saucer in mock embarrassment) I’m very fortunate that Todd and I got to meet because I don’t think I would have been given this big an opportunity from other directors who saw what he did … whatever he saw. And we do work very well together and I’m very appreciative and I do think about it every day, because he texts me to remind me!

Robert, you spat on the dog, how did it take to that?

RDJ: I think one of the things I love about Due Date is that I get kicked off the plane and then the guys says: “The person you travelled with …” And I say: “I’ve never met that dipshit in my life!” And he says: “He had nothing but nice things to say about you.” And Todd Phillips said: “Just to make it definitive that you don’t want to hang out with this clown anymore, just spit in his dog’s face.” It was right after lunchtime and I said: “No, isn’t that going too far?” And he said: “Spit in the dog’s face … I love dogs, he doesn’t mind.” So, I spat in the dog’s face and Sonny [the dog] was just like: “Ooh, what happened? Did he have to get something out of his throat or something? I hope he feels better …” And I was thinking: “My God, what is wrong with us?” That’s the great thing about comedies and particularly with Todd being at the front of that bloodline right now, I see the process both on the set when we were figuring out what to do with the scenes and then at early test screenings and stuff. There was this thing that we all agreed was hugely outrageous, this moment in act three when I finally asked him: “How did your Dad pass away, I never knew?” And Zach turns to me and says: “Oh, sharing needles …” You’re thinking: ‘That’s so wrong!’ But Todd says: “Well, let’s see what the audience thinks …” And they were like, ‘That’s sick, I’m going to walk out!’

ZG: I thought it would be funny to see on the credits ‘Due Date, starring Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx … a dog … Zach Galifianakis’.

Are you more comfortable in comedy or drama?

RDJ: I’m equally comfortable doing any medium. The thing about comedy, if that’s what you want to call this – I call it spectacularity – is it’s more light-hearted and Todd runs a set that is just a very small group of people making fundamental decisions with a very trusting studio’s money. My dad was saying to me, and my dad was a maker of underground films back in the late ‘60s and stuff, and he said this reminds me of the kind of stuff me and my friends would be doing if we had the opportunity nowadays. So, keep hope alive.

What was the first meeting between the two of you like and is it true Robert that you wanted to punch Zach?

RDJ: (Smiling) Susan was there, my wife, and she was worried for me, I don’t tend to recognise people and I didn’t know exactly who Zach was yet. (Looking towards his wife) What was my reaction? I looked like I was going to drop him on the pavement? I don’t like punching Zach … but it has to be done.

ZG: He doesn’t punch me, he pinches me …

RDJ: I do pinch him … Yes (pinches him again)

ZG: And it drives me absolutely (swerving the pinch) … absolutely insane!

“budapest is a city i have always wanted to visit – rich history, their language is an isolate on the european continent [it's an altaic language more closely related to finnish, mongolian, japanese and korean than to any other groups], they have a culture of spending long afternoons in thermal baths, and the danube is a famous river. i was not disappointed!

my reason for coming was the hungarian custom nookanooka show organized by csap viktor, our man on the ground in budapest. the show featured 35 local artists, and i was blown-away by the enthusiasm and craft the artists applied to the competition. i will update the nookanooka pages on our website as soon i get the official photographs and artists bios from csap. larry tee was dj at the after party, and it was great catching up with him [i haven't seen larry since he moved to london]. i got to become friends with the madonna of hungary, kristóf steiner who splits his time between budapest and tel aviv and was our emcee for the evening. really great guy!

the only unfortunate thing was some planning issues, mainly the may day holiday weekend. like NYC on labor day, more than half of the city was out-of-town! hopefully the show will travel within buda or pest to continue the buzz when the city is back to full-tilt! i’ll keep you posted.

so, let me end by saying, if you haven’t thought of it, visit budapest! it’s affordable, extremely bicycle friendly [i rented a bike for 2 days and it was AMAZING] and full of things to do. as for best thermal, i recommend széchenyi. gallért is more famous [matthew barney's cremaster cycle was partly filmed there] but not as nice overall [poorly signed, only some of the staff are helpful]. széchenyi is in a beautiful park with an amusement part and museums, so you can kill a whole day there!”