Renewed Military Film Studio

Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende inaugurated the Film and Photo Studio of MoD Zrínyi Media Co. on Friday, March 25 in Kerepesi St, Budapest. Also in attendance at the ceremony were MP Dénes Gulyás, member of the Cultural and Press Committee of the National Assembly, Maj-Gen. István Juhász, Director of Staff, MoD Defence Staff, Kossuth Prize-winner director Sándor Sára, military historian Prof. Dr. Sándor Szakály and László Zsolt Szabó, Deputy CEO, Hungarian News Agency (MTI), as well as the leaders of several MoD-run companies, commanders and Public Affairs Officers of HDF units and the officer cadet representatives of the HDF Ludovika Battalion.

Proper flow of information in military affairs is of key importance, as no warfare can be managed without it" – this was how the Defence Minister started his speech. “In peacetime, all this has a deeper and more significant meaning, and the new film studio will also serve this purpose." Dr. Csaba Hende stressed that since the abolishment of compulsory military service, the focus of public attention has to some extent shifted from the life, work and national service of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and these days the HDF are usually described as part of NATO. “Still, we have to defend the homeland ourselves if the need arises," pointed out the Minister, emphasizing that this is what raises the HDF among our most important fundamental national institutions today.

Csaba Hende noted that instead of focusing on the self-sacrificing efforts of the HDF troops, public affairs and propaganda over the past few years tended to put the political leaders of previous governments in the limelight. “In the meantime internal communication, the dialogue between the HDF top-level command and soldiers, and the task of informing public opinion about the activities of the HDF was pushed into the background" – said the Minister. Csaba Hende pointed out that last summer the present management of Zrínyi Media had started working with radically new ideas in mind. This is most evident from the fact that as compared to the HUF 960 million budget of previous years, the amount earmarked for 2011 has been reduced to HUF 660 million. In line with the recently announced austerity measures, and having consulted with the managing director, the MoD cut the centrally allocated funds of the Zrínyi Media further, by almost HUF 200 million, by freezing (sequestrating) this amount. In spite of these reductions today the company mobilizes new technological and intellectual capacities – as evidenced by the opening of the film studio – and produces more than it did earlier with a double budget.

“This new studio is meant to serve the Hungarian Defence Forces and indirectly, the Hungarian nation" – emphasized Csaba Hende, who thanked the management of Zrínyi Media and managing director Lajos Gubcsi, PhD for their efforts. “I am asking you to keep in mind what your function is, since every MoD-affiliated institution as well as the HDF commanders and the MoD leaders are working towards making the Hungarian Defence Forces better, stronger and more deployable than before. I believe this studio and the productions made here can bring the Hungarian Defence Forces closer to the Hungarian people, who have been alienated from national defence" – this was how the Minister closed his address, wishing Zrínyi Media every success and asking for God’s blessing on the staff.

Following the Minister’s speech, military historian Professor Dr. Sándor Szakály from Pannon University related the brief history of military film production and the career of legendary figures such as József Daróczi, Col. Gyula Kádár, Dr. Tibor Szentpéteri, Lajos Kuntár, or Sándor Karai. He asked the staff of the new film studio to look up to these personalities, the former generations of war correspondents, as their role models. “Rezső Wonke, the head of the studio is a professional who has shot footages in war zones a great many times, which is a big advantage," he added. “The task is not new, nevertheless it is a very important one, as we have to tell everyone about our history, our past. The studio has all available means at its disposal to perform this duty and inform the new Hungary about the things we are proud of, to strengthen the sense of belonging to a nation, and to do its job decently and professionally for the benefit of all of us."

A footage was shown to the guests to demonstrate what Zrínyi Media’s Film and Photo Studio is capable of following the extension. In addition to filmmaking, event documentation and program production, the studio has other tasks too. The technical equipment and the professional staff are ready to provide public affairs training sessions and so offer the attendees an opportunity to develop their public speaking skills, appearance and conduct in situations that they might encounter during their service. In the coming days, Zrínyi Media will sign an agreement of

cooperation with the MoD Defence Staff on the in-studio training of commanders on various levels of the HDF and the officer cadets of the Ludovika Battalion. A similar agreement is going to be signed on running training and refresher courses for the PAOs of the HDF units. Needless to say, Zrínyi Media will provide all these things free of charge, to make it evident that its duty is to serve the Ministry of Defence and the military.
In this spirit, Csaba Hende and Lajos Gubcsi cut the ribbon symbolizing inauguration. “Our task is to get the HDF to like themselves, and to achieve that the HDF that like themselves get the public to like them too," said the managing director of Zrínyi Media in his short speech, stressing that in the past 1100 years the Hungarian nation was most successful during the periods when that goal was achieved. In what followed, Lajos Gubcsi symbolically handed over the studio to the Ministry of Defence and the Hungarian Defence Forces, noting that “Here everything is for the armed forces, including our work."

The inauguration ceremony of the studio ended with a pleasant surprise. In late 2010 Zrínyi Media and MTI had already started negotiations on the company – practically as a military news agency – supplying the national news agency with news and background material related to national defence. The deputy CEO of MTI arrived at the event with a signed contract, which means that as of today, the military news agency is a contracted partner of the Hungarian News Agency.

Photo: Veronika Dévényi

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