Let’s meet in our virtual Great Hall and take part in our Take a Seat! - online Trafó evenings screening series on Saturday nights for the upcoming 10 weeks. Mark the dates to your calendar, click for the link below and book a virtual chair for yourself. In case of full house, you can find some extra seats as well. 

09.05.2020. Kristóf Kelemen: Observers

Everybody has something to hide. To be successful in operative work, the informant has to ease into and stay credible in different roles. He or she should not raise suspicion in his or her private life, should gain the trust of the subject and show absolute loyalty to his or her handler.
 
This story is set in Hungary in the 1960’s. The secret police has Michael Besenczy under surveillance. Besenczy is Hungarian but has been living in England since his childhood. As a young man, he came back to his home country to study film directing at the University of Theatre and Film Arts.
There is a strong suspicion that he is working with British intelligence. Agents placed around him are commissioned to form intimate friendships, erotic relationships with the subject in order to learn as much as possible about him and provide privileged information. But no matter how good they are in their job, they cannot hide from the secret police’s and each other’s observant gaze. In the end, they might find themselves vulnerable upon discovering their deepest fears in the eyes of their subject.
 
Observers is Kelemen’s third production for Trafó and the focus is yet again on the workings of Hungarian society, on an episode of our recent socialist past that many are still familiar with and that today’s youth can also easily relate to.

Kristóf Kelemen was awarded the Hungarian Contemporary Drama Prize and Observers was chosen as best new Hungarian drama at the 2019 Hungarian Theatre Critics’ Award where the production was named best independent production.