Tamas Yvan Topolanszky

Tamas Yvan Topolanszky—now there’s a name you don’t just skim past. Born in the sleepy town of Männedorf, near Zurich, back in ‘87, the guy’s got that whole “unexpectedly international” vibe going. He’s not just a filmmaker; he’s that dude who dives way deeper than most into his projects, you know? Take Curtiz (2018), for example. That one’s not just a biopic—Topolanszky basically drags you behind the scenes of 1940s Hollywood, where Michael Curtiz is fighting tooth and nail to finish Casablanca. It’s all cigarettes, shadows, and studio politics. The movie’s got this restless energy, kind of like Topolanszky himself—never satisfied, always poking at what’s underneath the surface. But he’s not all about the big studio drama. In Letter to God (2014), he switches gears and gets way more personal. It’s stripped-down, emotional. You can tell he’s obsessed with the small, almost invisible moments that make up a person’s life. And then there’s Véletlenül írtam egy könyvet (2024). Even if you can’t pronounce it (honestly, who can?), it doesn’t matter—the film’s got this quirky sense of humor, mixed with a kind of melancholy you don’t see coming. Topolanszky’s style? It’s a cocktail of old-school movie nostalgia, a dash of oddball humor, and a whole lot of empathy. He’s not afraid to get messy, to show people at their most complicated. And, honestly, that’s what makes his stuff stick with you long after the credits.