Outstanding success of Hungarian film Semmelweis captures US magazine’s attention

The film titled Semmelweis has not only captured the hearts of Hungarian viewers but also the attention of the US magazine, Variety.

The film was directed by Lajos Koltai. He worked on the piece with a spectacular crew of Hungarian filmmakers. Their work was rewarded with outstanding success and international recognition. Semmelweis‘ viewing numbers are still going up at a steady pace, and they don’t seem to dwindle at all.

The well-deserved recognition

The film has garnered around 280,000 viewers since its premiere on November 30, 2023. It’s not the most watched Hungarian film of the last year, but rather of the last five years. Not only has it set a record for viewership, but it also brought in record revenue, surpassing HUF 600 million (EUR 1.5 million) in box office earnings. The film maintained its position in the top 3 of the cinema success list for 9 weeks and it’s still going strong.

The outstanding success of the film caught the attention of the Variety magazine too, who have dedicated a whole article to discussing the film. This success is significant, especially considering that one day after the release of the Variety article, data from the Association of Film Distributors revealed that Semmelweis had already reached over 290,400 views.

The film

Semmelweis is a period biopic about the famous physician who later became known as the saviour of mothers. There are already two other films made about this historical figure, but perhaps this one takes the crown. It’s set in 19th-century Vienna, portraying the life of Ignác Semmelweis, the doctor who introduced antiseptic procedures in hospitals in his fight against puerperal fever.

Semmelweis inspiringly pursues his research even after he encounters several hardships in his work. The clear-cut villain in the film is his boss who tries to hinder him in any way he can, yet the good doctor goes on in his fight. As the director of the film, Lajos Koltai put it, “Semmelweis’ life is an example to us all. It’s about a man who followed his path with courage, undeterred by outside forces.” He added that he wanted to portray the message that perseverance, determination, dedication, and passion lead to success.

Filmmaking at its finest

Lajos Koltai, the director of Semmelweis already has an Oscar nomination for his work done in Giuseppe Tornatore’s Malena. His excellent skill, it seems, is once again put to good use as he hadn’t directed a film since 2007. There are other prominent names involved in the film too.

Mikós H. Vecsei took on the leading role, the one responsible for cinematography was András Nagy. The film was written by Balázs Mariszki, while the music was composed by Attila Pacsay. The piece was supported by the National Film Institute of Hungary, and it will also participate in the European Film Market. This being held within the Berlin Film Festival, this is likely going to help gain the attention of an international audience as well.

This could also interest you:

• Read about another successful Hungarian film HERE.
• Read more about the historical person behind the film HERE.