Hungarian Cube: A Journey with Andre Hajdu

“The charm of the film stems from its avoidance of pretense. The Hungarian Cube does not try to capture the entire complexity of the Hajdu family, but to… look at his relationship with his sons and a few of his friends… The question that lingers after viewing the film is how can one family with such a strong and charismatic father end up with six such different sons… Six sons, six different worlds.” – Ha’aretz

Hungarian Holocaust survivor and Israel Prize-winning composer Andre Hajdu is a multi-faceted man with a rich and complex biography. The Hungarian Cube is an intimate portrait that presents his work, his life and his family. Throughout his life, Hajdu has positioned himself as an outsider and has used the contradictions that he lives as a tool for growth and inspiration. He combines an uncompromising orthodox religious life with bold, avant-garde artistic expression. This combination often puts him in an awkward position in the religious world in which he lives as well as in the circles of composers and academics that he works among.

Via conversations with his six sons – all of whom have chosen different paths and none of whom have chosen to live like their father – this documentary explores the different philosophies behind each one’s life choices and the men’s relationship to their father and his world view. During each conversation the documentary explores the impact of Hajdu’s choices on his sons and often implies more questions than it answers. Ultimately, however, it reflects on the possibilities of life. Screened at the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival, 2013.