PASTOR OF SOULS
Portrait film of Gábor Iványi
Pastor Gábor Iványi, former Member of Parliament, founder of the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship, have had the mission to help the most impoverished for decades. He is an emblematic figure in Hungarian public life, speaking out whenever he can for the values he holds dear. As a result, he is under constant attack from the current government, and his activities are gradually becoming impossible. The film follows his struggles over the past two years, while showing the man who cannot been broken.
ABOUT THE FILM
“In the autumn of 2019, we set out to make this documentary with the intention to bring the viewer closer to Gábor Iványi and all that he represents in Hungary today. By introducing his work, his roots in the past, and his thinking regarding current problems, our intention was not only to present his personality, but also to give an overall impression of the situation Hungary is facing nowadays. We’ve been following Gábor Iványi for the past two years, our camera was present at the most important events, but we also took every opportunity to have meaningful conversations with him.”
How long can one keep up the work under growing pressure, how long can one endure the constant struggle?
Film length: 68 minutes
Director, script: Judit Kalmár
Director of photography, editor: István Kálmán
Post Production by Objektív Stúdió
Dr. Iványi Gábor
Gábor Iványi has been a symbolic figure in Hungary ever since the regime change 30 years ago. He used to be a member of the Hungarian Parliament for 8 years, both terms in opposition. His church, of which he is also one of the founders, is not only committed to religion, but also to outstanding social service. In recent decades, the pastor has spoken out on a number of human rights issues, standing up for the vulnerable and persecuted. Since 2010 he has been under regular political attacks and his work has been obstructed by those in power through various means.
Oltalom Charity Society
Most of the charitable activities of the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship are carried out by the Oltalom Charity Society. They run over 40 institutions across the country, trying to help the poorest and most vulnerable communities. They run schools, old people’s homes, maternity homes and homeless shelters.
Church of Gábor Iványi
Most of the charitable activities of the Hungarian Evangelical Fellowship are carried out by the Oltalom Charity Society. They run over 40 institutions across the country, trying to help the poorest and most vulnerable communities. They run schools, old people’s homes, maternity homes and homeless shelters.
Support the film
Gábor Iványi’s goal, his work and his message were important to us from the very beginning, and we were more than happy to donate our time and effort to support the film.
The next step is to get the documentary to as many people as possible, both at home and abroad, but we need help to do this. If you would like to be our partner in helping the film’s message to reach as many people as possible, please support us.
Gábor Iványi and the institutions he founded are still in a difficult situation, so we have decided to donate half of the funds we receive to the Oltalom Charity Society, so that we can continue to help them in their work.
Film Crew
Judit Kalmár
director, scriptwriter
Judit Kalmár is a documentary film director, journalist and economist. She has worked as a reporter for various radio and television channels, and started making documentary films in 2016. She was co-director and co-producer of the film Silencio – Voices of Lisbon, shot in Portugal in 2020, that was screened at more than 30 international festivals and won several awards. She has been working on a documentary film about Gábor Iványi for the last 2 years.
István Kálmán
cinematographer, editor
István Kálmán has more than 25 years of experience as a cinematographer and director in the world of filmmaking, working in film and documentary production, TV shows and commercials. He has worked as a producer at Objektív Studio, founded in 1997, on several films and series. His series of documentaries about the most beautiful places in the world, which he directed and shot, was successfully distributed internationally. The nature film Gemenc – The World of Floodplains, which he edited, won several awards.
Contact
Information about the film, screenings:
ivanyifilm@gmail.com