“There’s a country (namely, Hungary), which ever since the late 19th century has had a habit of ridding itself of entire sections of its population. If the targeted groups don’t realize what’s going on quickly enough and if they don’t flee, then their homeland may end up murdering them”–thus begins Örkény Theatre’s summary of its newest play, entitled “This Land Accepts You,” (in Hungarian: “E föld befogad, avagy számodra hely”). The play was directed by János Mohácsi and opened on October 3rd, 2014 in Budapest.
The play explores the 1941 Kamenets-Podolsk massacre, in which over 20,000 Hungarian, Polish and Russian Jews were deported from Hungary by Hungarian authorities in August 1941, loaded into freight cars and then eventually marched to their death in German-controlled territory. The Örkény Theatre’s production emphasizes that it was ultimately Hungarians who sent both Hungarian and foreign citizens to their deaths, thus the responsibility lies primarily with Hungarians and not the Germans.
“It was us. People like you and me. People just like you, who happen to be reading this text and people like me, who happens to be writing it. People like us, who put this play together and people like you, who came tonight as our audience,” notes Mr. Mohácsi. “If we don’t remember the victims and if we don’t recognize the beast within, then we will never be able to detect when the monster begins to awake,” added the director.
Budapest-based photographer Beatrix Gergely provides readers of the Hungarian Free Press this exclusive, inside look into a powerful and difficult piece.
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
Örkény Theatre: “This Land Accepts You” (Photo: Beatrix Gergely)
