Experiencing Interruptions?

LECHO

LECHO (13 min)

In Tomi’s life, the day has come which changes everything. Feeling confused, he goes on a journey alone, facing the challenges and difficulties of a recently received wheelchair. Despite his heart still weighed down by the past, his loved partner’s absence could not prevent him from cooking Lecho, her favorite meal.

Lecho is a traditional, classic Hungarian dish, similar to the French ratatouille. It is mainly made of onions, tomatoes, paprika and sausages.

  • Karoly Palfai
    Director
  • Karoly Palfai
    Writer
  • Karoly Palfai
    Producer
  • Peter Gaal
    Producer
  • Gabriella Nemeth
    Producer
  • Alexandra Uri-Kovacs
    Producer
  • Krisztian Gombos
    Key Cast
    "TOMI"
  • Dzsenifer Macsari
    Key Cast
    "KATA"
  • Karoly Palfai
    Director of photography
  • Marton Kereszturi
    Music
  • Peter Gaal
    Editing
  • Alexandra Uri-Kovacs
    Production
  • Gabriella Nemeth
    Production
  • Gabriella Nemeth
    Hair & Make-up artists
  • Alexandra Uri-Kovacs
    Hair & Make-up artists
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    LECSÓ
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 7, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Hungary
  • Country of Filming:
    Hungary
  • Language:
    Hungarian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital PANASONIC GH5 S
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Karoly Palfai

Karoly Palfai bio

Karoly Palfai was born on 20 September, 1977 in Budapest, Hungary. Born into an artistic family, he has been intrerested in paiting and photography since early childhood. At age 16, he was already taking photos for newspapers and magazines. After working as a photojournalist for years, he became Bravo Sport magazine’s full-time sports photographer and worked there for ten years. His shots appeared in numerous Hungarian and international magazines, and his Formula 1 photos were even selected by Agence France-Presse (AFP) agency. His father took photographs as a war correspondent in the Vietnam War, which location Karoly revisited himself 30 years later, to capture all the changes since the battle. Karoly’s exhibition of this material in Hanoi was visited by more than 300 thousand people. Putting photography aside in 2010, he worked both as a sports manager and organized international events (European and world championships), as an event manager. He is currently the head of marketing at the Hungarian Handball Federation. For the past 10 years, he has been practicing spirituality, devoting his freetime to self-development and helping others as a buddhist master and self-awareness coach. Having always been interested in different people’s fates and characters, he began writing film stories, primarily from the perspective of the soul, the individual who experiences these life events.

Karoly first began producing commercials and charity appeals. In 2018, his first music video with Hungarian band Kowalsky meg a Vega (song: „lehetetlen nincs”) was released, which was created by Palfai and reached almost 6 million views.

In 2019 he decided to get behind the camera again and shoot his first-ever short film, ‘LECHO’, based on the idea of empathy. A number of his new projects, including short films and full-length feature films, are now in pre-production.

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Director Statement

These days it is especially important for us to learn how to be empathetic towards each other. When we step into other people’s shoes, trying to feel their problems if only for a few seconds, we may become less judgemental and it becomes easier for us to understand different situations and people. Our world would be a better place, if we paid more attention to each other, if we helped each other’s everyday life. We should take into consideration others’ aspirations, help them and provide support for those who need it. Especially in situations when someone’s life takes an unexpected turn and changes completely, like as a result of a serious accident. Some of these people may have to give up on their dreams forever. In such circumstances, a few nice words, showing some affection, a little empathy can save one’s life.
This is what LECHO is all about. It is not known how the characters ended up in the situation where the story starts, which intends to suggest that past events no longer matter, in these given circumstances. The focus is on a challenge - how does one experience and live on with a destiny that was given to him. The goal of the movie is to illustrate the everyday challenges of a disabled person stuck in a wheelchair through a very simple event: the story of cooking a meal. It was important for the story to take place in an authentic, countryside setting, because small villages today lack the accessibility and assistance that big cities can provide for the disabled, and a wheelchaired person must face most of his/her challenges alone, when living a lonely, countryside lifestyle. Things non-disabled people take for granted - like passing an entrance door, picking vegetables, getting on in the kitchen - can be very challenging and time consuming for a wheelchair user. Being forgetful has even bigger consequences, and making up for that is not always an easy and straightforward task. An important perspective LECHO presents is the aspect of love and commitment. How does someone cope with the difficult situation of a loved? Whether after such a radical, life changing event, will one give give support or leave the disabled alone? The plot’s empathetic message shows that in order to express our love towards someone, there is no need to come up with big things - sometimes all it takes is cooking a simple meal, like Lecho.