Cultural Studies paper by Orban, Clara
A nagy füzet, Le grand cahier, Borders and “La barrière” (Accepted)
Type of Abstract (select):Abstract (max. 250 words):
In Hungarian films of many genres, characters cross the border or allude to having crossed it in the past as a marker of family trauma and separation. The act of leaving Hungary during World War II, or the Revolution of 1956, or more recently after the collapse of communism—crossing the border for perhaps the final time—leads to loss not only of country but of family ties and relationships.
In several films, brothers or twins are separated, often with one brother staying and one leaving. In The Notebook (A nagy füzet 2013), escape provides the vehicle for the brothers’ separation. The fraternal pairs’ personal lives interact with history, especially the repressive state as manifested in Hungary’s border. Based on Agota Kristof’s French-language 1986 novel Le grand cahier, the film brings the border near the brother’s wartime home into focus in several scenes. The novel, too, uses several terms to define this separation between geographic locations that will ultimately divide the brothers. This paper will explore the visual and verbal descriptions of this dividing line to see how the novel was transformed into film. In both A nagy füzet and Le grand cahier, regimes and ideology tear brothers apart, and the border crossing, whether viewed on screen or alluded to, remains the physical symbol of this separation and loss.
Brief Professional Bio (max. 100 words):
CLARA ORBAN received her Ph.D. in French and Italian at the University of Chicago. She is a professor at DePaul University. Her interests range from the avant-garde in literature and painting to language pedagogy with emphasis on languages for Business and Italian cinema. She is also a certified sommelier and her two most recent books are on wine. Her primary interest in Hungarian studies is in film.