KISS RICHÁRD (BUDAPEST)
Cinematographer, editor, filmmaker, theater artist
Miklós Radnóti, an Anti-Racist Award-winning cinematographer and editor, has a consistent focus on human dignity, remembrance and acceptance. In his films and theatre works, he gives space to people and stories that society often passes by unnoticed. His creative method is characterized by curiosity, patience and respect for those who speak out.
One of the most important parts of his work serving historical memory is the interview with András Surányi, who interviewed nearly 150 Holocaust survivors. He is participating in the documentary film about the lives of the Sztehlo children, and in the film about the child rescue activities of Lili Sztehlo and Gábor Ervin in Városmajor. He worked as a cinematographer and editor in the clip titled Prayer, made in memory of the victims of October 7, 2023, in the documentaries about Lajos Feld and Edit Bruck, and in the film Descendants, which presents the transgenerational trauma processing of the descendants of victims and perpetrators.
His work also covers the stories of Roma communities, people with disabilities, and other social groups. He has been documenting the lives of Roma communities in Szendrőlád and Kétegyháza for years, has contributed to the Museum of Ethnography's exhibition of Roma stories, and has worked for the Rehab Critical Mass organization.
For him, the camera is not just a technical tool, but a tool for attention and social dialogue. His works give a personal face to historical traumas, poverty, exclusion and the experiences of people with disabilities. By authentically conveying stories, he brings communities with different life situations closer together and makes the responsibility of remembering a moral issue of the present.
For me, the most important thing in my job is – the candidate wrote
Since childhood, I have been sensitive to those who are marginalized in society for one reason or another – whether they are minorities or people with disabilities. I encountered exclusion and indifference at a very young age, and perhaps these experiences have shaped what I consider important in my work today. I believe in human dignity, equality and that no one should be judged based on a single characteristic or label.
For me, one of the most important powers of art lies precisely in its ability to bring people closer together. Through human destinies, stories of different cultures and communities, we may find it easier to see ourselves in others. Memory is also important to me: not to let the stories from which we can learn disappear.
I am particularly interested in transgenerational trauma. I believe that what we do not understand and process from the past can easily live on in us and affect our present and future generations. Therefore, understanding the past is not a look back, but a responsibility for the present and the future.
This is what I try to represent in my work and in all my social engagements. That is why Gandhi's thought is one of my most important compasses: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." I believe that change begins where a person, with their own work, attitude and decisions, begins to create the world they want to believe in.