It took some time to get there, but in the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience for my first feature than shooting Lesson Learned. The challenges of filming on such a tight budget and in such a short time—creating something meaningful against all odds—strengthened the bond between all of us. It was made with a lot of love, and I believe that comes through.

Lesson Learned

Young teacher Juci attempts to challenge the outdated methods in her school, while new student Palkó,​ who recently relocated from abroad, struggles to adapt to the demanding educational system. Their personal stories offer insight into an oppressive system, reflecting the broader Hungarian society.

Lesson Learned (Fekete Pont) is Bálint's debut feature film. After the newly reformed National Film Institute appointed its decision-makers based on political grounds, Bálint's previous script was rejected. He decided to write a low-budget film set in a single location—a primary school. The project came together quickly: he began writing the script in March 2023, shot the film in August over just 17 days, and completed the final edit by the following March. The film was made possible through the collaboration of many people in the Hungarian film industry, with 19 producers coming on board and numerous crew and cast members working for little or no pay. Bálint reunited with his Boddah crew, including Marcell Rév, who has since won an Emmy for his work as a cinematographer on Euphoria. The film was shot on 16mm film, and Bálint used an improvisational acting method, which he has explored in all of his films.

Lesson Learned premiered at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in the Cineaste del Presente section, winning Best Performance and a special mention. Bálint also won the Boccalino d’Oro for Best Director. The film was a major success in Hungary, with 130,000 viewers, becoming the most-watched film in its first three weeks and the fourth most-watched of the year.

Werk

Reviews and interviews

Writer & Director Bálint Szimler Cinematographer Marcell Rév HCA, ASC Producers Gábor Osváth, Zoltán Mártonffy Editor Zsófia Ördög HSE Supervising Sound Editor Viktor Lente Casting Hermina Fátyol, Sára Holczer Production Manager Veronika Nemes-Jeles Second Unit Cinematographer Zágon Nagy Production Design Imola Láng Music Dorka Lajhó, Péter Sabák Costume Design Marcsi Glaser 1st AD Dorottya Zsiga Cast Anna Mészöly, Paul Mátis, Ákos ‘Dadan’ Kovács, Attila Papp, Józsi Balázs, Mihály Deák-Molnár, Inez Mátis, Gábor Ferenczi, Ildikó Lökös, Eszter Márton, László Iván Nádasi Executive Producers Gábor Kovács, Ági Pataki,  Ilona Antal, Ildikó Kemény, Eleonóra Peták, Péter Juhász, Dániel Blik, László Dreissiger Co-producers Júlia Berkes, Viktória Petrányi, Patrícia D’Intino, Ferenc Pusztai, Gábor Ferenczy Associate Producers Miklós Kázmér, Ádám Felszeghy, Inez Mátis, Hermina Fátyol Production Companies Boddah, CineSuper Co-production Companies Proton Cinema, Good Kids, KMH Film, FocusFox, Pioneer Pictures, Filmpartners, 235 Productions, Umbrella Distribution Lights On (International), Mozinet (Hungary)

Afterlife

Lesson Learned premiered at the 77th Locarno Film Festival in the Cineaste Del Presente.

Anna Mészöly won the Golden Leopard for Best Performance in a Leading Role at the Locarno Film Festival.

The film was rewarded a Special Mention and Bálint won the Boccalino d’Oro Prize for best director.

Lesson Learned was the most-watched movie in Hungarian cinemas for three weeks after its premiere and eventually attracted 130,000 viewers.

The film won the main award at the Ljubljana International Film Festival.

Based on the audience's votes, Bálint won the Director of the Year award at the Golden Medal Awards.

The film was awarded Best Debut Feature of 2024 by the Hungarian critics.

At the Trieste International Film Festival, Lesson Learned received a Special Mention and the Cineuropa Award.

The film won the Sándor Simó Award for Best Debut Feature at the 44th Hungarian Film Week.

Festival Selections

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