Dear IDA Community,
We received yet another threat to free speech and expression by documentary filmmakers. This time, the call comes from Hungary. Our friends at the Hungarian Documentary Association published the statement below on May 15.
As a documentary filmmaker organization with members in Hungary and over 80 other countries, we condemn these threats and censorship imposed by governments anywhere in the world.
In solidarity,
International Documentary Association
Dear Friends of the Hungarian Film Community,
Hungary faces a critical moment in terms of free speech. When a country sanctions in law that someone can be punished for their opinion, it is openly declaring itself an autocracy. As of this morning, Orbán’s Hungary has moved closer to Putin’s Russia and further from Europe than at any point since the democratic transition.
The Hungarian Parliament is preparing to vote on a bill titled “On the Transparency of Public Life.” Given the ruling party’s two-thirds majority under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the bill is expected to pass. If enacted, it would endanger the work and livelihoods of Hungarian documentary filmmakers who rely on international funding to tell stories that challenge the government’s narrative or focus on issues deemed controversial or “anti-Hungarian,” such as marginalized communities or dissenting viewpoints.
Under the proposed law, civil organizations, independent media, and companies receiving foreign funding could be placed on a public watchlist and face severe sanctions for allegedly threatening Hungary’s sovereignty. Even funding from open EU tenders, foreign nationals, or dual Hungarian citizens could trigger penalties.
The bill outlines subjects that must not be portrayed negatively, including: Hungary’s democratic institutions, national unity, Hungarian communities abroad, the traditional family structure and biological sex, peace, national security, international cooperation, the constitutional identity of Hungary, and Christian culture.
As documentary filmmakers, we aim to amplify marginalized voices and spark critical dialogue – free from censorship. If this law passes, what will happen to film companies that produce films on topics like LGBTQ rights, migration, or the war in Ukraine – projects unlikely to receive state support and therefore reliant on international funding? Will festivals and organizations like MADOKE become targets simply for promoting open discourse?
Over the 15 years of the FIDESZ government, independent documentary filmmakers have been systematically excluded from public funding for addressing topics denied or distorted by the state. Many have continued only through unpaid labor and foreign grants. In Hungary, for the majority of documentary filmmakers, filmmaking has become a passion project – driven by civic commitment, not sustainable economics.
We stand in solidarity with independent journalists and media workers, NGOs and all Hungarian citizens who dare to express their views publicly, despite personal and professional risks. We believe in national and international collaboration.
This law is the latest in a series of measures attacking freedom of assembly, expression, and dissent. Its goal is to silence all who think or act differently. Let us stand united as one critical voice – please support Hungarian documentary filmmakers in any way you can!
Share this letter within your filmmaker community, raise awareness, put pressure on your local film institutes or educate them about what is happening in Hungary.
Read the statement on the Hungarian Documentary Association’s website.