soviet fantasia
✵ hajnal - elizabeth kate weber
✵ poet - zsófi kemény
✵ director - penn bálint
✵ writer - penn bálint
with zsófi kemény
✵ co-producers - gerzson szántó,
penn bálint
✵ executive producers - luke jeffery, luke hagan, claire horrocks, jonas hawkins
✵ cinematographer - dániel misota
✵ music - sarolta szécsi, zoë aqua
✵ choreographers - ffion godwin,
zsófia szász
what's it like to long for a place you've always wanted to leave?
hajnal has never known anything but the cross-generational desire to leave their home for a better life in the west. as their national identity merges with an atmosphere of hopelessness and marginalisation, they vow to leave it all behind and not only start a new life but become a new person in britain. dogged by the fragments of who they once were, hajnal must learn to reconcile their fear of ostracisation with their need for authenticity.
soviet fantasia is a love letter to queer eastern europeans, who might struggle to connect with their home in the face of a persistent attack on their human rights. the film is a declaration that we not only exist, but we can also lay claim to our national heritage while being proud of who we are.
UPCOMING SCREENINGS:
✵ 2-7 september 25. - budapest short film festival (BUSHO) - budapest, hungary
PAST SCREENINGS:
✵ 19-29 march 25. - bfi flare - london, uk
✵ 4-7 november 24. - aesthetica film festival - york, uk
SOVIET FANTASIA IN THE PRESS:
✵ Directors Notes: 9 Standout Short Films From BFI Flare 2025
✵ GAY45: In conversation with Penn Bálint on his queer short “Soviet Fantasia”
✵ D&C Film: "Soviet Fantasia | Penn Bálint’s short digs deep for a big story"