Rockfogyatkozás

The documentary-television director duo Jolán Árvai and László Sántha, while making an entertaining documentary-report montage about the rock life of the period between 1957 and 1973, were mainly curious about how and why the movement's sad metamorphosis began. What intention and what mechanism of action resulted in the withering away and slow death of progressive trends; the most vital ones becoming manipulable and commercialized? The filmmakers do not tell the answer, and they do not tell anyone. They leave it up to the viewer to decide whether they want to answer at all. Because if not, the seventy-five minutes of Rockfogyatkozás will still pass quickly. It carries within itself the possibility of a multi-part series offering an optional experience, with which several layers of viewers can be satisfied at the same time.

Directed by László Sántha, Jolán Árvai, Rockfogyatkozás leans on a strong ensemble — János Baksa-Soós, Földes László, Ferenc Demjén — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1988.