Those who have been in the business for a long time remember the excitement that every new animated film by Attila Dargay generated in the 1970s and 1980s. He is one of the icons In the Hungarian animation gallery of the all-time greats. With Hungary being in the focus at this year’s Annecy festival, a tribute to Dargay was not to be missed. But there was more…! Based on his old plans and preliminary designs, THE QUEST was made, both a tribute and a completion of his creative legacy.
In THE QUEST, by Máli Csaba & Pálfi Zsolt, a young prince embarks on a magical journey to find happiness, encountering fairies, witches and mischievous devils in a vibrant, enchanting fairy-tale world where love and courage are put to the ultimate test. This kind of story fits perfectly into Attila Dargay’s oeuvre; in MATTIE THE GOOSE-BOY (1977), VUK (1981), DRAGON AND SLIPPERS (1989) and WILLY THE SPARROW (1989), not only are there plenty of clever animals, but also a pleiad of heroes and knights, some more brave, others more clumsy.
For many years, Pannonia Studios have been the flagship of Hungarian animation, and Attila Dargay was one of their most renowned directors. Producer Reka Temple: “Attila’s widow gave us the drawings from the 70s and 80s, and we’ve completed his dream. Those character and location designs are like a time capsule, and I get goosebumps every time I realise that after 50 years, we have completed a project created by this legendary director. This symbolises the past and present of Hungarian animation. And the sound post-production of that film has been done in that same Pannonia building! The huge auditorium for sound recording is still there. You can still ‘smell’ animation everywhere in that building.”