Program Note
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hungary experienced newfound freedom of travel and movement. Three young men from Budapest, Petya, Laci, and Ákos, also wanted to join this wave and travel across Europe. However, the high cost of train tickets made this dream seem unattainable. Undeterred, they came up with a bold plan to forge train tickets. By bleaching blue carbon paper with detergent and creating fake tickets with blue ink, they hoped to obtain the magical, dream-like tickets that would allow them to go anywhere they desired. The desire for freedom to go to such a different world gathers around them one by one. Pelikan Blue adopts the format of an animated documentary, featuring interviews and recorded voices of real-life Petya, Laci, Ákos, and others involved in the forgery of train tickets in 1990s Hungary. It also includes travelers who used these tickets, state railway employees, and authorities. Various footage, including that shot on Super 8mm film, organically integrates with animation to inject humor, wit, and rhythm into the film. (JEONG Jihye)