APRIL 24, 2013, THE MAN WHO CHANGED SHANGHAI FILM IN PARIS
The Hungarian Institute in cooperation with the Slovakian Institute in Paris are preparing an exhibition about the life and works of Ladislav Hudec, architect, with showing of the documentary The Man Who Changed Shanghai.
We hereby invite you to the screening:
When: Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 at 20:00
Where: The Hungarian Institute, 92 rue Bonaparte, Paris 6°
The exhibition about the life and works of Ladislav Hudec will take place at the Hungarian Institute, April 18th - June 8th, 2013, opening hours: Tue-Sat: 13:30 - 19:30.
FEBRUARY 28.- March 3, 2013, ARCHITECTURE IN FILM, BUDAPEST
5th Budapest Architecture Film Days took place during the week of 28.2.-3.3. 2013 in Budapest, Hungary. It offered films from various fields of architecture (see http://kek.org.hu/filmnapok/en/)
The Man Who Changed Shangai was also a part of this cine-meeting (see http://kek.org.hu/filmnapok/en/the-man-who-changed-shanghai/). It was shown in English version with Hungarian subtitles. After the viewing, a discussion with Ladislav Kaboš, the author, took place.
JANUARY 8, 2013, THE CELEBRATION OF 120th ANNIVERSARY OF LADISLAV HUDEC'S BIRTH IN SHANGHAI
During his state visit to China, Ivan Sečík, the state secretary of Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, attended the celebration of the 120th anniversary of Ladislav Hudec's birth in Shanghai, China. The opening of Hudec Memorial Hall in a newly reconstructed residence of Hudec in what used to be Columbia Rd. was also part of the celebration.
Alessa de Wet, the daughter of Ladislav Hudec, also attended, as well as his grand-son Alvin Hudec (son of Theo Hudec) with his wife Ann Hudec.
JANUARY 8, 2013, THE CELEBRATION OF 120th ANNIVERSARY OF LADISLAV HUDEC'S BIRTH IN BANSKA BYSTRICA
On January 8th, 2013, the exhibition The Story of Ladislav Hudec in Shanghai was officially opened in Banska Bystrica. The exhibition is dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of a distinguished architect who was born in Banska Bystrica. The exhibition is opened for public until February 3rd, 2013.
Administrators and organizors of the exhibition: The city of Banska Bystrica and the State Scientific Library in Banska Bystrica.
AUGUST 7, 2012, THEO HUDEC - PASSED AWAY
Theo Hudec, the second son of Ladislav Hudec, passed away in the midst of his family in Victoria, Canada on August 7, 2012. He died precisely four months after the death of his brother Martin. In 2010 he accepted our invitation and attended the premiere of our documentary in Shanghai. It was in Victoria, in the attic of his house where we discovered a unique film footage shot by his father - architect Ladislav Hudec.
We will always keep in our minds the memory of Theo as a valuable and good-hearted man.
APRIL 7, 2012, MARTIN HUDEC IS NO LONGER AMONG US...
Martin de Wet (son of Alessa de Wet) and his wife Suzanne Chudnoff sent us this sad message: On April 7, 2012 early in the morning, Martin Hudec (August 8, 1923 - April 7, 2012), the eldest son of Ladislav Hudec, left us forever. He died in Canada in Victoria BC at the age of 88 due to heart failure.
He was a great person, full of energy, vitality, with a clear mind. He dedicated us a lot of time and thanks to him we managed to shoot many interesting interviews and memories about his famous father and an unusual family story.
APRIL 2, 2012 - SCREENING OF "THE MAN WHO CHANGED SHANGHAI" IN NEW ZEALAND
The documentary about Ladislav Hudec - "The Man Who Changed Shanghai" (68 min version) was selected for competition at the international documentary film festival "Documentary Edge Festival 2012" - April 26 - May, 5 2012, Auckland, New Zealand.
Link of the festival's web page: http://www.documentaryedge.org.nz/2012/
MAY 26, 2011 22nd ANNUAL IGRIC AWARDS
"The Man Who Changed Shanghai" at the 22nd Igric ceremony received:
The award of the Slovakian film critics in the category full-length or medium-length Slovakian documentary film with a premiere in 2010 and also a Creative premium for film and television documentary production – to the director.
The ceremony took place on the 26th May 2011 in Bratislava.
MAY 16, 2011 AN INVITATION TO THE BANSKA BYSTRICA PREMIERE
We would like to invite you the premiere of "The Man Who Change Shanghai" in Banska Bystrica. The film will be introduced as part of the 17th international film festival ENVIROFILM. The projection will take place the 16th May 2011 at Europa Cinemas at 7pm.
MARCH 24, 2011 AN EVENING WITH THE ARCHITECTURE THEME
In this program there will be placed two movies of Ladislav Kaboš about architecture: "The Man Who Changed Shanghai" (2010) and "Modern Slovakian Architecture" (2008). There will also be a discussion panel about the 20th century and contemporary architecture – in the panel there will be architects, art historics and the director.
The Man Who Changed Shanghai – 8.10PM
Discussion – 9.20PM
Modern Slovakian Architecture – 10.50PM
The program will be aired by the Slovakian television, on the second program and in FULL HD resolution.
MARCH 17, 2011 A PICNIC WITH THE BANSKA BYSTRICA MAYOR
The mayor of Banska Bystrica mr. Peter Gogola invited his guests to the program PIKNIK KLUB:
mrs. Viera Dubacova from "Divadlo z pasaze", Mrs. Beata Puobisova prom "Vedecka hracka", Mrs. Slavka Ocenasova-Strbova – the author of the book "Moja Banska Bystrica" and Mr. Ladislav Kabos – the director of the film "The Man Who Changed Shanghai"-
The band VZNICH will also be guest of the program – the mayor is their drummer.
The program will air on the 17th of March on the first program of the Slovakian television at 4:30PM.
NOVEMBER 25, 2010 – MAYOR OF BANSKA BYSTRICA AWARD FOR A SLOVAK FILMMAKER
Film director Ladislav Kabos won the Mayor of Banska Bystrica Award: "...for his contribution to promoting the town of Banska Bystrica abroad. In his full-length documentary called “He Changed the Face of Shanghai“ Ladislav Kabos has portrayed the life story and work of architect L.E. Hudec – the father of Asian skyscrapers who was born and is buried in Banska Bystrica."
JANUARY 16, 2011 KRISTALOVE KRIDLO (CRYSTAL WING), THE SLOVAK NATIONAL THEATER, BRATISLAVA
In recognition of his documentary "He Changed the Face of Shanghai" Slovak film director Ladislav Kabos has been nominated for the 2010 Crystal Wing Award in the category of architecture. This award is given to Slovakia’s most distinguished personalities.
"MgA. Ladislav Kabos - A film director and scriptwriter who specializes in making documentaries also devoted to architecture. Last year Ladislav Kabos received the Professor Martin Kusy Award for his documentary "Moderna architektura na Slovensku" (Modern Architecture in Slovakia) which was produced for the Slovak Television and which has since been praised by the specialists as well as the broader cultural public.
This particular documentary has also received other prizes, such as, e.g. the 2009 Igric Award for film and TV documentaries – the Prize of the Slovak Film Union, the Union of Slovak Filmmakers and the Literary Fund etc. Ladislav Kabos has been nominated for the 2010 Crystal Wing Award for his new documentary featuring the Slovak-born architect Ladislav Hudec. This film had its world premiere in Hudec´s Grand Theatre in Shanghai during the World Exhibition EXPO 2010 in that Chinese city."
FEBRUARY 21 – 24, 2011 A CHINESE DELEGATION PRESENTS THE L.E. HUDEC CENTER IN SHANGHAI
A Chinese delegation, led by Mr. Wang Xiaoshu, Vice President of the People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC), visited Slovakia. The delegation also included Mr. David Huiming Tan who deserves great credit for his help in making the documentary "He Changed the Face of Shanghai", representatives of the Shanghai State Library and Chinese businessmen. Held in Shanghai on September 3, 2010, the premiere of the above-mentioned documentary has accelerated the process of reconstruction of the Hudec Villa in Shanghai. Funds for the reconstruction had been amassed immediately after the premiere and according to the Chinese side the villa should be reconstructed within 6 months. Preparations are also under way for the project of the Ladislav Hudec Center, which is expected to contain – in addition to the residence of L. Hudec – also multi-function cultural and exhibition premises, a hotel and an international university.
During its stay in Slovakia, the Chinese delegation met the town clerk and citizens of the village of Vyhne, Mr. Peter Gogola Mayor of Banska Bystrica, Mr. Milan Ftacnik, Mayor of the Slovak capital Bratislava, officials of the Union of Architects of Slovakia (SAS), Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Culture to whom the Chinese visitors presented this ambitious project, while offering possible cooperation. This opens up space for promoting permanent cultural and economic contacts between Slovakia, the European Union and China.
When visiting the village of Vyhne, the Chinese guests saw the local Chapel of Our Lady, the only building designed and built by L.E. Hudec outside the territory of the People’s Republic of China. The visitors were also told of the once famous spa traditions of this place; they tasted water of the local thermal mineral spring and were impressed by the congress premises of the Sitno Wellness Hotel.
This gave rise to the idea of holding in the complex an international gathering called Vyhne 2011/ Wings of L.E. Hudec, scheduled already for this coming September.
MARCH 9, 2011 L.E. HUDEC ENDOWMENT FUND – FIRST STEP TOWARDS FOUNDING L.E. HUDEC CENTER IN SLOVAKIA
February 7, 2011 The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation
Zdrave mesto (Healthy Town) in Banska Bystrica approved the project of
establishing L.E. Hudec Endowment Fund. A contract specifying the
purpose and conditions of the establishment of the fund was signed on
March 9, 2011. The founders are as follows: Mrs. Klara Kubickova, PhD.,
Mr. ing.arch. Igor Teplan, and Mr. MgA. Ladislav Kabos.
The key purpose of establishing the L.E. Hudec Endowment Fund is to
pave the way to purchasing the house of his parents at No. 13 Skuteckeho
Street in Banska Bystrica, eventually to building a new house for the
foundation of the L.E. Hudec Center in Slovakia, a facility devoted to
the collection of museum exhibits and documents associated with the work
and life of L.E. Hudec, their protection and all-round presentation.
The
L.E. Hudec Center will also be committed to developing and promoting
progressive educational activities in the field of architecture and
audio-visual products for the promotion of Slovak-Chinese relations.
The fund is called the L.E. Hudec Fund for the Community Foundation
Zdrave mesto (Healthy Town). Bank connection: 4008444691/7500, variable
symbol 080193. IBAN: SK8375000000004008444691, BIC: CEKOSKBX, Name of account: Komunitna nadacia Zdrave mesto, Address of Bank: CSOB, a.s., Dolna 12, 974 01 Banska Bystrica.
We would like to thank in advance to all the people who would like to
contribute to the preservation of the cultural heritage!
NOVEMBER 22, 2010 – MLADOST CINEMA, BRATISLAVA
On the occasion of the first meeting of the Society of Friends of L.E. Hudec the MEDIA FILM agency, the Slovak Television and the Union of Architects of Slovakia invited the architectural community and distinguished guests from the Embassies of the People’s Republic of China, the United States, Canada and Hungary to the screening of the documentary "He Changed the Face of Shanghai" made by director L. Kabos. This event was held in Bratislava’s Mladost cinema on November 22, 2010.The audiences in Bratislava watched a 35-mm copy of the film screened at its world premiere in Shanghai on September 3, 2010.
The audiences were addressed by Mr. J.E. Gu Ziping, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Slovak Republic, and Professor Stefan Slachta who said in part:
"Ladislav Hudec – a name hardly anybody in Slovakia had known several years ago. With the exception of a single article by Gejza Balasa published in the magazine Pamiatky a múzea (Monuments and Museums) in the 1960s, which wrote about a family or architects in Banska Bystrica, there was no document in the Slovak language on this Slovak-born architect.
Thanks to my research carried out between 2000 and 2004 on Slovak exile architecture I could get more detailed knowledge of this architect. It was quite a shocking discovery for me when I read in a book called “Built in China 1918 – 1948“ that Hudec was an architect who had greatly affected architecture in China and that his work has been part of China’s architectural history.
On another occasion I found out that the famous architect I.M. Pei knew the name and work of Ladislav Hudec and that, inspired by Park Hotel built by Hudec, he decided to become an architect himself. A group of people who admire the architectural heritage of L. E. Hudec have gradually come together and helped in putting together a mosaic of his life and work.
Let me mention at least some of those people: Henrieta Hatalova from the Slovak Academy of Sciences who brought me the first photographs of Hudec´s projects, which had been taken in Shanghai by Marian Moncman. Another person is Igor Pacolak, former Consul–General in Shanghai, to whom I am grateful, among other things, for a chance to see some of the buildings designed by Hudec with my own eyes. Mention should also be made of the Czech architects Ivana and Jan Benda who have been living in Shanghai since 1994 as well as of Zigmund Bertok, Slovakia’s former Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.
While at that time I was the main expert on Hudec and his work – today the man who knows most about the famous architect, who made many significant discoveries and to whom I pay my deep respects is the film director Ladislav Kabos.
When we first met some time in 2004 he was for me just one of the many people who had been impressed by the life story of Ladislav Hudec. To this day I keep in my mind’s eye the documentary that has brought that story to the whole world. You will see and judge for yourselves how well the film is made. I want to praise here Ladislav Kabos´s dedication and hard work on the film. He did a great job not only in terms of filmmaking but especially in research. His dedication when working on the documentary was truly admirable. Naturally I would like to thank not only him but also his entire team.
They made a documentary, which puts architect Ladislav Hudec on the map of our cultural history and into the history of our architecture. When I had once written that Hudec was known in the world but unknown in his own country, this is fortunately no longer true…"