Educational Media Reviews Online

This documentary explores the life of Israeli composer Andre Hajdu, a student of Kodály (who encouraged him to go out into villages and gather folk music) and the winner of the 1997 Israeli Prize for Music. There is brief footage of him teaching master classes and lessons, and we hear his music playing throughout the film, but rather than covering his musical career, The Hungarian Cube is mostly about his relationship with his religion, his wife, and his sons. We learn through some very honest interviews between Hajdu and two of his sons that Hajdu was driven to make art because of his rough childhood during the Holocaust and his own parents’ poor relationship. (The composer admits to the Holocaust having a great influence on him still.) And during a dinner table conversation with childhood friends and other artists, we learn about Hajdu’s move from Hungary to Israel and the effect that move on his career. A common theme in the documentary is Hajdu’s staunch religious nature, which comes up with everyone who is interviewed. But despite his inflexible religious outlook, the composer is adventurous in other ways; Hajdu appears many times in the film in surprising and awkward positions, such as riding a Segway, taking a dip in Lake Balaton with his sons, and sitting on uncomfortable rocks by the water. The film is not particularly engaging but does provide us with a broad view of an important contemporary composer, so it is recommended for university and general adult audiences. The film is in Hebrew, Hungarian, and French, with English subtitles.