A truly eventful and experience-filled day was spent together by the young film crew from Group 1 of the Kaposvár Community House on October 10th, when we visited the FEDOK-2026 film festival in Székesfehérvár. It was no ordinary occasion for us, as we got to see our own documentary film, titled A Year at Lake Balaton, on the cinema screen as part of the competition program.
The film was produced as part of the Balaton Project, and there is much more behind it than just a few filming days. Starting a year ago in autumn, then through winter, spring, and August, we grabbed our cameras to show how different Lake Balaton looks at various times of the year. We observed the lake’s transformations, capturing the winter landscape, the spring awakening, and the summer atmosphere. Along the way, we interviewed passersby who shared their memories and experiences with us, and we also asked an expert about how often the lake freezes over, what affects its water level, and what future might await Lake Balaton.
We worked hard on the film. Filming was only part of the task, as we also had to edit the collected material into a coherent story that reflects everything we learned and experienced about Lake Balaton. That is why it felt especially rewarding when we found out that our work had been selected for the festival’s competition program.
Regarding the event itself, however, we found ourselves in a slightly different situation than what we had anticipated. The call for entries was originally advertised for documentaries, but at the festival, fiction films also appeared in large numbers and took center stage in the awards. As a result, the program did not quite reflect the genre breakdown we expected when submitting our entry. Nevertheless, we were glad that our film was included among the screenings and that we had the opportunity to discover the works of other young creators.
After the screening, we were curious to hear the jury’s feedback. It was reassuring to hear that the effort put into the film was evident, that we had thoroughly explored the topic, and that the content was well-executed. This feedback meant a lot to us, as making such a film requires a tremendous amount of time, attention, and collective thinking.
Of course, the day was not just about the film. It was great to be together, share the experience of the screening, talk, laugh, and look at what we had created over the past months from an outside perspective. Watching a film on our own screens is one thing, but seeing it on a cinema screen as part of a festival program is something completely different.
FEDOK-2026 was thus not only a film debut for us, but also a fantastic shared activity and team-building experience. It reinforced our belief that embarking on such longer, more complex projects is worthwhile, because beyond the final result, the journey itself gives us so much. A Year at Lake Balaton is completed, and we returned home enriched with valuable experience, shared memories, and a truly great day.
Viktória Weisz, Kaposvár 1 group
