Bence Máté is a Hungarian film director and screenwriter best known for his work on films such as White God, Son of Saul, and Liza the Fox-Fairy. Born in Budapest in 1978, Máté began his career in the film industry as an assistant director to Béla Tarr. He soon moved on to directing his own short films, including The Round-Up, which was selected for the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
Máté’s first feature-length film was White God, which was released in 2014. The film follows a young girl and her mixed-breed dog, Lili, who are forced apart by their owner. Lili is then abused and trained for dog fights, while her owner attempts to find her. The film won the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
In 2015, Máté released his second feature-length film, Son of Saul. The film follows Saul Auslander, a Hungarian-Jewish prisoner in Auschwitz in 1944, during the Holocaust. The film was well-received, and won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Máté’s most recent feature-length film is Liza the Fox-Fairy, a romantic comedy about a woman who is cursed with a fox-fairy. The film was released in 2018 and was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Máté’s films often explore themes of identity, family, and love in the face of adversity. His films are known for their dark subject matter and intense visuals. He often uses a hand-held camera to capture a sense of realism in his films.
Máté has been praised for his ability to tell stories that are both emotional and thought-provoking. He is considered one of Hungary’s most important and influential filmmakers, and has won numerous awards for his work. He continues to work on projects both in Hungary and abroad, and his films continue to be celebrated by critics and audiences alike.
