Rachel Weisz’s Hungarian Connection
zita kisgergely
The London-born Oscar-winning actress who was once touted as being the quintessential “English Rose” has a heritage firmly planted in Central Europe.
Rachel Weisz. Picture via Wikipedia.
The versatile actor’s illustrious career spans starring roles in big Hollywood blockbusters such as The Mummy (1999) and Black Widow (2021) as well as in many smaller independent films like The Constant Gardener (for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006), The Brothers Bloom (2008), The Lobster (2015) and The Favourite (2018). She’s also starred in quirky tv series such as Dead Ringers and Vladimir, both of which she executive produced.
Rachel Weisz’s Family Background
She was born in Westminster in 1970 to parents of Central European Jewish backgrounds whose families had both immigrated to the U.K. in the late 1930s to escape the threat of Nazi persecution. George Weisz, her father, was a Hungarian Jewish inventor and mechanical engineer who invented a new type of pneumatically-powered ventilator that became crucial in saving lives during the Corona virus. He was given the Queen’s Award in 1993 for his service to Technical Achievement. Born in Vienna, Weisz’s mother, Edith Ruth, was a psychotherapist. Her parents separated when she was 15.
After reading English at Cambridge University, Weisz acted on stage and in films before her break-out success came co-starring in The Mummy. When probed by a journalist early in her career regarding the emotional trauma she might have experience because of her parent’s divorce, Weisz commented,
'Coming from a family of millions of shrinks, I'm resistant to you putting me on the couch about my adolescence, just because I don't think you'll do it that well.'
Despite her fame as one of the world’s most note-worthy actors, Weisz has continuously sought out roles that not only challenge her professionally, but that also reflect innovative artistic vision and have something relevant to say to audiences.
Via Imdb.
Filming in Hungary
The role that was perhaps a full-circle moment in terms of Weisz’s family connection to Hungary was one she took on in the legendary Hungarian Director István Szabo’s sweeping historical epic, Sunshine (1999). Co-starring Ralph Fiennes, the feature follows the tumultuous fortunes of a Hungarian-Jewish family (the Sonnensheins) at the beginning of the 20th century living in the Austro-Hungarian empire. It spans the rise of fascism and the Holocaust to life under communism and the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.
Filmed in Hungary, Weisz plays Greta, a wife of one of the Sonnenschein’s, a woman embroiled in the complex web of family relationships during a time of historical turmoil. Shooting for the production took place in 1998 mainly in Budapest, which performed its usual magic act of doubling for several locations and historical eras. This has helped propel Hungary into being the number two filming destination in Europe (after London) for international film productions.
Will Weisz be back anytime soon to film in Hungary? Looking at the trades, it doesn’t seem so. Although with her strong family connection to technical innovation and psychoanalysis, perhaps there’s a film on either of those topics set in period Central Europe that the actor might like to sink her teeth into…
Via Imdb.
Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.
Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.