Black Box Foundation Textual Records Accessible
The video archive the Fekete Doboz Alapítvány (Black Box Foundation) provides a unique visual record of Hungary’s political transition from Socialist one-party state to a pluralistic and democratic system. Now accessible at the Blinken OSA Archivum, the Textual Document Archive of Fekete Doboz Alapítvány offers insight into the group’s history, aims, and editorial principles.
Founded in 1987, Fekete Doboz was the first independent film collective in Hungary. In the years leading up to the fall of the Iron Curtain, it gave voice to events and people silenced by state-controlled media, such as samizdat publishers or the organizers and participants of commemorations of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and anti-regime demonstrations. Following the 1989 regime change, Fekete Doboz turned its attention to social groups marginalized in Hungarian society, primarily homeless people, people living with mental health disabilities, and Roma communities.
The video archive, available for research only at the Blinken OSA Archivum, is complemented by the rich Textual Document Archive of Fekete Doboz Alapítvány. The collection, now accessible, consists mainly of professional production documents and organizational records. Documents and letters, or resources from the Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security, capture the group's operations and their surveillance, the video journal's distribution, as well as the domestic and international networks and eventual legalization of Fekete Doboz. Synopses, scripts, and dialog lists widen our knowledge concerning the initiative's mission and editorial principles. The textual records of the Fekete Doboz Roma Media School includes curricula, student assignments, and certificates.
The Fekete Doboz Alapítvány itself has, too, received numerous awards for its activities (Pulitzer Memorial Prize, Soros Foundation Prize for Investigative Journalism, the Autonómia Foundation's Tolerance Award, etc.), which are also part of the series.
The Textual Document Archive of Fekete Doboz Alapítvány is accessible in the Blinken OSA Archivum Research Room. Prior to your visit, please create a researchers' account (registering is free), book a time slot, and submit your request through the Catalog.
