Night Shift: Budapest after dark

Krisztián Kovács (Sanfranciscobeat andIstván Juhancsik(Six) are an organic part of Hungarian nightlife. Having worked in the local EDM scene for more than fifteen years, their documentary Night Shift makes a challenging effort to encapsulate the current zeitgeist of Budapest’s vibrating nightlife. Directed, shot, edited and produced entirely by the duo, the project goes behind the excess of parties to explore the personal side of an impersonal era.

Electronic Beats: What was your motivation behind the Night Shift documentary?
We felt the urge to present this scene to the public from an insider point of view. Instead of a ‘general’ look at the different scenes, we wanted to feature selected artists and other insiders working in the scenes from their personal point of view. We tried to direct and produce the documentary in a way that’s understandable not just for the insiders, but also for a wider audience; it’s entertaining but still conveys our message.

Who’s featured?
András Toth (minimal / AlphaHouse), Jay Lumen (tech-house / 100% pure & Great Stuff) and Jaffa Surfa (house / All Inn) appear in the film.

Why them specifically?
Our aim was to have a colorful selection of artists with a wide range of different sound. Not only producers and DJs were featured; we also talk to VJs, journalists, promoters and many others responsible for music production.

The project was a big challenge for us because we’ve never done anything like this. All the shootings, the interviews and the post-production were new experiences for us and it was really exciting to see the it all develop. it was also a good chance to get to know each other better, to talk more about other issues rather than just about general music stuff.

How do you see Budapest’s party culture evolving in the future?
We don’t want to blame anyone but we don’t think the future will look rosy. This is about niche music which is slowly fading, because only a handful people are really paying attention to it.

When will the film be released?
It’s coming out this summer and will hopefully be premiered at Sziget Festival. We’re also planning a club tour combined with screenings in selected cinemas, and we want to submit the documentary to certain film festivals, so it’s coming with German and English subtitles.

Published July 16, 2012.