Watch Keep Quiet

Keep Quiet is a 2016 documentary film that was directed by Joseph Martin and Sam Blair. The film tells the incredible story of Csanad Szegedi, a Hungarian politician who was an anti-Semitic, far-right leader in the notorious Jobbik Party. However, after discovering his Jewish ancestry, Szegedi forfeits his political career and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and redemption.

The film follows Szegedi's life before his discovery of his Jewish identity, chronicling his rise to power in Hungary's far-right circles. He is shown engaging in hate speech, callous and mean-spirited commentary, and spouting racist notions while serving in the European Parliament. However, as fate would have it, a prison inmate performs a dramatic 180-degree turn in Szegedi's life. The inmate, an activist for Jewish causes and Holocaust survivor, tells Szegedi that his grandparents were Auschwitz survivors and were Jewish.

As he grapples with this new discovery, Szegedi attempts to shut down the truth, but the truth persists, and he eventually yields to it. What follows is an emotional and harrowing journey that sees Szegedi confront his past, and his role in it, as he reconciles with his newfound Jewishness. The film explores Szegedi's transformation into a complex, insightful and self-aware person that has let go of his prejudices and is prepared to reckon with his past.

Keep Quiet is a powerful and moving documentary that showcases the complexity of the human experience. Szegedi's journey serves as a powerful reminder that we are all capable of growth, redemption and transformation, and that we can all make amends for our past mistakes. We get to see how Szegedi's story serves as an allegory for Hungary's own ongoing struggle with its own historical past, particularly with regards to new-wave far-right politics and social movements across Europe.

The film invokes several themes that are relevant to Hungarian and European history. The issue of identity, particularly collective identity, is addressed throughout the film. Szegedi's story shows how collective identity can be profoundly insidious and can manifest itself in ways that are both dangerous and destructive. The film equally highlights the dangers of extremism and how it can lead to societal breakdown.

For instance, early on in the film, Szegedi’s career as an anti-Semitic right-wing firebrand is showcased. It's a career that was shaped by a growing sense of disillusionment towards the liberal democratic process, compounded by Hungary's economic and political crises. Szegedi’s turn to the far-right movement highlights how societal and political malaise can contribute to the rise of extremist politics.

Another fundamental theme in the film is dialogue. Keep Quiet exposes the importance of dialogue and conversation in confronting historical and contemporary issues. Solving societal problems such as extremism requires open and meaningful engagement. The film thus argues against the normalization of extremist politics, and the idea of remaining silent in the face of bigotry and ignorance.

The documentary is also an exploration of the human capacity for self-discovery and redemption. Szegedi's story shows that people can change, and that change is possible even when it appears unlikely. The film asserts that people can break free from the patterns of hatred and prejudice that they have internalized.

Keep Quiet is a compelling story of one man's journey to find his identity, and it serves as a warning against the dangerous consequences of extremism. It's a film that challenges its audience to question the beliefs they hold and to consider the roles they play in perpetuating hate and division.

Overall, Keep Quiet is a meaningful and emotional film that resonates on many levels. It combines an incredible and thought-provoking story with insightful and nuanced direction, resulting in a well-rounded documentary that will leave a lasting impact on viewers.

Keep Quiet is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.9 and a MetaScore of 76.