Lesson Learned

Bálint
Szimler 

Born in 1987 in Hungary, Bálint Szimler grew up in New York.
He moved back to Budapest at 9 years old. At 19 Szimler got accepted to the University of Theatre and Film Arts, the country's leading film school. His head teacher was Ildikó Enyedi.
His 3rd year project Here I Am, a 35-minute short film won the Hungarian Film Week and was later selected into Cannes Cinefondation and was nominated for best short by the European Film Academy.
Since then Szimler created the online music series Kodály Method, which in 2015 continued into Balaton Method, a feature music documentary with hundreds of musicians participating.
He directed many commercials and music videos throughout the years.
Fekete pont (Lesson Learned) (2024) is his feature fiction debut - made with the same collaborators as his previous projects dating back to Here I Am, including Emmy-winning cinematographer Marcell Rév (White God, HBO's Euphoria, The Idol) and producer Gábor Osváth (Palme d'Or winner for '27' in 2023).

A young teacher, Juci, attempts to challenge the outdated methods in her school, while a new student Palkó, who recently relocated from abroad, struggles to adapt to the demanding educational system. Their personal stories offer insight into an oppressive system, reflecting the broader Hungarian society.