My name is Brigitta Bacskai. I am a film editor student at University of Theatre and Film Arts (Budapest) on the second year. I spent four months at Film and TV School of the Academy of performing Arts in Prague (FAMU) with the ERASMUS Programme.

In 2006 I spent some days in Prague with my family during the summer. I felt in love with the city then so decided to live here once in my life. Last year when I applied for erasmus it was no question where to go. I was full of hope and excitement about the art and university life in Prague.

The main difference between the two universities is the focus on the knowledge: in Prague lectures were more theoretical and analytic what was really new and intresting, but also convincing that for me practical training (like in Budapest) was more suitable. Nonetheless teachers were always prepared and the lectures were really exciting. Each time they brought a movie to watch together.

In Hungary teachers are active filmmakers and they are teaching beside. In Czech teachers are teachers, only some of them are making movies. It made a perceptible difference between the way of teaching.

FAMU has an erasmus class independently from the specializations, so everybody learns about everything. I regreted it a little, because there were almost no classes related to my studies, but at least I met directors, sound-engineers, cameraman, designers from all over the world. Two of them became my friends, one from the USA, one from Finnland. It’s a really special experince when people from different cultures meet and live together far from their confort zone. The difficulities in the communication made lot of fun for us. We also worked together at shootings where we could find out the similarities and differences in our attitude to filmmaking.  

FAMU didn’t organised programs for the erasmus students that I really sorry but we had a lecture in our curriculum to discover Prague. I really liked it. My enthusiasm to the city got bigger and bigger as time passed. I went by bicycle everywhere I could.  

My accommodation was near the city center. I was living with a hungarian girl in a big flat. It was a beatiful one. I felt really lucky especially compared to my classmates’ ones, whoes payed the same prices for less comfortable rooms.

I really wanted to learn czech, but it was impossible with only one language lessons in a week. Altought the teacher was very kind and helpful we couldn’t do effective work together.

All in all, I spent an unique and determinative four months in Prague with the help of the erasmus program. I got a lot of inspiration for my profession.