Bakpakk: A school year without subjects or studying

We followed fourteen teenagers in a special class in Budapest for a whole school year. Filming has finished, and now we’re asking for your help so that we can turn the nearly 140 hours of footage into our documentary, Bakpakk.

ABOUT THE FILM

For fourteen teenagers at a school in Budapest, the 2024/25 school year began quite differently from that of their peers. After eight years of social exclusion, poor academic results, setbacks and, in several cases, suicidal thoughts, they are not studying traditional subjects in their first year of secondary school.

No maths, no history, no oral tests, no written exams or assignments. They have just one task: to heal emotionally.

A mental health programme, considered somewhat unconventional, has been launched at the school. For a year, instead of academic subjects, the teenagers focus on empathy, communication, cooperation and taking responsibility, so that by the end of the school year they can find their inner motivation for secondary school and their future.

This is the subject of *Bakpakk*, directed by Kitti Fődi, a journalist at 444, who followed the class throughout the entire academic year. The film’s title refers both to the music the children listen to and to the rucksack as a ‘bag’ in which they carry everything they bring with them from home and from their lives.

“Bakpakk isn’t about how many wounds the school system is bleeding from. We know that, and we can see it in the children too. Rather, it focuses on those pupils whom the education system had previously given up on, because they didn’t do well at school, weren’t interested in anything, and were nothing but trouble. The film follows what happens to them when they receive genuine attention, patience and care for the first time.”

Kata Oláh (Makabor Studio) has joined the film as an external producer; she is the director of the multi-award-winning *The Narrow Road to Happiness * and *The One Who Defeated Time* – directed by Ágnes Keleti – as well as the producer of *Dívák *. Alexandra Láng, the editor of *Dívák* , is assisting with the editing process.

WHY DO WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT?

We have already finished filming. We are now working on turning the nearly 140 hours of raw footage into the documentary we want to show you.

444 focuses on topics that are rarely covered elsewhere, as well as social groups that receive less attention. However, to ensure that this results in a truly powerful, well-considered film of the quality you’ve come to expect from 444, a great deal of work and significant financial resources are still required.

Your support will help us to complete the editing of the film and the visual and audio post-production work that transforms the raw footage into a finished film.

HOW WILL WE SHOW OUR APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT?

Every contribution is a huge help in completing the film. We’d also like to extend a special thank you to those who are able to support the project with a larger sum.

For contributions of €50 or more:

If you contribute, your name will be listed in the end credits of the film amongst the Bakpakk supporters.

For a contribution of €110 or more:

As well as being credited in the credits, we’ll invite you to a private screening of Bakpakk and the Q&A session afterwards, where you’ll have the chance to meet the film’s creators.

Invitations will be sent out simultaneously to backers who have donated at least €110; they may request their tickets on a first-come, first-served basis, whilst stocks last. We will notify you of the exact screening time by email.

Thank you for helping to make our documentary a reality with your support.

If you’re unable to donate at the moment, you can still help a great deal by sharing this page with your friends: https://bit.ly/bakpakk-tamogatas

The 444 and Bakpakk teams

All funds raised through this campaign will be used to fund the production and completion of *Bakpakk*, as well as to cover the costs incurred during the making of the film.