"Open": A Bold Hungarian Comedy Closes the EU Film Festival 2026 in Bangkok
- Juthamart Joy Lipikornsukthaweekul
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
Cinema has always been one of diplomacy's most disarming instruments. A single film can carry the textures of a society - its humour, its anxieties, its arguments about how to live - across borders far more intimately than any communiqué. This June, the 2026 European Union Film Festival brings that idea to life in Thailand, and among its most talked-about titles is the Hungarian comedy "Open" (Nyitva), directed by Orsi Nagypál.
Running from 18 to 28 June 2026 across Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, the festival presents 21 European films from 19 countries, selected by 19 EU Member State embassies under the banner of #EUinThailand. Each film is a window onto Europe's cultures, societies and ways of life - and, true to this year's theme, "See Beyond, Feel Beyond," an invitation to encounter the continent from fresh perspectives.
"Open" is a sharp, warm-hearted dramedy about one of the most universal subjects imaginable: a long-term couple trying to keep love and desire alive. When routine settles over their relationship, the pair set out to rediscover one another, experimenting with new approaches -from sex therapy to a swingers' club - that test the limits of honesty, jealousy and commitment. The title's nod to "open relationships" is also a nod to open conversation, and Nagypál handles it all with a light, generous touch, finding comedy in vulnerability without ever mocking her characters.
Led by Csilla Radnay and Lehel Kovács, whose chemistry anchors the film, "Open" became a notable success in Hungarian cinemas and travelled the international festival circuit after its premiere. It is the kind of contemporary European storytelling - frank, funny and quietly humane - that the EU Film Festival exists to share: cultural exchange not as lecture, but as laughter and recognition across cultures.
For Thai audiences, the screening is also a reminder of how soft power works at its best. Hungary, alongside its fellow EU Member States and the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand, uses moments like these to build people-to-people understanding - the everyday connective tissue of international relations.
"Open" screens on Sunday 28 June 2026 at 3:00 PM at Lido Connect in central Bangkok, with English subtitles. Admission is free: each visitor may collect up to two tickets at the box office one hour before showtime, available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lido Connect sits a short two-minute walk from BTS Siam (Exit 2), making it one of the most accessible venues in the city. Arriving early is wise - popular titles fill quickly, and "Open" is among the festival's most anticipated.
Whether you come for the comedy, the conversation it sparks, or simply for an afternoon of world-class European cinema at no cost, "Open" offers a fitting, joyful note in a festival devoted to seeing - and feeling - beyond.
Explore the full programme via the Delegation of the European Union to Thailand: https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/thailand/euff-2026-thailand_en
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