The Ars Poetica and International Journey of Peter Korday

Written by Pierre Lenoir – medium.com

The Paris-based, Hungarian-born filmmaker, Peter Korday (born Péter Halmi), has become synonymous with visual poetry and an intuitive, atmosphere-driven approach to storytelling. Having honed his craft in France and Hollywood, his works have been showcased at numerous international festivals. His artistic vision draws on the playfulness of the French New Wave, the emotional depth of Claude Lelouch, the dreamlike surrealism of Fellini, and the meditative silences of Tarkovsky.

“Like Fellini dreaming through Truffaut’s lens in a Tarkovskian silence.”

– as Korday once summarized his own artistic creed.

Intuition, Metaphor, Atmosphere

Korday’s films rarely follow the rules of classical dramaturgy. Instead, they build universes from layers of emotion, music, and imagery. His stories, poised delicately between reality and dream, often explore memory, desire, identity, and the subconscious.

He began his career as an actor, working across Germany, Japan, Canada, and the United States, before moving to Los Angeles, where he transitioned to directing. It was there, after years in theater, that he began to shape his cinematic language – one that blends a deep exploration of inner worlds with a sensory-driven film style. His short films – including Coriandoli Verdi, Adieu, Dreams of Los Angeles, and The Necklace – have screened at international festivals, solidifying his position as a filmmaker of global relevance.

Cinema as Experience

“For me, cinema is not just about telling a story. It’s an experience – emotional, sensory, and deeply personal. A journey where the audience discovers their own inner landscapes,”

says Korday. This philosophy makes his work distinctive: intimate yet universal, local yet global.

The Present and What’s Next

In May 2025, post-production was completed on his French feature, “Flottant légèrement dans les Champs des Sphères” / “Soft Floating in the Fields of Spheres,” which is now preparing for its festival premiere.

Then, in August 2025, Péter Császár, the screenwriter and producer of Stay for One Night, invited Korday to direct the film. This upcoming project will be a lyrical dramedy, blending comedic elements with deep character work and carefully crafted emotional arcs. Though it will be shot in Hungarian, the film will carry the unmistakable signature of Korday’s work – the French arthouse sensibility and refined atmosphere that have defined his career so far.

“We’re not making a mainstream crowd-pleasing comedy,”

says Korday.

„For me, it’s still about integrity and a festival-driven vision. My goal isn’t to follow the audience – it’s to lead them, to take them somewhere they haven’t been before.”

Source by medium.com

auteur cinema Flottant légèrement dans les Champs des Sphères Peter Korday Soft floating in the Field of Spheres Stay for One Night