Gloomy Sunday

This photo sequence is based on the story of the most well-known Hungarian song, ‘Gloomy Sunday’. The lyrics were written by László Jávor, and the song was composed by Rezső Seress in 1933. It became world famous in its own time: it was covered by great musicians such as Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and Paul Whiteman to name but a few. Although the song had a morbid reputation, it enjoys a macabre infamy: people consider this song to be a suicide anthem. There is a recurring legend that claims that many people committed suicide while listening to ‘Gloomy Sunday’. The images narrate the fictional stories of these suicidal young people.