A Hungarian filmmaker sets up a pop-up portrait studio on the streets of New York, where eager pedestrians step in like it’s a public audition. The quick encounter escalates into confessions and a collective reflection on self-image.
Synopsis
Self-Tape is a hybrid documentary montage film that reimagines a gesture by Hungarian artist Tibor Hajas, who invited strangers to present themselves before a camera in Budapest fifty years ago. In a New York pop-up portrait studio, pedestrians step into frame as if entering a public audition. Playful poses and quick answers open into stories of pride, shame, grief and desire. As the filmmaker confronts his own discomfort with being seen, the portraits reveal a shared hunger for affirmation – to be recognized, understood, and told that the life one has made is enough.
Written and Directed by
Martin Boross
Produced by
Chris Piliouni
Director of Photography
Luke Kao
Assistant Director – Eli Rudavsky
Assistant Producer – Angus McMaster
Interviews conducted by Martin Boross, Chris Piliouni, Pablo Mejia, Madeline Rose Finkel
Production Assistants – Ryan Benson, Portia Lundie, Sophiyaa Nayar
Location Sound Mixer – CJ Lin
B Camera Operator – Maya Zaleski
Assistant Camera – Ada Sage
Gaffer – Stephen Lyons II.
Digital Media Manager – Ryan Benson
Grip – Nick Matthys, Kyle Wright, Pablo Mejia
Featuring:
Henry Beaudoin, Chickie Bucco Brent, Shams DaBaron, Imani Charles, Quinn Davis, Ann Downey, Julio Espinosa M., Robert Fetik, Simon Finnerty, Judah Frozier, Prince Harper, Emily Heeralal, Meshach Hewitt, Austin Hust, Carlos Loja, Cinthya Lopez, Kendice Marshall, Tonya Michel, Raul Nawas, Javier Novell, Gabriela Guadalupe Ortiz, Samantha Orszulak, Segun Oyetunde, JJ Point Du Jour, Devin L. Pride, Stefan Ringel, Michael Saab, Veronika Shvetsova, Billy Smith, Christina Villegas, Gabby Ziccarelli and others…
Edited by Martin Boross
Sound Design and Re-recording Mix – Márton Csukás
Color Grading by Luke Kao
Music
Márk Bartha – Scout
Johannes Brahms – Vögelein durchrauscht die Luft
Johannes Brahms – Sieh, wie ist die Welle klar
Cosmo Sheldrake – Bodies of Water
Loskil – Plume
Anonymous New York City street musician
Thanks:
Sonte’nish Myers, Julia Solomonoff, Andrew MacLean, Nay Tabbara, Tisch Graduate Film Class ‘27, The People of New York City
Special Thanks:
András Polgár, Tara Khozein, Faith Catlin, Tibor Hajas and his ‘76 team
This film was made possible with support from the Black Family Prize.
Tisch School of the Arts
2026
