Black Dust – Support our upcoming documentary exposing the battery industry!

When construction begins on a battery factory next to journalist Zsuzsa Bodnár’s home in Göd, she did not yet know that this will mark the start of an eight-year-long investigation. Fast forward to a few years, Zsuzsa has been investigating Hungary’s surging battery industry, uncovering – through classified documents, lengthy litigation, and engagement with the local community – the inner workings of an industry that is fundamentally transforming the country.

Through three intertwining storylines, ‘Black Dust’, a documentary in production depicts the rise of the Hungarian battery industry: Zsuzsa Bodnár’s personal journey from local activism to investigative journalism; Hungary’s economic and political transformation; and the battery plants’ detrimental effect on the environment and water reserves.

By following eight years of investigations, the viewer gradually uncovers the contradictions and hidden connections within the industry’s operations. Through uncovered secret documents, lawsuits, environmental fines, explosions, illegal waste dumps, and fatal accidents, the film examines the price that local communities and the environment pay throughout the government’s pursuit to turn the country into a “battery superpower”.

If you support the production of ‘Black Dust’, you will help informing Hungarian and international audiences about the environmental, social, and economic costs of the battery industry’s boom in Hungary. Our documentary, which will be the first feature-length film about the past year’s “battery rush”, will bring to light previously hidden incidents and documents, and show the perspective of affected communities.

As an independent documentary team, we need your support to share crucial facts and unheard voices with as many people as possible.

Creators

Investigative journalist Zsuzsa Bodnár has been a staff member at Átlátszó since 2018; she is also a founding member of the Göd-ÉRT Association, which focuses on the environmental and social impacts of industrialization in Göd. In her articles, she investigates environmental issues, including cases of environmental pollution and regulatory violations at domestic battery factories—particularly the Samsung SDI plant in Göd. In 2026, he was awarded the prestigious Paul Lendvai Prize for his investigative work, specifically for a series of articles on the massive water consumption of battery factories and its impact on the local population.

Ambrus Fatér is a film director and documentary filmmaker whose work regularly addresses social issues. He graduated from the University of Theater and Film Arts in the class of Bence Miklauzic and András Salamon, under the mentorship of Péter Gothár, Ildikó Enyedi, Szabolcs Hajdu, and Ferenc Török. Since then, he has gained extensive experience in the production of documentaries, feature films, commercials, and music videos. The expertise he has acquired in the field of moving images over the years allows him to tell stories from a unique, creative, and sensitive perspective. His graduation film, *Légmell*, received national and international recognition. His documentary *The Taste of Democracy* will debut at the 2026 PÖFF Film Festival in Tallinn and will also be screened at the DOC New York Film Festival that same year.

Viktor Markos works as a graphic designer and videographer for the Józsefváros Local Government’s Public Participation Office and provides services for civil society organizations; he also works at the intersection of theater, activism, and the visual arts.

Your support matters

We hope to finish the one-hour documentary by the end of the year. We are accepting donations on the Adjukössze platform to help produce the film: