Leslie Mandoki releases book and film on Hungarian freedom

Musician and producer Leslie Mandoki is releasing a new book and documentary titled ‘Sehnsucht nach Freiheit’ (Longing for Freedom). The projects explore the legacy of the 1956 Hungarian Uprising against Soviet rule, an event Mandoki witnessed as a child in Budapest before fleeing to the West in 1975.

The book, published by Herder Verlag, features insights from various political figures and artists, including the late Mikhail Gorbachev, Peter Maffay, Gregor Gysi, and Christian Wulff. Mandoki highlights Gorbachev’s views on freedom as a central societal task and reflects on the connection between the 1956 uprising and the opening of borders in 1989.

A documentary film is scheduled to premiere on Welt TV on October 23, coinciding with the anniversary of the uprising. Additionally, Mandoki plans an acoustic concert tour, the ‘Sehnsucht nach Freiheit – Club Sessions’, starting in April 2027 in cities across Germany and Vienna.