One part of the project was to watch and discuss a Hungarian film which had attracted more than half a million viewers in Hungary in 2002. I think only a few people would have noticed the similarities with Dollár Papa, a hit in 1956 directed by Gertler Viktor but actually it was a literary adaptation of Gábor Andor’s Dollar Daddy, the Comedy of Money in 4 scenes first published in 1917. Both films are comedies of error where the protagonist comes back to the Motherland from America and is believed to have brought America with him: fame, money and success. In both cases the Hungarians appear pathetic in their efforts to win the goodwill of Dollárpapa or Alex. These talented con artists build their strategies on the ignorance and snobbery of the locals. Only at this point do we arrive at the purpose of today's gathering.

As the case of Dollar Daddy in Gábor Andor's comedy and 85 years later the example of Alex in Kind of America show insufficient knowledge or mere ignorance breeds gullibility.

Our knowledge of America has always been dependent on our source of information. If we take only the 20th century we can witness a tendency of widening sources of information. At the beginning of the century the main feeder of the romanticized image of America was the correspondence of relatives whose letters understandably projected an exotic country full of material goods - remember the phrase: "Amerikában még a kerítés is kolbászból van." (lit. In America even the fence is made of sausage i.e. Even the streets are paved with gold.).

In the cold war era fewer letters arrived and a biased media made the imperialist USA the arch enemy. This state of being cut off from the world and the lack of authentic sources led to a more intensive romanticized image of America. The epitome of this Zeitgeist is manifested in the notion of "Coca-cola-mámor", Coke haze - originally in Gothár Péter's film, Time Stands Still.

After 1989 begun a new era started - it appeared as if America wanted to make up for the previous 50 years. Hungary all of a sudden was bombarded with all sorts of American products (from self-help books through AMWAY sales agents to Mormon missionaries). Though the sources these days seem to be abundant, their authenticity is questionable. Now most Hungarians feel they are knowledgeable about America. The main problem is that in spite of all these sources and a freer movement between the two countries, the deeply rooted stereotypes among Hungarians about America remain fixed. The main reason for this is the discrepancy between thinking of America as a metaphor or having the United States in mind in its economic, ethnic and political entity.

This project involves a new way of learning about another culture, specifically about America. In the course of the project student have had the opportunity to examine their assumptions and through being interactive they have been able to adjust their initial ideas.

This is an alternative way of learning because one learns through personal experience. As students corresponded with each other and contributed to the Discussion Forum they were learning about America or Hungary in three different ways:

1. being acquainted with personal histories. Reading personal accounts - how they were brought up, what particular problems they had to cope with – has been a good way to get first-hand information about the other culture. Personal stories also generated interesting discussions, for example the following statement: "I remember both of my parents worked very hard, but we never had enough money to go on vacations, to buy things not from necessity but as a luxury. This is why they came to America. We have been in the US for 14 years and I consider USA my home not Hungary."

2. by comparing experiences. Working in six teams, each of which had a theme, students had the opportunity to compare the educational system, the career opportunities, the status of minorities etc. in the two countries. Comparing views on the same film brought out how the difference in cultural background influences opinions – e.g. one of the conclusions of the discussion on Kind of America could be: Did we see the same film? In the same way, during the discussion of Coyote Ugly only the heated reactions of American students made the Hungarians realize how distorted was the image the film projected about American life.

3. by confronting opinions. During the discussions there were several occasions when a lively discussion evolved between Hungarian and American students on particular issues, e.g. on the status of ethnic and racial minorities.

In conclusion I would like to emphasize the importance of the complementary nature of this mode of learning. Textbooks, literature, media and films will remain the main sources for our students to learn about America, but working together on this project has proved that interactive communication between students is a unique way of learning about culture. In the end students may have a less romantic view of the other country, but the loss of exoticism will contribute to a more balanced picture.