"His first feature film was The Age of Daydreaming in 1964, a story of his own generation and their discontent. It is burdened with French Nouvelle Vague influence to the point of cinema-manque rather than -verite. Andras Balint plays himself - or rather the self-image of Szabo - as a young man whose desire to travel, need for friends, difficulties with the opposite sex, etc. are very reminiscent of the teamwork of Truffaut and Jean-Pierre Leaud ... it establishes some of the recurring themes and imagery of Szabo's later films - image of the missing father, role of the inspirational woman who remains a dream, dreams themselves trying to realise themselves, persecution, the social role of the doctor, Hungarians going into and remaining in exile."