The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu (Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceauşescu)

directed by Andrei Ujică
Romania, 2010, 180 minutes
OPENING NIGHT FILM
Official Selection — Cannes Film Festival
Official Selection — New York Film Festival

Introduction by Vladimir Tismăneanu, professor of politics and Director of the Center for the Study of Post-communist Societies at University of Maryland (College Park), author of the award-winning synthesis on Romanian communism, entitled Stalinism for All Seasons.

Andrei Ujică’s new film, The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu, is the last installment of the trilogy that started with Videograms of a Revolution (and which opened the previous edition of our festival) and continued with Out of the Present. It’s not a “documentary” or a “docudrama,” but rather a “fiction feature,” with real, historical characters. With this film, we may be indeed witnessing the birth of a new film genre. Ujică didn’t shoot a single frame of footage, because everything was already shot. He simply edited archival material of Ceauşescu and reconstructed his historical adventure – an adventure which, because we’re dealing with a head of state, formed the very destiny of this state itself. From a formal point of view, The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu proves that with exclusive use of existing images it is indeed possible to yield films focused on recent history, yet with an epic vein similar to that of the historical fiction cinema such as, most notably, the ample period pieces in American cinema dedicated to the Vietnam War generation. Left to his own devices, how does Ceauşescu appear? Unexpectedly complex! His swift political ascent, from the coarse country boy to the authoritarian and autarchic leader, welcomed the world over, is accompanied by private clumsiness, just as it is strengthened by public skills. Ceauşescu gradually reveals himself as both clever and candid, inspired and expired, appalling and touching. Ample reasons to ignite controversy. – Alex Leo Şerban, AperiTIFF magazine

Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (Portretul luptătorului la tinerete)

directed by Constantin Popescu – U.S. Premiere
Romania, 2010, 120 minutes
NEW FEATURES
Cast: Constantin Diţă, Alexandru Potocean, Bogdan Dumitrache, Răzvan Vasilescu, Mihai Constantin, Mimi Brănescu
Official Selection — Berlin Film Festival

Right after World War II, Romania fell under the iron fist of communist dictatorship. The country itself became a huge prison, and terror was the new rule of law. Part of the Romanian population that was affected by the Communists’ expropriations went “into the mountains.” Over a thousand armed resistance groups took refuge in the inaccessible forests of the Carpathian Mountains where they waited in vain for the support of the Western Allies. Thirty of them held their ground well into the 1950s. One was led by Ion Gavrilă-Ogoranu, who managed to remain undetected until 1976 when he was arrested. Constantin Popescu’s ambitious first feature depicts the daily existence of this hungry and emotionally withdrawn group, and their struggle that became an end in and of itself, as they faced constant pursuit by an enemy renown for torture and liquidation.

Sat, December 4
2:30 p.m.
Theater 2

Tuesday, After Christmas (Marti, după Crăciun)

directed by Radu Muntean
Romania, 2010, 100 minutes – A Lorber Films release
NEW FEATURES / FOCUS VICTOR REBENGIUC
OPENS MAY 25, 2023 AT FILM FORUM
Cast: Mimi Brănescu, Mirela Oprişor, Maria Popistașu, Victor Rebengiuc, Dragoș Bucur
Official Selection — Cannes Film Festival, Un certain regard
Official Selection — New York Film Festival

An exquisitely crafted portrait of a married man who has fallen in love with another woman, Radu Muntean’s fourth feature is yet another urban story about thirty somethings, as was his previous film Boogie, of two years ago. Tuesday, after Christmas starts off with a husband’s adulterous affair which turns out to be the spark that burns the illusion of the Perfect Family to ashes. Though possessing a dramatic story line and tone, Tuesday, after Christmas steers clear of the tragic through wonderfully understated performances and situations. The subtlety and compassion with which Muntean presents these people is incredible, and result in a truly powerful piece of cinema that feels so utterly human you can’t help but become completely immersed.

Preceded by a brief presentation of the New Romanian Cinema issue of Film Criticism magazine.

Sat, December 4
3:30 p.m.
Lounge

Free admission, first-
come-first-serve basis

Polanski, Polanski

SPECIAL EVENTS: PERFORMANCE
A New Play by Saviana Stănescu
Performed by Grant Neale
Directed by Tamilla Woodard

See Polanski do battle with Polanski. What goes on with a brilliant, complex, and fabulously flawed human being when he is forced to take himself to task for his own misdeeds? Join us for a special performance, an excerpt from "Saviana Stanescu's fascinating new play [...] featuring a remarkable, compelling performance by Grant Neale and fluid and often surprising direction by Tamilla Woodard." (Martin Denton, nythatre.com).

Kino Caravan (Caravana cinematografică)

directed by Titus Muntean – U.S. Premiere
Romania, 2009, 100 minutes
NEW FEATURES
Cast: Dorian Boguţă, Mircea Diaconu, Iulia Lumânare

Screening introduced by producer Tudor Giurgiu

In an isolated village in Transylvania, at the beginning of the ‘60s, the peaceful lives of villagers are disturbed by a mobile cinema led by the young and ambitious communist activist Tavi. He has been assigned to screen Soviet propaganda films to this rural community that has been untouched by modern technology, but the endless rain and the local population’s simplemindedness endlessly foil his plans. Beyond the burlesque humor and the naiveté of the situations, a sinister undertone gradually insinuates itself and the fundamentally good people from the village start to fear not only God, but also the new regime. Humorous hyperbole and magnificent shots of the softly lit Transylvanian countryside carry the audience through to the story’s unforeseen ending.

Sat, December 4
5:00 p.m.
Theater 2


Sun, December 5
2:30 p.m.
Theater 1

The World According to Ion B. (Lumea văzută de Ion B.)

directed by Alexander Nanău
Romania, 2009, 61 minutes
DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA
Official Selection – Telluride Film Festival
Winner of the 2010 International Emmy for Arts Programming

Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu

The World According to Ion B. begins in 2008.  Ion B. is a 62 year-old homeless man living in Bucharest. As a young man, he had dreamed of becoming a film director. In the ‘70s he started creating collages that he refers to as “my films.” In 2008, he shows his almost 1,000 collages to a young art gallery owner in Bucharest and becomes one of the most important Romanian contemporary artists of our day. This is the story of a genuine artist living on the margins of society, creating art in its purest form: strictly for himself. Colorful, touching and credible, Ion Bârlădeanu is the embodiment of human dignity, which can be found even in the depths of poverty.

Sat, December 4
6:30 p.m.
Theater 2


Sun, December 5
3:45 p.m.
Theater 1

Medal of Honor (Medalia de onoare)

directed by Călin Peter Netzer – N.Y. Premiere
Romania-Germany, 2009, 106 minutes
NEW FEATURES / FOCUS VICTOR REBENGIUC
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Camelia Zorlescu, Ion Lucian, Radu Beligan, Ion Iliescu
Official Selection — Palm Springs Film Festival

Screening followed by Q&A; with actor Victor Rebengiuc

Out of the blue, a retired man of 75 is awarded a medal of honor for his heroic deeds during World War II. This proves to be the ideal occasion – though seemingly undeserved – to earn back the respect of his family and friends. Director Călin Peter Netzer’s second film, six years after his award-winning debut Maria, Medal of Honor seizes a new occasion to draw with painfully accurate precision the fast-forward transition of Romania from communism to capitalism. Paying tribute to Italian neorealism (and in particular to Vittorio de Sica’s Umberto D), this social melodrama with a comedic twist deals with old age, and with illusive and intoxicating feeling of grandeur. Rarely if ever has there been a post-communist tragicomedy that breaks one’s heart with such delicate blows. Victor Rebengiuc is simply sublime in the part of the pathetic but infinitely empathic patriarch, who, after regaining his self-respect, tries to reconnect with his family. – Mihai Chirilov

Merry Circus (Circul vesel)

directed by Claudiu Mitcu – U.S. Premiere
Romania, 2009, 51 minutes
DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA

Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu

Merry Circus tells the story of a family whose roots in the traditional Romanian strolling circus Globus begin back in the 1920s, when Toma Zdebschi traveled to Romania with the Globus Circus from Czechoslovakia and never went back. His son Carol is now 84, and together with his wife Mina, 75, they recall with nostalgia a life of great satisfaction, but also of sacrifices. Their passionate vocation is symbolized by the circus wagon, which will remain in the backyard of their home for as long as they live.

Preceded by the short film Lord

directed by Adrian Sitaru
Romania, 2010, 23 minutes

An old, needy and noisy Pekingese dog is the latest victim of Tony the dog snatcher. The Pekingese is just bad business: the owner is too old to come pick up the dog, and too poor to pay the reward the dog-snatcher requests. Meanwhile Tony’s girlfriend starts complaining: the dog is a nuisance. She needs money for new clothes, and Tony needs to make a difficult decision.

Preceded by the short film The Cage (Colivia)

directed by Adrian Sitaru
Romania, 2010, 17 minutes

A family’s everyday life becomes tormented when their son brings home an injured pigeon. The father dislikes the disease-carrying bird, but the son is firm in his determination to keep his new-found animal friend safe on the balcony of their flat. The mother finds herself in her usual role: mediating family conflict. But feelings can change.

Stuck on Christmas (Captivi de Crăciun)

directed by Iulia Rugină – U.S. Premiere
Romania, 2009, 39 minutes
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
Cast: Mădălina Ghiţescu, Ozana Oancea, Cristian Popa, Bogdan Dumitrache

Screening followed by Q&A; with actress Ozana Oancea

It’s Christmas Eve in a small mountain train station and four people are waiting for a train that’s stuck in snow hundreds of kilometers away. Because of the holiday, no one knows how long it will take for the train to finally come. They don’t know each other and each of them only wants to reach his destination as soon as possible, be it back home or abroad. As hours pass and the train is evermore delayed, the four share hope, anger and despair – and the absurd. Directed by one of the most talented female directors of the new generation, Iulia Rugină, this heart-warming comedy is a quiet study in stagnation that underlines its heroes’ determination to get moving. – Mihai Chirilov

Preceded by the short film Oxygen (Oxigen)

directed by Adina Pintilie
Romania, 2010, 40 minutes

During the communist period in Romania, thousands of people risked their lives attempting to flee the country. Despair required them to invent the most incredible methods of crossing the border illegally. This film is a reenactment of a real case: a man who tried to cross the Danube using an oxygen cylinder.

Sat, December 4
9:00 p.m.
Theater 2

Francesca

directed by Bobby Păunescu – N.Y. Premiere
Romania, 2009, 96 minutes
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
Cast: Monica Bârlădeanu, Dorian Boguţă, Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Teo Corban, Doru Ana
Official selection – Venice Film Festival 2009, Orizzonti

Screening followed by Q&A; with director Bobby Păunescu and actress Monica Bârlădeanu

Francesca is a young kindergarten teacher whose dream of a better life is to migrate to Italy. Her boyfriend, Miţă, plans to join her as soon as he concludes a pending business deal. Things take an unfortunate turn of events, painful truths come to light and priorities change. This is a remarkable debut because Păunescu was previously known only as the producer of Cristi Puiu’s films. But Francesca’s story is somewhat personal – Păunescu himself lived in Italy for a number of years. Francesca is full of surprises, a mature debut with authentic dialogue and impeccable acting, featuring an engaging performance by lead actress Monica Bârlădeanu. The film was invited to open the “Orizzonti” section of the Venice Film Festival, where a line told by Francesca’s father – referring to Alessandra Mussolini – provoked the Italian politician to demand a ban on the film from Venice screens. – Alex Leo Şerban, AperiTIFF magazine

Aurora

directed by Cristi Puiu
Romania-France-Germany-Switzerland, 2010, 181 minutes – A Cinema Guild release
NEW FEATURES
Cast: Cristi Puiu, Clara Vodă, Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Gelu Colceag, Catrinel Dumitrescu, Valeria Seciu, Valentin Popescu
Official Selection — Cannes Film Festival, Un certain regard
Official Selection — New York Film Festival

“There is no such thing as a murderer, only people who kill.” With these words writer-director Cristi Puiu qualifies his careful study of contemporary Romanian society and fatal acts – such as murder. The film, made five years after Puiu’s widely acclaimed The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu, focuses on 42-year-old Viorel (played by the filmmaker) who is going through a gloomy period of life that leads him to kill, without it clarity as to whether or not it is his divorce and conflictual relationships with his loved ones that provokes him to open fire.  The film attempts to demystify the act of murder, rendering it unspectacular, as if there were nothing remarkable about a person who commits murder. The director avoids psychoanalysis of his characters and doesn’t point to where they are heading, while an intentionally staid narrative contributes to the overwhelming suspense and lack of certainty in this powerful film.

Sun, December 5
5:30 p.m.
Theater 2

First of All, Felicia (Felicia, înainte de toate)

directed by Răzvan Rădulescu & Melissa de Raaf – N.Y. Premiere
Romania-The Netherlands, 2009, 121 minutes
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
Cast: Ozana Oancea, Ileana Cernat, Vasile Menţel
AFI Los Angeles 2009

Screening followed by Q&A; with actress Ozana Oancea

After co-writing screenplays for most of the recent landmarks in Romanian cinema such as  The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, Răzvan Rădulescu makes his directing debut with First of All, Felicia, alongside Melissa de Raaf. This film of a heartrending simplicity is a family drama that doesn’t resemble any of his screenplays. Felicia is a youngish woman who left her home some 20 years ago, moved to the Netherlands, had a child, divorced, and made a career for herself in her adopted country. But, she faithfully returns to Bucharest every year to see her parents. Every visit is a wrenching emotional experience that reaches a climax on the day of her departure. The dialogue reeks with gripping familiarity that evokes one’s own family relationships, turned absurd with the lapse of time. As moving and as painful as it can be, the film possesses a striking lucidity that borders on cruelty. – Ana Maria Sandu, AperiTIFF magazine

The Shukar Collective Project

directed by Matei-Alexandru Mocanu – U.S. Premiere
Romania, 2010, 75 minutes
DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA

Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu

This documentary explores the friction between two different worlds – an instinctual and a conceptual one – experienced when the band Shukar Collective came together in an attempt to combine electronic and gypsy music. Ultimately, the band enjoyed international success but the total lack of compatibility between the two worlds undermined the group. Alternating between close ups of the world of the gypsies (with their big smiles and gold teeth, bony hands capable of making music with spoons and wooden barrels, large black rimmed hats, etc.) with “electro guys” in wide shots, the film beautifully underlines these discrepancies. Yet still, music can reconcile even the irreconcilable.

Preceded by the short film Trolleybus 92 (Troleibuzul 92)

directed by Ştefan Constantinescu
Romania, 2009, 8 minutes

He sits next to an old lady in a trolley bus.  In his mid thirties, middle class, he’s practically an anonymous guy. He talks on the phone. His voice shows no emotion as he relentlessly menaces someone at the other end of the line. As the threats grow meaner and more vicious, no one around him pays attention. A brief moment of insanity and indifference points to deep flaws in Romanian society.

Preceded by the short film Urban Groove

directed by Ruxandra Ghiţescu
Romania, 2010, 7 minutes

Two teenagers from the ‘hood go wild in front of the camera. The show starts off brutally, and then gets worse. After beating homeless people and picking fights with a flock of transvestites, the dynamic duo encounters a “new challenge.” A raw piece of faux-cine-verité from the underbelly of contemporary Romania.

Sun, December 5
6:30 p.m.
Lounge

Free admission, first-
come-first-serve basis

The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor
A Performative Reading by Victor Rebengiuc

SPECIAL EVENTS: PERFORMANCE
Based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov
In Romanian only

This outstanding one-man-show rounds up the tribute paid by the festival to its special guest, legendary thesp Victor Rebengiuc. The legend of the Grand Inquisitor is a story within a story, first published as a chapter of Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece, The Brothers Karamazov. Jesus returns to Earth during the Spanish Inquisition and is arrested. The Grand Inquisitor visits him in his cell to tell him that he is no longer needed on Earth. The Church, which is now allied with the Devil, is better able than Jesus to give people what they need. Clocking in at less than an hour, Rebengiuc's reading is a masterful lesson in subtlety, further proof that he ranks among the greatest Romanian stage and screen actors.

Carnival Scenes (De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?)

directed by Lucian Pintilie
Romania, 1981, 119 minutes
CLOSING NIGHT FILM
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Mariana Mihuţ, Petre Gheorghiu, Tora Vasilescu, Gheorghe Dinică

Screening followed by Q&A; with actors Victor Rebengiuc and Mariana Mihuţ

Directed by one of the most celebrated Romanian filmmakers, Lucian Pintilie, and based on the works of the acclaimed Romanian writer Ion Luca Caragiale, Carnival Scenes was banned by Communist authorities in 1981 and was released only after the revolution of 1989. Just like Pintilie’s The Oak (which screened at both New York Film Festival and last year, at our festival), this delirious adaptation is a portrayal of a Romanian society walking a tightrope between promiscuity and self-pity, a society that is turbulent and non-resilient, falsely joyful and possessed by endemic sadness. To attribute the seductive hold of this film merely to its virtuosity and baroque brilliance would be to miss a large element of its scope. The intelligence of Pintilie’s compositions rivals that of Fellini, yet Pintille brings together, in an entirely natural way, both hyper-developed sensory depth and perfect reflective rigor. – Alex Leo Şerban