Romanian Film Festival – 8th Edition

The Campaign, also known as Berliner, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature, a political comedy, starring Ovidiu Crisan, Ion Sapdaru, and Ioana Chitu, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel Andronache’s novel Ich bin ein Berliner, the famous quote from President J.F. Kennedy, the film follows the mishaps of a Romanian politician (Ion  Sapdaru) running for the European Parliament in hopes to escape charges of corruption once elected and given immunity. His car breaks down near a farm. He immediately sees the opportunity to make the villagers into his voters by adopting the façade of a commoner, the “old friend” of the farmer. Compromise doesn’t pay very well, but well enough for Viorel (Ovidiu Crisan). Filmed in Crisan’s native Salonta, under the mater cinematographer Oleg Mutu, The Campaign / Berliner was nominated for several “Best Film” awards at international festivals and won the main competition at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2020. Crisan had previously won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film with Megatron at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010, he won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival with his first feature film Morgen, which was also the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards. 

No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship, faith, respect for the dead, religious rituals, as well as the routine of everyday life— Gruzsniczki’s film tells the story of Emil (Mircea Andreescu), a nonbeliever, who is challenged by the faith of his best friend Titi (Valer Dellakeza) and his confession: Emil’s late wife has moved in with Titi and haunts him. This delicate, impeccably acted comedy-drama gives viewers an honest glimpse into the life of the elderly.  Nominated for the Tiatan Award at the Beijing International Film Festival, No Rest for the Old Lady adds to Gruzsniczki’s list of awards, among which is the 2008 Main Award, FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF, and the 2009 Best Romanian Film at Transylvania IFF for The Other Irene; and the 2013 Special Jury Award at Rome IFF for Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

Detective Florin Iespas, despite facing his own personal issues, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect, Florin faces more obstacles as his colleagues dismiss his work and persist that he give up. He is forced to take his own measures, and the case ends up putting up much more than just one suspect on trial.

This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program the seminary tutors try to shape them into or endure draconian surveillance by the secret police?

Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old,  members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film, the brave Nicholas Butacu (drums), Rareș Stănescu (guitar), Rareș Rădulescu (bass guitar), and Zoran Ion Stănescu (lead singer) are observed both on the path of artistic transformations and on the road from childhood to adolescence. Warmly received by adolescents as well as by the public at large, the documentary was invited to Transylvania IFF and to Alba Iulia Music and Film Festivals as well as to prominent concert halls in Romania.

This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary, 10 years in the making, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water, in forests and wetlands, through the seasons, in day and night. It focuses on the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta enhanced by a sweeping musical score. We are challenged to preserve and steward this treasure for future generations.

The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it  reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful, darkened graphic, accompanied by the suave, almost whispering music of a lullaby, depict the consequences of domestic abuse and alcoholism. Launched in 2020, Muresan’s animation has already won three major awards: in 2020 it was selected at Warsaw IFF and at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, and in 2021 received the Special Mention and the Best Short Film award at Transylvania IFF. 

Morale battle, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled with twists and turns, negotiations, losing sleep and getting into promiscuous situations as a preamble of the day of the exam.

Fragile, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration with Rucsandra Pop, the script compiled real stories under one theme: “women are not made to be broken.” An accomplished actress and gifted creator, Ioana Flora impersonates different characters with kindness and respect, understanding and empathy. Conceived both as a mini-series and as a feature film in the form of an anthology, this ingeniously created gem won the Fulbright Alumni Grant and was co-financed by the US Embassy in Bucharest and 8 nonprofit associations in Romania.

In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been minimized or denied altogether, recollecting the horrific violent acts during the pogrom and the actions of both civilians and the Romanian military is no small feat. However, the film is not as straight-forward as it may seem- as the images are not necessarily of the victim or their family of the voice-over. In collaboration with historian Adrian Cioflâncă, Jude explores how collective memory is shaped and can also be distorted.

The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her family and to improve her Roma community. She supports them all as a pillar of courage, love and hope. We see, too, this life from her six daughters’ perspectives.

In the quiet city of Genopolis, Dr. Fronius, a professor of psychology, begins a series of experiments, intending to overturn Darwin's theory.