brochure [pdf format]

5th Romanian
Film Festival
in NYC
A NEW
BEGINNING
December 3–5, 2010
5th Romanian Film Festival in NYC
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A New Beginning
The Romanian Film Festival in New York City is a partnership of
the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York (RCINY) with the
Transilvania International Film Festival and Tribeca Cinemas.
Initiated in 2006, and chaired by Corina Şuteu, director of RCINY,
the festival selection committee also includes Mihai Chirilov, curator,
and Oana Radu, RCINY deputy director. The festival was supported
from the very beginning by Peter Scarlet, former director of Tribeca
Film Festival.
Special thanks to the Romanian National Film Center, HBO Romania,
Cinema Guild, Coach 14, Coproduction Office, Film Forum NYC,
Films Boutique, Lorber Films, Mandragora Movies, The Match
Factory, the University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest (UNATC)
for their support in bringing the films to New York audiences, and
to Elena Buruiană, Nick Drake, Raluca Gold, Richard Lorber, Mike
Maggiore, Corina Oades, Cristi Puiu, and Keith Weckstein in the
organization of the festival.
New Romanian Cinema was born in 2001 and
as of 2005 became the thing on the international film scene. In our last year’s introduction
to the festival, we were hinting at what was
to come. We could already sense the sweet
smell of success again – and this year’s New
York Film Festival proved us right: no less than
three Romanian films made it into its program.
More, they were deservedly treated like royalty.
Although now we don’t quite know what is going to happen next, one thing is for sure: 2010
is a natural time for a new beginning. We invite
you to experience the current edition from this
intriguing perspective.
Opening this year’s edition, Andrei Ujică’s
The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceaușescu
is actually closing a chapter of the recent
Romanian history, offering a brand new, hotly
debated and much-needed perspective on
our national anti-hero. Most of the new films’
characters are longing for a new start, be it the
unfaithful husband in Tuesday, After Christmas, the guilty father in Medal of Honor, or
the women challenged by the contexts of their
lives in both Francesca and First of All, Felicia. Incidentally, both Portrait of the Fighter
as a Young Man and Kino Caravan deal with a
different kind of “new beginning”: the rise of
the communist regime in Romania in the ‘50s.
And last but not least: after a 5-year gap since
his worldwide breakthrough with The Death of
Mr. Lăzărescu, Cristi Puiu is back with his new
and anticipated film, Aurora, the very title of
which implies a new beginning. As the director
stated for The New York Times earlier this year,
“this film is about the beginning of a new life
for the main character and all the others who
are engaged with him. The sunrise is a transitory moment – you cannot say if [it] is night or
day, if it will be a cloudy day or a sunny day –
but it is about a beginning.”
Challenging the aesthetic of the Romanian
New Wave as we know it, with a strong focus on
characters stuck in limbo, this year’s abundant
crop of New Romanian Cinema is the perfect
mirror of a society at a crossroads desperately
looking for a new path to follow. Hence the mirrored looks of Cristi Puiu’s character in Aurora
on this year’s festival poster. There is little hope
in them, and the gun doesn’t help either. But
we know that the sun will always rise.
The 5th edition of the Romanian Film Festival
also celebrates the strong tradition of Romanian cinema. There is no coincidence that this
year’s special guest is actor Victor Rebengiuc,
starring in Lucian Pintilie’s 1981 Carnival
Scenes that closes the festival. Both Pintilie
and Rebengiuc are of those artists that Romanian cinema derives its glory from. And, like in
well written scripts, their strong creative legacy
encapsulates the continuity between generations, the belief that art prevails because,
although it is unable to change the world, it can
at least help human beings understand each
other better.
Corina Şuteu & Mihai Chirilov
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OPENING NIGHT FILM
| Fri, Dec 3, 6:30 pm | Sun, Dec 5, 11:00 am
Introduction by Vladimir Tismăneanu*
The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu
Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceauşescu
| Romania, 2010, 180 minutes |
Directed by Andrei Ujică
Editor: Dana Bunescu
Production: Icon Productions
Official Selection — Cannes Film Festival
Official Selection — New York Film Festival
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* Vladimir Tismăneanu is 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. 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. – Alex Leo Şerban,
AperiTIFF magazine
Screening followed by Q&A with actors Victor Rebengiuc and Mariana Mihuţ
Carnival Scenes
De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?
| Romania, 1981, 119 minutes |
Directed by Lucian Pintilie
Screenplay: Lucian Pintilie,
based on Ion Luca Caragiale’s work
Cinematography: Florin Mihăilescu
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Mariana Mihuț,
Petre Gheorghiu, Tora Vasilescu,
Gheorghe Dinică
Production: Casa de Film 1 & 5
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 Pintilie brings together, in
an entirely natural way, both hyper-developed sensory depth and
perfect reflective rigor. – Alex Leo Şerban
CLOSING NIGHT FILM / FOCUS VICTOR REBENGIUC
| Sun, Dec 5, 8:30 pm
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NEW FEATURES
| Sun, Dec 5, 2:00 pm
Aurora
Aurora
| Romania-France-Germany-Switzerland, 2010, 181 minutes – A Cinema Guild release |
Directed by Cristi Puiu
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Screenplay: Cristi Puiu
Cinematography: Viorel Sergovici
Cast: Cristi Puiu, Clara Vodă, Luminița
Gheorghiu, Gelu Colceag, Catrinel
Dumitrescu, Valeria Seciu, Valentin Popescu
Production: Mandragora Movies, Parisienne
de Production, Bord Cadre Films, Essential
Filmproduktion
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 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. – Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Screening introduced by producer Tudor Giurgiu
Kino Caravan
Caravana cinematografică
| Romania, 2009, 100 minutes |
Directed by Titus Muntean
Screenplay: Titus Muntean
Cinematography: Vivi Drăgan Vasile
Cast: Dorian Boguță, Mircea Diaconu,
Iulia Lumânare
Production: Libra Film
U.S. Premiere
NEW FEATURES
| Sat, Dec 4, 4:30 pm
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. – Febiofest Prague
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NEW FEATURES / FOCUS VICTOR REBENGIUC
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| Sat, Dec 4, 6:30 pm | Sun, Dec 5, 3:45 pm
Screenings followed by Q&A with actor Victor Rebengiuc
Medal of Honor
Medalia de onoare
| Romania-Germany, 2009, 106 minutes |
Directed by Călin Peter Netzer
Screenplay: Tudor Voican
Cinematography: Liviu Mărghidan
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Camelia Zorlescu,
Ion Lucian, Radu Beligan, Ion Iliescu
Production: HiFilm Productions
Official Selection — Palm Springs Film
Festival
N.Y. Premiere
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 feelings 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
Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man
Portretul luptătorului la tinereţe
| Romania, 2010, 120 minutes |
Directed by Constantin Popescu
Screenplay: Constantin Popescu
Cinematography: Liviu Mărghidan
Cast: Constantin Diță, Alexandru Potocean,
Bogdan Dumitrache, Răzvan Vasilescu,
Mihai Constantin, Mimi Brănescu
Production: Filmex Film
Official Selection — Berlin Film Festival
U.S. Premiere
NEW FEATURES
| Sat, Dec 4, 2:00 pm
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. – Forum Berlinale
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NEW FEATURES
| Sat, Dec 4, 2:30 pm
Tuesday, After Christmas
Marţi, după Crăciun
| Romania, 2010, 100 minutes
– A Lorber Films release |
Directed by Radu Muntean
Screenplay: Răzvan Rădulescu, Alex Baciu,
Radu Muntean
Cinematography: Tudor Lucaciu
Cast: Mimi Brănescu, Mirela Oprişor, Maria
Popistaşu, Victor Rebengiuc, Dragoş Bucur
Production: Multi Media Est
Official Selection — Cannes Film Festival,
Un certain regard
Official Selection — New York Film Festival
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OPENS MAY 25, 2011 AT FILM FORUM
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. – Leeds International Film Festival
Screening followed by Q&A with actress Ozana Oancea
First of All, Felicia
Felicia, înainte de toate
| Romania-The Netherlands,
2009, 121 minutes |
Directed by Răzvan Rădulescu
& Melissa de Raaf
Screenplay: Răzvan Rădulescu
& Melissa de Raaf
Cinematography: Tudor Lucaciu
Cast: Ozana Oancea, Ileana Cernat,
Vasile Mențel
Production: HiFilm Productions,
Unlimited, Frakas, Kinorama
AFI Los Angeles 2009
N.Y. Premiere
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
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
| Sun, Dec 5, 5:30 pm
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WOMEN ON THE MOVE
| Sat, Dec 4, 9:00 pm
Screening followed by Q&A with director Bobby Păunescu and actress Monica Bârlădeanu
Francesca
Francesca
| Romania, 2009, 96 minutes |
Directed by Bobby Păunescu
Screenplay: Bobby Păunescu
Cinematography: Andrei Butică
Cast: Monica Bârlădeanu, Dorian Boguţă,
Luminiţa Gheorghiu, Teo Corban, Doru Ana
Production: Mandragora Movies
Official selection – Venice Film Festival
2009, Orizzonti
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N.Y. Premiere
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
Screening followed by Q&A with actress Ozana Oancea
Stuck on Christmas
Captivi de Crăciun
| Romania, 2009, 39 minutes |
Directed by Iulia Rugină
Screenplay: Ana Agopian,
Oana Răsuceanu, Iulia Rugină
Cinematography: Ana Drăghici,
Vladimir Iancu
Cast: Mădălina Ghițescu, Ozana Oancea,
Cristian Popa, Bogdan Dumitrache
Production: UNATC
U.S. Premiere
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
WOMEN ON THE MOVE
| Sat, Dec 4, 8:45 pm
Preceded by
Oxygen (Oxigen), directed by Adina Pintilie, 40 min. (see page 18)
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DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA
| Sat, Dec 4, 6:45 pm
Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu
Merry Circus
Circul vesel
| Romania, 2009, 51 minutes |
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.
Directed by Claudiu Mitcu
Screenplay: Claudiu Mitcu, Aura Sorescu
Cinematography: Toma Velio
Production: HBO Romania, Hi Film
Productions
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U.S. Premiere
Preceded by
Lord, directed by Adrian Sitaru, 23 min.
The Cage (Colivia), directed by Adrian Sitaru, 17 min.
(see page 17)
Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu
The Shukar Collective Project
The Shukar Collective Project
| Romania, 2010, 75 minutes |
Directed by
Matei-Alexandru Mocanu
Screenplay: Matei-Alexandru Mocanu
Cinematography: David Lee Dop,
Iulian Nan
Production: HBO Romania, HiFilm
Productions
U.S. Premiere
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.
DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA
| Sun, Dec 5, 6:15 pm
Preceded by
Trolleybus 92, directed by Ştefan Constantinescu, 8 min.
Urban Groove, directed by Ruxandra Ghiţescu, 7 min.
(see page 18-19)
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DOCS / FOCUS HBO ROMANIA
| Sat, Dec 4, 5:00 pm | Sun, Dec 5, 2:30 pm
Screening introduced by HBO producer Andrei Creţulescu
The World According to Ion B
Lumea văzută de Ion B.
| Romania, 2009, 61 minutes |
Directed by Alexander Nanău
Screenplay & Cinematography:
Alexander Nanău
Production: HBO Romania,
Alexander Nanău Productions
Official Selection – Telluride Film Festival
2010 International Emmy Award in Arts
Programming category
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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.
Lord
| Romania, 2010, 17 minutes |
| Romania, 2010, 23 minutes |
Colivia
SHORTS
The Cage
Lord
Directed by
Adrian Sitaru
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.
Directed by
Adrian Sitaru
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.
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SHORTS
Oxygen
Trolleybus 92
| Romania, 2010, 40 minutes |
| Romania, 2009, 8 minutes |
Oxigen
Troleibuzul 92
Directed by
Adina Pintilie
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.
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Directed by
Ştefan Constantinescu
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.
Urban Groove
Urban Groove
| Romania, 2010, 7 minutes |
Directed by
Ruxandra Ghiţescu
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.
SHORTS
Cast Your Vote!
For the second time since launching
a Romanian Film Festival for the New
York audiences, you’re kindly asked
to choose your favorites. Before each
screening you’ll be given a voting card
and encouraged afterwards to rate the
film you’ve just seen. The Audience
Award winner will be announced on
Monday on the website of the Romanian Cultural Institute in New York
www.icrny.org.
Last year’s winner was Tales from the
Golden Age, the omnibus project written, produced and co-directed by Cristian Mungiu, along with Ioana Uricaru,
Hanno Höfer, Constantin Popescu and
Răzvan Mărculescu.
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SPECIAL EVENTS
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Sun, Dec 5, 6:30 pm
The Legend of the
Grand Inquisitor
Performative reading by Victor Rebengiuc
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. The story
has often been considered a statement of Dostoevsky’s own doubts, which he wrestled with
throughout his life. 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.
The performance will be in Romanian only.
Free admission, first-come-first-serve basis.
| Sat, Dec 4, 2:30 pm
Polanski, Polanski
Film Criticism: A special
issue on the New
Romanian Cinema
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 Denson, nytheatre.com
Free admission, first-come-first-serve basis.
SPECIAL EVENTS
| Sat, Dec 4, 3:30 pm
The Film Criticism special issue on the New Romanian Cinema, edited by Rodica Ieta and Ramona Uritescu-Lombard, appeared in June 2010.
It joins theoretical essays on Romanian cinema
and on its engagement with realism, analyses
of several films by the new wave of directors,
in-depth discussions of the documentary phenomenon, and a comprehensive filmography.
The issue is available for sale during the festival
and will be presented by its editors before the
screening of Tuesday, After Christmas.
Film Criticism is the third oldest academic film
journal in the United States (founded in 1976).
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FESTIVAL AT A GLANCE
Fri, Dec. 3
6:30 pm
FESTIVAL OPENING: The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu, d. Andrei Ujică
(TC 2)
Sat, Dec. 4
2:00 pm
Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man, d. Constantin Popescu – U.S. Premiere
(TC 1)
2:30 pm
Tuesday, After Christmas, d. Radu Muntean
Preceded by a brief presentation of the New Romanian Cinema issue of Film Criticism magazine
(TC 2)
3:30 pm
Performance: Polanski, Polanski by Saviana Stanescu
4:30 pm
Kino Caravan, d. Titus Muntean – U.S. Premiere
(TC 1)
5:00 pm
The World According to Ion B., d. Alexander Nanău
(TC 2)
6:30 pm
Medal of Honor, d. Călin Peter Netzer – N.Y. Premiere | Q&A w. Victor Rebengiuc
(TC 2)
6:45 pm
Merry Circus, d. Claudiu Mitcu – U.S. Premiere | Preceded by SHORTS: Lord | The Cage, d. Adrian Sitaru
(TC 1)
8:45 pm
Stuck on Christmas, d. Iulia Rugină – U.S. Premiere | Q&A w. Ozana Oancea
Preceded by Oxygen, d. Adina Pintilie
(TC 1)
9:00 pm
Francesca, d. Bobby Păunescu – N.Y. Premiere | Q&A w. Bobby Păunescu & Monica Bârlădeanu
(TC 2)
(Lounge)
Sun, Dec. 5
11:00 am
The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu, d. Andrei Ujică
(TC 1)
2:00 pm
Aurora, d. Cristi Puiu
(TC 2)
2:30 pm
The World According to Ion B., d. Alexander Nanău
(TC 1)
3:45 pm
Medal of Honor, d. Călin Peter Netzer | Q&A w. Victor Rebengiuc
(TC 1)
5:30 pm
First of All, Felicia, d. Răzvan Rădulescu & Melissa de Raaf – N.Y. Premiere | Q&A w. Ozana Oancea
(TC 2)
6:15 pm
The Shukar Collective Project, d. Matei-Alexandru Mocanu – U.S. Premiere
Preceded by SHORTS: Trolleybus 92, d. Ştefan Constantinescu | Urban Groove, d. Ruxandra Ghiţescu
(TC 1)
6:30 pm
Performance: The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor with Victor Rebengiuc (Romanian only)
8:30 pm
FESTIVAL CLOSING: Carnival Scenes, d. Lucian Pintilie | Q&A w. Victor Rebengiuc & Mariana Mihuţ
(Lounge)
(TC 2)
All films will be shown in the original language with English subtitles, and introduced by Romanian film critics.
Venue: All screening and events at
Tribeca Cinemas (TC),
54 Varick Street (at Laight Street),
New York City.
Admission:
Regular Adult – $12.00,
Student/Senior – $10.00.
Festival 5-Ticket Package: $50.
Performances – Free, first-come-first-serve basis.
Festival Production Team (Romanian Cultural Institute in New York / Bucharest):
Silvia Rogozea, Mihai Frunză, Nicoleta Frunză / Cătălina Giugariu
Interns and Volunteers: Ana Mărgineanu, Maria-Theresia Svejda, Nicoleta Lupea, Elvira Lupşa, Gjozef Shyti
Public Relations: Julia Pacetti, JMP Verdant Communications
Program editor: Mihai Chirilov, Oana Radu
Graphic Design: Carmen Gociu
www.icrny.org
Still from Aurora by Cristi Puiu
The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York
(RCINY) aims to promote Romanian culture
throughout the U.S. and internationally, and to
build sustainable, creative partnerships among
American and Romanian cultural organizations.
The Institute acts as a catalyst and proponent of
initiatives across artistic fields, striving to foster
understanding, cultural diplomacy, and scholarly discourse by enriching public perspectives
of contemporary Romanian culture. RCINY is
currently the president of the European Union
National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) network
in New York City. For the past five years, RCINY
has been an active enabler and supporter of
the presentation and promotion of Romanian
cinema in the U.S.