:: ALL FILMS PRESENTED WITH
ENGLISH
SUBTITLES :: FREE ADMISSION :: LIMITED SEATING ::
DETAILS ON THE FILMS FEATURED IN THE
ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2007
- PHILANTHROPY (FILANTROPICA)
Directed by: Nae Caranfil
Romania, 2001
Comedy, 111 min
Cast: Mircea Diaconu, Gheorghe Dinica, Mara Nicolescu, Viorica Voda
Paris, France – Audience Award
Wiesbaden, Germany – Jury's Special Award
Mons, Belgium – Young Jury's Award
Montréal, Canada – Audience Award
Wuertzburg, Germany- Audience Award
Bratislava, Slovakia - Jury's Special Award
Newport Beach, California, USA – Best Screenplay Award
Athens, Greece – Best Francophone Film
Bucharest is a city where only money talks. In order to date a pretty woman on Saturday evenings, one needs a thick wallet. Ovidiu, a high-school teacher and struggling writer in his forties, lacks that. But he is determined to make a strong impression on Diana, a spoiled, beautiful young model for whom he feels an irresistible attraction. In search of easy cash, he plunges into a strange world: the beggars Mafia. When Pepe, a “godfather” of sorts, takes Ovidiu under his wing, he starts leading an exhausting and dangerous double-life.
“A biting satire that entertains every step of the way, "Philanthropy" cleverly indicts the many ways in which "freedom" has further constrained the beleaguered citizens of Romania while providing a field day for scam artists and the nouveau riche.” (Lisa Nesselson, 'Variety')
- STUFF AND DOUGH (MARFA SI BANII)
Directed by: Cristi Puiu
Romania, 2001
90 min
Cast: Alexandru Papadopol, Dragos Bucur, Luminita Gheorghiu
Cannes Film Festival, selected in the section "Quinzaine des Réalisateurs"
Thessaloniki, Greece – FIPRESCI Award, Best Actor for Alexandru Papadopol
Buenos Aires, Argentina – ABASTO Award
Angers, France - PROCIREP Award
Cottbus, Germany - Film Festival of Young East European Cinema– Jury's Special "Findling" Award
Trieste, Italy – Jury's Special Mention
Ovidiu, a young man who runs his own business selling snacks and soft drinks out of his parents' apartment, wants to expand and buy a kiosk, but he doesn't have the "dough". A local mafioso offers him an impressive amount of money for an apparently simple job: he has to take a bag to Bucharest to a specific address. It seems, however, that the bag contains some "stuff" that concerns other people, too. Convinced at first that he has sold only his services, Ovidiu will understand that he has in fact sold his soul...
"Cristi Puiu's feature debut, made on what appears to be a non-existent budget, takes a close look at the underbelly of Romanian everyday life.” (Dan Fainaru, 'Screen International')
- LOVE SICK (LEGATURI BOLNAVICIOASE)
Directed by: Tudor Giurgiu
Romania, 2006
Drama, 85 min
Cast: Maria Popistasu, Ioana Barbu, Tudor Chirila
Pécs International Film Festival, Best Actress for Ioana Barbu
Jury Special Award for Performance at the 'Anonimul' International Film Festival, Romania, for Maria Popistasu
Love. It just happens. No rules. It may look sick, but it's deep and it hurts. For everyone, Alex and Kiki are just good friends. They happen to be two girls in love. For everyone, Kiki and Sandu are siblings that sometimes fight, but happen to be more than that. It's a film about friendship and the confusion of love. A “coming-of-age” story about three characters, a boy and two girls who are passionately in love with each other but are afraid to admit it or to say something about it.
“In the international pool of films that make waves on the festival circuit, Love Sick will only make a ripple, but it's a clear and sweet one. […] Director Tudor Giurgiu beautifully explores the confusion and delights of young love.” (Lucy Muss, 'The Guardian')
“The emphasis is on pure feelings, regardless of orientation.” (Derek Elley, 'Variety')
”The exact translation of the title would be 'Sickly Liaisons', like a funny adaptation of [Choderlos de Laclos' title] Dangerous Liaisons... (Tudor Giurgiu)
- THE WAY I SPENT THE END OF THE WORLD (CUM MI-AM PETRECUT SFARSITUL LUMII)
Directed by: Catalin Mitulescu
Associate producers: Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders
Romania, 2006
Drama, 100 min
Cast: Dorotheea Petre Timotei Duma, Marius Stan, Marian Stoica
Cannes Film Festival – "Un Certain Regard" section, Best Actress for Dorotheea Petre
Awards Buzz, Best Foreign Language Film- official submission for the 79th Academy Award selection
Sundance Film Festival, Sundance/NHK-International Filmakers Award, Best European Project (2005)
Bucharest, 1989 - the last year of Ceausescu's dictatorship. Eva is just another teenager, caught up in the turmoil of falling in love for the first time, while struggling to come of age in a world saturated with fastidious politics. She has a secret dream that she shares with only one friend: escaping from Romania and traveling the world. Lalalilu, her little brother, is devastated at the idea of losing his sister. With his best friends from school, he devises a secret plan to kill the dictator so that Eva can stay and live in a free country.
“Mitulescu, whose short film "Trafic" won a Palm d'Or two years ago, works confidently within a traditional, anecdotal storytelling framework, enlivened by young Dorotheea Petre's luminous perf.” (Deborah Young, 'Variety')
“It expresses all the emotion of those bleak days in Romania and gives an idea of what we retain in ourselves, my generation and myself, in this new world which we have entered.” (Catalin Mitulescu)
- BLESS YOU, PRISON (BINECUVANTATA FII, INCHISOARE)
Directed by: Nicolae Margineanu
Romania, 2002
Drama, 90 min
Cast: Maria Ploae, Dorina Lazar, Ecaterina Nazarie
Montréal, Canada – Best Artistic Contribution, Special Mention, Ecumenical Jury Award
Atlanta, USA – Runner up for Best Screenplay, Best International Film and Best Drama
St. Petersburg, Russia - "Golden Knight" Award
Romanian Filmmakers Union 2003 - Best Actress Award for Maria Ploae
A young intellectual woman, Nicole, is arrested simply for being an active member of an opposition party. There follow three months of exhausting interrogation and isolation. Alone in a cell, she undergoes a spiritual experience similar to that of the great mystics and she proceeds to an in-depth soul-searching that helps her discover the power of faith and steels her to put up resistance.
Based on an international bestseller, the film is a true story that uncovers the beginning of communist years in Romania. An inspiring testimony about rediscovering God and the power of endurance.
"The film means to prove that material hardships stand ridiculous when compared to the much more important gift of spiritual elevation.” (Nicolae Margineanu)
“Cast brings gritty energy to the saga, with Ploae never less than riveting in her righteous endurance.” (Eddie Cockrell, 'Variety')
- OCCIDENT (OCCIDENT)
Directed by: Cristian Mungiu
Romania, 2002
Dramatic comedy, 99 min
Cast: Alexandru Papadopol, Tania Popa, Coca Bloos, Tora Vasilescu, Ioan Gyuri Pascu
Cannes Film Festival, selected in the section "Quinzaine des Réalisateurs"
Montpellier, France – NOVA Award
Leeds, England - Best New Director
Salonic, France – Audience Award
Rennes, France – Jury's Special Award
Annonay, France – Best Film Award
Mons, Belgium – Grand Prize, TITRA Film Award
Sofia, Bulgaria – FIPRESCI Award
Transylvania International Film Festival-Best Film
“Occident is a bittersweet comedy that focuses on the growing tendency of Eastern European youth to migrate west.” (Tracie Cooper, 'New York Times')
There are three different stories - a weeklong in the film - that cross, interconnect and happen in the same period. The characters influence each others lives sometimes even without knowing. The stories do not have just one ending: the first story ends in each of the third parts in a different point, suggesting radically different solutions for the characters.
“The film itself represents one reason to stick around – if Romania can come up with such a skilful and intricate movie, the country’s clearly got something going for it.” (Neil Young)
ROMANIAN FILMS FEATURED IN THE 2007 WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL   Friday April 13, 9:30PM, Overture Center Capitol Theater 12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST (A FOST SAU N-A FOST?) Dir: Corneliu Porumboiu Romania, 2006 Dramatic Comedy, 89 min Cast: Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban, Ion Sapdaru 2007 Oscars- Nominated for Independent Spirit Award in the Best Foreign Film category Cannes Film Festival - "Caméra d'Or" Award, Label Europa Cinémas Award Copenhagen,Denmark – Best Film "Golden Swan" Award, Best Screenplay Thessaloniki, Greece – "Balkan Survey" Award Bangkok, Thailand–Jury's Award Siena, Italy –Best Film Award, Best Actors Award, Audience Award Cinessone, France–Jury's Special Award, "Emergences" (New Director) Award, Best Actors for Mircea Andreescu, Ion Sapdaru and Teo Corban Molodist, Ukraine – Grand Prize Harvard, USA, New European Films Festival TIFF Cluj-Napoca, Romania –Grand Prize, Best Romanian Film, Audience Award Bobbio, Italy –Grand Prize "Gobbo d'Oro" Antalya, Turkey, Eurasia Festival – Critics Award Zagreb, Croatia –Jury's Special Mention Cottbus, Germany –Special Award for Oudtstanding Artistic Contribution for the three main actors Showcased in other upcoming festivals: Philadelphia Film Festival, April 5-18, 2007, Tribeca Film Festival, April 25-May 6, 2007 December 22. It's been sixteen years since the Revolution, and holidays are approaching. Piscoci, an old retiree, is preparing to spend another lonely Christmas. Manescu, a history teacher, doesn't want to lose his entire salary to pay his debts. Jderescu, the owner of the local TV station, doesn't seem very interested in vacation. With Piscoci and Manescu's help, he wants to find an answer to a sixteen-year-old question: "Did a revolution really take place in their city"? Placing the 1989 Revolution as the background for his action, the Romanian film-maker succeeds a brilliantly spontaneous comedy that plays with clever dialogues, the unpredictable reactions of the characters and ingenious interventions that catch the watcher in a joyful screenplay. ***
FEATURED IN THE
2007
WISCONSIN FILM FESTIVAL Sunday
April 15, 4:30PM, Wisconsin Historical Society THE UNTYINGS Romania, 2007, 62 min, digibeta, Wisconsin’s Own; plays with Cousin Kasytė World Premiere Directed By: Romi Chiorean, Katherine Leggett Producer: Todd Wider, Jedd Wider, Katherine Leggett, Romi Chiorean Winner, Best Wisconsin Documentary Feature Film, 2007 Wisconsin Film Festival Romi’s journey home to Romania begins with his parents, who are unwilling to explain why they had him exorcized when he was 18. During his visit, the death of a young Romanian nun shocks the country. As Romi travels through the Transylvanian countryside, looking for answers, he explores more of his own background, the truth behind the nun’s death, and the stories of Father Pintea, seen by many as a spiritual leader, healer, and exorcist. Romi witnesses the weekly exorcism performed with a crowded congregation to rid them of their bad spirits. This beautiful and poetic film follows Romi’s journey of self-awareness that is both touching and humorous. |
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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
Contact: elena.richard [at] gmail.com
