4th Annual Romanian Film Festival in NYC December 4–6 Tribeca Cinemas 4th AnnuAl RomAniAn Film FestivAl in nYC organization of the festival. films toYork New audiences, and toKeith Weckstein, Carmen Gociu, and Nicoleta Lupea in the Vizuale, HBO Romania, IFC Films, Libra Film, Rezo World Sales for their support in bringing the Special thanks to the Romanian National Film BAC Center, Films, Europolis Film, Fundaţia Arte Performing Revolution festival. www.performingrevolution.org The special retrospective section “Waving at the Revolution” is organized in conjunction with the TIFF ArtisticMihai Chirilov, Director. Internationalwith TIFF Film Film– Transilvania Festival, Festival, and and Tribeca programmed by and in Oana collaborationInstitute Radu, Şuteu,DeputyCorina in Director, NewDirector, York: The Annual Romanian Film Festival is in initiated NYC and produced by the Romanian Cultural It was about Mihai Chirilov, TIFF artistic director What Was YC and curator of the Romanian Film Festival in n This Year ABOuT? NYC, working hard to bring to the attention of l in audiences, film producers and festival curators A First, it was about the privileged moments in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York with Corneliu Porumboiu – at the New York the ongoing success of Romanian movies; Film festival opening of his new film, Police, and about Alex Leo Şerban moving to Buenos Adjective, at AFI Fest in Los Angeles, at inter- Aires but graciously accepting to join us for the views and meetings and receptions where Cor- fourth edition of the Romanian Film Festival in n Film Festiv neliu, a unique mix of aggressive sweetness, NYC as one of our most constant and uniquely A instantly and effortlessly mesmerized, just precious supporters. ni A like Cristian Mungiu before him, the American professional film community. 2009 was a year when I could not stop wonder- ing why, after 20 years since the fall of commu- l Rom A Then, it was about being a member of the nism that we all celebrate with more or less in- Transilvania International Film Festival jury spired frenzy, the public sector still does so little and feeling the importance and weight of the at home for the strong and talented generation festival in its home town of Cluj. of filmmakers. Why do they still have to fight so 4th Annu hard for obtaining moral and financial support? Also, 2009 was about having the Romanian Cul- Why does the important meaning of their artistic tural Institute in New York organizing, as always, gesture – one of the few that substantively put many – never too many – Romanian cinema Romania on the map in a positive way during the events and partnering to even more, despite the last years – pass unobserved and scarcely ac- 3 very difficult financial and overall context. knowledged? But these questions are rhetorical. The Romanian Cultural Institute in New York YC Sweet Smell, n (with committed support from its central office in Bucharest) has focused more on practical Bitter Taste l in A answers. Hence, it continues with determina- tion to help as much as possible the Romanian Just as I was writing this down, I got news of the Cinema to glow over the ocean and to accom- second film by Călin Netzer, Medal of Honor, pany efficiently this generation in their superb getting four awards in Thessaloniki and two endeavor to make a difference. more in Torino; Andrei ujică, the director of our opening film this year, promised to do his best n Film Festiv A Twenty years after, it is perhaps the only way to to help me win a bet by having his new docu- ni concretely celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall. mentary (about former dictator Ceauşescu) A enter the next Cannes competition; Rotterdam Corina Şuteu selection committee seemed to like a lot Con- l Rom Director stantin Popescu’s challenging first feature, an A Romanian Cultural Institute in New York insider told me; and last but not least, I’ve met yet another ‘victim’ blown away by the rough footage of Cristi Puiu’s follow-up to his master- ful The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu. 4th Annu I know, I should be focusing on this year’s pro- gram, but I simply can’t help it. All these new films that I haven’t yet seen make me tremble in anticipation. Make me feel high. They reas- 4 sure me that the Romanian Cinema is still go- ing to ride the wave and that there’s no need to Silent Wedding, you’re more likely to end up YC fear drowning. There’s an Ocean between me horror-stricken. And then there is the powerful n and all these upcoming films, but I can already 1992 documentary Videograms of a Revolution, l in sense the sweet smell of their future success. chosen to open this fourth edition of the Roma- A I’ve experienced this feeling ever since Roma- nian Film Festival in NYC, as part of a special nian Cinema has resurrected, and I can still get section that celebrates the 2-decade anniver- a rush of blood to the head. It is precisely this sary of the fall of communism – back in those feeling I’d like you to experience every time a euphoric days, we could only feel the sweet new edition of the Romanian Film Festival in smell of success, freedom and victory; watching n Film Festiv New York is approaching. this clear-cut deconstruction of our televised A Revolution, the bitter taste takes over. ni A Then again, why did almost all the good films I’ve seen, including the ones on show this year For me, it is this contradiction of senses that at the festival, leave me with a bitter taste in my makes the New Romanian Cinema so relevant, l Rom A mouth? The striking and exhilarating last reel of revolutionary and exciting. I invite you, like every Police, Adjective, for instance, brings along not year, to join us for three days of screenings, to only ferocious humor, but also the sad certitude face the films and challenge your own senses. that the system that exerted control for decades 4th Annu can still play dirty games with your conscience. Mihai Chirilov No matter how uplifting are the daily tribula- Festival Curator tions of a poor Moldovan family, there’s an overwhelming hopelessness about the cruel reality depicted in The Flower Bridge. No matter 5 how hard you’re going to laugh in the midst of | FRi, Dec 4, 7:00 pm Videograms of A Revolution EVOLUTION Videogramme EINER RevoluTION R | GERMANY, 1992, 106 MIN | the t For Videograms of a Revolution Andrei ujică and Harun Farocki G A collected amateur video and material broadcast by Romanian vin state television after it was taken over by demonstrators in December 1989. The audio and video represent the historic first- G | WA ever revolution in which television played a major role. The film’s protagonist is contemporary history itself. enin “We get all of the broadcast glitches, unedited feeds, power- P o grabbing chaos, and epochal please-stand-by ellipses; as civilians l DireCteD by A literally defend the TV station with combat rifles, unidentified HArun FAroCki AnD AnDrei ujiCă counter-revolutionary snipers hole up in massive and empty Production: Bremer Institut Film & high-rise buildings the dictator had built and then abandoned. The estiv Fernsehen, Harun Farocki Filmproduktion F sense of exhilarating liberation and history made as we watch is consistently leavened by the weird distance, between citizens and their own revolt, occupied by TV cameras and monitors. By the end of the week, and the Ceausescus’ executions, nothing is real – or historical – until it is seen on television.” 6 – Michael Atkinson, Village Voice | sun, Dec 6, 7:00 pm SCREENING followed by Q&A WITH actor Vlad Ivanov es R tu A Police, Adjective e POLIţIST, adjectiv : F | ROMANIA, 2009, 115 MIN | ses A This beautifully acted, modern morality play from Romanian ele director Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 East of Bucharest) features W R what may be movie history’s most absurdly protracted police ne sting operation, designed to catch a lone high school student in G | the act of selling drugs. Cristi, the cop assigned to the case, real- izes the futility of the mission, though his attempts to convince his bureaucratic superiors are met with contempt, derision, and LOSIN C the reminder that it is not his place to question the letter of the l A DireCteD by Corneliu PoruMboiu law. But letters and laws – of both the legal and grammatical Screenplay: Corneliu Porumboiu kind – are very much on Porumboiu’s mind as the long, nearly Cinematography: Marius Panduru estiv Cast: Dragoş Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Cosmin wordless scenes of the film’s first half give way to a show-stop- F Seleşi, Irina Săulescu, Ion Stoica ping final act of Stoppardian verbosity in which cop and police Production: 42 KM Film, in association w. Racova, Raza Studio, w. participation of chief (unforgettably played by Vlad Ivanov) engage in an exhila- HBO Romania. An IFC Films release rating verbal tennis match about conscience, personal morality Festivals & Awards: Official Selection – New York Film Festival; Winner – Grand and the true meaning of language. – New York Film Festival Jury Prize and FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes “Further proof of the strength of the Romanian New Wave.” Film Festival; Official selection of Romania 7 for the 82nd Academy Awards – Manohla Dargis, New York Times | sun, Dec 6, 2:15 pm es R tu A e Hooked : F PESCuIT sportiv ses | ROMANIA / France, 2008, 84 MIN | A ele An ordinary couple is about to have a life changing experience.