Autumn’s cinematic harvest: Romanian movie premieres

This fall,  the Romanian film industry is gearing up to present a cinematic journey that promises to captivate audiences near and far. This season, Romanian cinema is set to shine with a diverse array of premieres that will traverse genres, challenge conventions, and provide a unique glimpse into the rich tapestry of Romanian culture and storytelling. From thought-provoking dramas to whimsical comedies and evocative documentaries, these films are poised to leave an indelible mark on both the local and international film scenes. Join us as we embark on a journey through the autumn leaves of Romanian cinema, where compelling narratives, talented filmmakers, and exceptional performances await.

Romanian movie premieres: Arsenie. An Amazing Afterlife / Arsenie. Viața de apoi 

D: Alexandru Solomon / Documentary

Premiere: 01.09.2023

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A dead monk’s gaze is hypnotizing the masses, becomes a very profitable brand and is about to be sanctified by the Romanian church. Following in Arsenie’s footsteps, we embark on a fictionalized pilgrimage, that leads us – with humour and fantasy – through our present confusion and global fears. No afterlife guaranteed.

Romanian movie premieres: Mammalia

D: Sebastian Mihăilescu / Starring: István Teglas, Mălina Manovici, Denisa Nicolae, Steliana Bălăcianu, Rolando Matsangos / Drama

Premiere: 22.09.2023

Thirty-nine-year-old Camil embarks on a dreamlike trip where the banal and the surreal merge. Struggling to come to terms with losing control – of his work, his social status, his relationship – he sets off on a search that leads him to question the basis of his identity as a man.

Romanian movie premieres: Love on the Edge of a Knife / Dragoste pe muchie de cuțit 

D: Germain Kanda / Starring: Carmen Tănase, Răzvan Banica, Ada Galeș, Marian Râlea, Alexandru Pop, Alin Panc / Comedy, Romantic

Premiere: 29.09.2023

Two rival families, restaurant owners, have been in conflict their entire lives, with the main subjects of contention being the cornmeal bear recipe and the Pickle of the Year trophy. The rivalry between the two families also stands in the way of the love story between the children of the two families, Marina and Ducu. In adulthood, by chance, Ducu reunites with the girl he had been in love with since childhood, Marina, and pretends to be a chef in order to spend as much time with her as possible in the restaurant.

Romanian movie premieres: Wedding for money / Nuntă pe bani

D: Cristian Ilișuan / Starring: Mircea Popa, Adrian Cucu, Cătălin Herlo, Alexandra Spătărelu / Comedy

Premiere: 13.10.2023

Romanian comedian Mircea Bravo returns on the silver screen, this time with a story where he hates weddings. And everyone finds out when, after reluctantly attending yet another wedding, he makes a controversial Facebook post that goes viral. However, when he has to repay a huge sum of money due to some wrong decisions, the only solution for him is to have his own wedding. For Mircea, a race against time ensues as he tries to find a venue, godparents, and guests with the goal of making it a highly profitable business.

Romanian movie premieres: Day of the Tiger / Tigru

D: Andrei Tănase / Starring: Cătălina Moga, Paul Ipate, Alex Velea / Action, Drama

Premiere: 29.09.2023

Vera, a veterinarian at a zoo in a small town in Transylvania, is tormented by personal problems and suffers a nervous breakdown. A tiger from the zoo escapes, and Vera is forced to go in search of it. The film is inspired by real events that took place in Sibiu in 2011.

Romanian movie premieres: Libertate

D: Tudor Giurgiu / With: Alex Calangiu, Iulian Postelnicu, Cătălin Herlo / Drama, War, Thriller

Premiere: 06.10.2023

Sibiu, December 1989. In the chaos and panic generated by the protests of the crowd against the authorities, a unit of the militia becomes the target of a violent assault that escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, militiamen, security agents, and civilians. Trying to escape the siege, Captain Viorel of the militia is captured and accused of being a terrorist.

Romanian movie premieres: Smart boys/ Băieți deștepți

D: Igor Cobileanski / Starring: Olimpia Melinte, Sergiu Costache, Cristian Iacob, Silviu Mircescu, Tiberiu Ioana / Action, Comedy

Premiere: 13.10.2023

An action-comedy film that revolves around Leo, Alex, and Costi, a team of suspended police officers who are called back to duty to investigate a local drug baron, Narcis, with whom they have a long history. In the midst of the action, an unexpected love story blooms between Leo and Lara, the right-hand woman of the drug trafficker. Will the three police officers be able to capture Narcis? Spectacular plot twists, adrenaline-fueled action scenes, unexpected betrayals, humor, and the mishaps of the three endearing cops make the film an unmissable experience.

Romanian movie premieres: Moving forward / Mai departe

D: Tedy Necula / Starring: Nuami Dinescu, Dan Murzea, Marian Sterian, George Baltă / Biography, Drama

Premiere: 27.10.2023

“Moving Forward” is the story of George Baltă, an inspirational film directed by Tedy Necula, in which the character plays himself. George, an active rugby player, becomes paralyzed following an accident that occurs during a game. Life continues like a rollercoaster, but his champion’s motivation resurfaces, and George moves forward by building himself up as a wheelchair marathoner and motivational speaker.

Romanian movie premieres: Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World / Nu aștepta prea mult de la sfârșitul lumii

D: Radu Jude / Starring: Ilinca Manolache, Ovidiu Pîrșan, Nina Hoss, Dorina Lazăr, Katia Pascariu / Drama

Premiere: 27.10.2023

*Romania’s proposal for Oscars 2024

“Don’t Expect Too Much from the End of the World” (the title quoting a Stanislaw Jerzy Lec aphorism) is a film that combines elements of comedy and road-movie, exploring themes of work, exploitation, fatigue, and death. It also delves into the complex issue of constructing images in our contemporary era. All of these themes are presented at a surface level, as the film lacks a second layer and is entirely devoid of depth.

Romanian movie premieres: Two More Scratch Tickets / Încă două lozuri

D: Paul Negoescu / Starring: Dorian Boguță, Dragoș Bucur, Alexandru Papadopol / Comedy

Premiere: 27.10.2023

Sile is released from prison with the idea of getting rich by mining cryptocurrencies. Together with Dinel and Pompiliu, they meet Ionuț, the top student in the county, with whose help they manage to mine cryptocurrencies worth 6 million euros, which they store on a USB stick. Dinel is responsible for keeping the stick safe, but he manages to lose it very quickly, so the three of them set out in search of it.

Romanian movie premieres: Between Revolutions / Între revoluții

D: Vlad Petri / Starring: Ilinca Hărnuț, Victoria Stoiciu / Documentary

Premiere: 03.11.2023

* FIPRESCI Award at Berlinale 2023

Zahra and Maria form a close bond while studying medicine together at university in the capital Bucharest in the late 1970s. But when Iranian Zahra senses a wind of change from her homeland, she quits university and returns to Tehran full of revolutionary aspirations. Separated by both the physical distance and uncertainty of two political regimes on the verge of collapse, the two friends must correspond and report on their daily lives via letters.

Between Revolutions is a bittersweet, intimate memoir of people’s struggle for a brighter future and of two people’s unfailing friendship – created entirely from archive footage and tied together by a colorful soundtrack.

Romanian movie premieres: MMXX

D: Cristi Puiu / Starring: Igor Babiac, Dorian Boguță, Dragoș Bucur, Ana Adelaida Perjoiu / Comedy, Drama

Premiere: 10.11.2023

The wanderings of a bunch of errant souls stuck at the crossroads of history. The film follows four characters: Oana Pfifer, a young therapist visibly distracted; and her younger brother Mihai Dumitru, who is worried about his anniversary; her husband Septimiu Pfifer, concerned by a possible contamination with Covid-19; and Narcis Patranescu, an organized crime investigator.

Romanian movie premieres: Why do they call me Nora when my sky is clear? / De ce mă cheamă Nora, când cerul meu e senin

D: Carla Maria Teaha / Starring: Nora Iuga / Documentary

Premiere: 17.11.2023

At 92 years old, Nora Iuga is a unique character: a poet, novelist, and translator, with a young and avant-garde spirit, playful nature, charisma, and self-irony. The movie is the story of the writer whose books were banned by the communists for ‘morbid eroticism,’ the story of a woman who lives poetry. Moreover, it is a documentary portrait that invites us to discover the nature of this eroticism, how it still influences Nora’s writing and perspective on life, but also how to uncover the secret of eternal youth.