Romanian movies on the silver screen in 2017

Many film fans believe that Romania’s strongest cinematic era began in the early 2000s, and, unlike previous new waves, there seem to be no signs of this one letting up: the 2016 Cannes Film Festival featured the latest works from Cristi Puiu and Cristian Mungiu in the main competition, with previous Palme d’Or winner Mungiu ultimately sharing the best director prize.

Oana Vasiliu

This could come as a surprise, as Romania is known as a country that has traditionally shown little support for its film culture, both in funding and in attracting local audiences. However, there are high hopes that this will change following the new cinema law approved by the recently replaced technocratic government. BR takes a look at what local highlights will appear on the silver screen this year.

Last week, Nae Caranfil’s 6.9 on the Richter scale hit cinemas. It was previously aired in summer, at the Transylvania International Film Festival, and is a “partly realistic, partly unrealistic” comedy, according to writer-director Nae Caranfil. The movie tells the story of a young theater actor having a hard time balancing his complicated part in a musical comedy, a jealous wife bordering on depression and the obsession with a devastating earthquake, announced as imminent by experts. However, the true “earthquake” for him turns out to be the unexpected reappearance of his father after decades of absence. Manipulative and amoral, he takes over his son’s world, turning his whole existence upside-down, say festival officials. The movie stars Teodor Corban, Laurentiu Banescu, Maria Obretin and Simona Arsu. Vivi Dragan Vasile is director of photography, and Catalin Cristutiu film editor.

Next in line is Adrian Sitaru’s Fixeur, which will be in cinemas from January 27. Having premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival at the end of 2016, it has already won two awards – for Best Actor (Tudor Istodor) and a Jury’s Special Mention at Les Arcs European Film Festival. Fixeur centers on a young journalist who goes to Transylvania with a French TV crew, led by a top reporter, to cover the case of a prostitute repatriated from France. The cast includes Tudor Aaron Istodor, Mehdi Nebbou, Nicolas Wanczycki, Diana Spatarescu, Andreea Vasile, Adrian Titieni and Cristian Ilinca.

February 3 will see the release of Ana Miruna Lazarescu’s feature film debut, That Trip We Took with Dad. The story is set in 1968, when a Romanian-German family from the city of Arad starts a journey to the German Democratic Republic. Alexandru Margineanu, Ovidiu Schumacher, Razvan Enciu, Susanne Bormann, Ana Ularu and Lutz Blochberger are part of the cast.

Ana, mon amour is Calin Peter Netzer’s latest and most eagerly awaited movie, starring Mircea Postelnicu, Diana Cavallioti and Carmen Tanase, among others. It tells the story of Toma and Ana, who meet as students at Literature College and quickly fall in love. But Ana’s mental illness imperils their relationship. The film premieres on March 3.