The Romanian film awards
Bucharests National Theatre hosts Romanian the Gopo Awards, the biggest celebration of Romanian cinema.
Leyla Cheamil, 04.05.2022, 13:50
Romanian cinema was celebrated on Tuesday night in Bucharest at the Gopo Awards, the most important event dedicated to Romanian cinema, and which was now in its 16th year. No fewer than 19 feature films launched in cinemas and on online platforms were nominated this year in 20 different sections.
The big winner was Radu Judes Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, which won awards for best feature film, best female lead (Catia Pascariu) and best editing (Cătălin Cristuţiu). The film, which investigates the relationship between the individual and society, starts from the consequences of an amateur porn video uploaded on a porn site by a secondary school teacher for the latters life. The film had good reviews in the international media and even won last years Golden Bear for best film at the Berlin Film Festival, and it was Romanias proposal for the foreign language Oscars.
However, the production that won most awards at the Romanian film awards was Cristi Puius Malmkrog, namely for best director, cinematography, stage design, costumes, make-up and hairstyle. Puius 6th feature film to date, Malmkrog was also successful on the international festival circuit, having won the best director award two years ago at the Berlin Film Festival, where it was screened for the first time. The film is set around 1900 at the residence of an aristocratic family where several guests spend Christmas together. They discuss, in French, a range of philosophical questions, from war and peace and the army to religion and the ideas of absolute good and absolute evil. The script was inspired by a book called War and Christianity from the Russian Point of View, Three Conversations, by 19th century Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900).
The award for best male lead went to actor Bogdan Farcaş, for his role in Unidentified, a production that also won the best screenplay award. Mariana Mihuţ and Victor Rebengiuc received a lifetime achievement award.
This years edition of the Gopo Awards was also about solidarity with Ukraine, with film lovers being invited to take part in a campaign entitled “United through Film”, whose proceeds will go to Ukrainian film professionals via the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk. (CM)
