For quite a few years now, Romanian films have
\nenjoyed widespread critical acclaim, proof of that being the many awards they
\nhave won at prestigious festivals, such as Cannes and Berlin. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
The National Cinematography Council has recently made
\nan important announcement: for the first time in the seven-decade history of
\nthe Cannes Film Festival, two Romanian films have been selected for the Main
\nCompetition: Bacalaureat by Cristian Mungiu and Sierra Nevada by
\nCristi Puiu. These two Romanian directors have already proven their originality
\nand talent, winning international prizes and earning the appreciation of both
\ncritics and audiences. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Director Cristi Puiu won the Un Certain Regard award
\nin 2006 for The Death of Mr. Lazarescu and again in 2010 for Aurora. As
\nfor Cristian Mungiu, this is his third participation in the official
\ncompetition at Cannes. His 2007 production 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
\nwon the Palme d’Or in 2007, while his second Cannes entry, Beyond the Hills,
\nwon the award for Best Screenplay and Best Actress in 2012. Although he’s been
\nthere before, Cristian Mungiu is still nervous about his participation in the
\nCannes Festival, as he himself has admitted:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
We are all nervous,
\nbecause the film will be under intense scrutiny. There will be huge
\nexpectations ahead of the first screening, from both the audience and the
\nmedia. We had a good start, though, having already sold distribution rights in
\nmore than 40 countries last year, before I even started shooting the film,
\nbased only on the script.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
Bacalaureat,
\nwhose working title has been Family Photos, tells the story of a doctor from
\na small town who must decide which is the best way for his son to get on in
\nlife. Director Cristian Mungiu tells us more:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
It’s a contemporary story. It’s a film about a
\nparent and his worries, a parent who wonders, given the situation of present
\nday Romania, what he should tell his child about life. It’s a personal story,
\nbut also a snapshot of society as we see it today.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
At the Cannes Film Festival, Romanian film-making is
\nalso represented by three other films. The independent film 4:15 PM. The End
\nof the World by first-time writers and directors Catalin Rotaru and Gabi
\nVirginia Sarga was selected for the official short-reel competition. Also, the
\nfeature film Dogs by Bogdan Mirica will have its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard
\nsection, while the short reel All Rivers Run to the Sea, by Alexandru
\nBadea, will be presented in the Cinefondationsection. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Five Romanian productions will be screened at the Cannes Festival this year between May 11th and 22nd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":68190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[30332],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-68189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-cannes-festival"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n