Romanian New Wave
Encyclopedia
The Romanian New Wave is a blanket term applied to a torrent of internationally acclaimed films made in Romania
from the mid 2000s, starting with Trafic, which won the Short Film Palme d'Or
at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
. The greatest achievement of this New Wave thus far was winning the Palme d'Or
in 2007
for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
.
, and explore the struggles and resilience of life under dictatorship. However, some films, such as California Dreamin' and The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu
, are set later, and are more concerned with the transition to free-market capitalism and democracy and the consequences on Romanian society.
Aesthetically, the films of the Romanian New Wave are united by an austere, realist and often minimalist style. Furthermore, black humour tends to feature prominently.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
from the mid 2000s, starting with Trafic, which won the Short Film Palme d'Or
Short Film Palme d'Or
The Short Film Palme d'Or is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the same jury of the Cinéfondation....
at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
. The greatest achievement of this New Wave thus far was winning the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
in 2007
2007 Cannes Film Festival
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed...
for 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a 2007 Romanian film written and directed by Cristian Mungiu. It won the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI Award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival....
.
Themes
The majority of films of the Romanian New Wave are set in the late 1980s, during the communist regime of Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
, and explore the struggles and resilience of life under dictatorship. However, some films, such as California Dreamin' and The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a 2005 Romanian dark comedy film by director Cristi Puiu. In the film an old man is carried by an ambulance from hospital to hospital all night long, as doctors keep refusing to treat him and send him away....
, are set later, and are more concerned with the transition to free-market capitalism and democracy and the consequences on Romanian society.
Aesthetically, the films of the Romanian New Wave are united by an austere, realist and often minimalist style. Furthermore, black humour tends to feature prominently.
Major Films
- The Death of Mr. LăzărescuThe Death of Mr. LazarescuThe Death of Mr. Lazarescu is a 2005 Romanian dark comedy film by director Cristi Puiu. In the film an old man is carried by an ambulance from hospital to hospital all night long, as doctors keep refusing to treat him and send him away....
by Cristi PuiuCristi PuiuCristi Puiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter.Puiu's first interest in art was painting and in 1992, he was admitted as a student at the Painting Department of Ecole Superieure d'Arts Visuels in Geneva. After the first year he switched to film studies at the same school and graduated in...
(2005) - Won the Un Certain RegardUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21... - 12:08 East of Bucharest12:08 East of Bucharest12:08 East of Bucharest is a 2006 Romanian film directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, released in 2006 and winner of the Camera d'Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also released in the United States under the abridged titles East of Bucharest and 12:08 Bucharest...
by Corneliu PorumboiuCorneliu PorumboiuCorneliu Porumboiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. His 2006 feature 12:08 East of Bucharest won him the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival...
(2006) - Won the Caméra d'OrCaméra d'OrThe Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival2006 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury.... - The Paper Will Be BlueThe Paper Will Be BlueThe Paper Will Be Blue is a 2006 Romanian film written and directed by Radu Muntean. The film was nominated for the 2006 Golden Leopard award at Locarno International Film Festival.-Plot:...
by Radu MunteanRadu MunteanRadu Muntean is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He is a central figure of the Romanian New Wave.Radu graduated from the Theater and Film Academy in Bucharest in 1994, where he directed three short films. Since 1996, he has directed over 400 commercials and has won over 40 national and...
(2006) - The Way I Spent the End of the WorldThe Way I Spent the End of the WorldThe Way I Spent the End of the World is the feature-length film debut of Romanian director Cătălin Mitulescu. It was released on September 15, 2006.-Synopsis:...
by Cătălin MitulescuCatalin MitulescuCătălin Mitulescu is a Romanian film director. He graduated from the UNATC in Bucharest in 2001.He is best known for the short film Trafic , which won him the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and for the debut feature The Way I Spent the End of the World , which was screened...
(2006) - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a 2007 Romanian film written and directed by Cristian Mungiu. It won the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI Award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival....
by Cristian Mungiu (2007) - Won the Palme d'OrPalme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival2007 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed... - BoogieBoogie (2008 film)-Plot:On his spring break at the seaside, with his wife and his four year old son, Bogdan Ciocăzanu runs into his best friends from high-school at the precise date and time that reminds all of them of their most glorious drinking trips and sexual escapades of their younger days...
by Radu MunteanRadu MunteanRadu Muntean is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He is a central figure of the Romanian New Wave.Radu graduated from the Theater and Film Academy in Bucharest in 1994, where he directed three short films. Since 1996, he has directed over 400 commercials and has won over 40 national and...
(2008) - Police, AdjectivePolice, AdjectivePolice, Adjective is a 2009 Romanian drama film directed by Corneliu Porumboiu. The movie focuses on policeman Cristi, who is investigating a teenage boy who has been smoking hashish...
by Corneliu PorumboiuCorneliu PorumboiuCorneliu Porumboiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. His 2006 feature 12:08 East of Bucharest won him the Camera d'Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival...
(2009) - Won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain RegardUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival2009 Cannes Film FestivalThe 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 13 to May 24, 2009. French actress Isabelle Huppert was the President of the Jury. It was announced on March 19, 2009, that Pixar's film Up would open the festival... - AuroraAurora (2010 film)Aurora is a 2010 Romanian film written and directed by Cristi Puiu, who also plays the main character. Producer Anca Puiu has described the plot as a "crime story from a new perspective." It is the second installment in Puiu's planned suite "Six Stories from the Outskirts of Bucharest", the first...
by Cristi PuiuCristi PuiuCristi Puiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter.Puiu's first interest in art was painting and in 1992, he was admitted as a student at the Painting Department of Ecole Superieure d'Arts Visuels in Geneva. After the first year he switched to film studies at the same school and graduated in...
(2010) - Tuesday, After ChristmasTuesday, After ChristmasTuesday, After Christmas is a 2010 Romanian film written and directed by Radu Muntean. The film was selected for the Un Certain Regard section of 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Maria Popistaşu as Raluca* Mimi Brănescu as Paul Hanganu...
by Radu MunteanRadu MunteanRadu Muntean is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He is a central figure of the Romanian New Wave.Radu graduated from the Theater and Film Academy in Bucharest in 1994, where he directed three short films. Since 1996, he has directed over 400 commercials and has won over 40 national and...
(2010)
Other Films Associated with the Movement
- Cigarettes and CoffeeCigarettes and CoffeeCigarettes and Coffee is the title of a short film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Not to be confused with the film Coffee and Cigarettes by Jim Jarmusch....
by Cristi PuiuCristi PuiuCristi Puiu is a Romanian film director and screenwriter.Puiu's first interest in art was painting and in 1992, he was admitted as a student at the Painting Department of Ecole Superieure d'Arts Visuels in Geneva. After the first year he switched to film studies at the same school and graduated in...
(2001) - Won the Golden BearGolden BearAccording to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
for Short Film at the 51st Berlin International Film Festival - Trafic by Cătălin MitulescuCatalin MitulescuCătălin Mitulescu is a Romanian film director. He graduated from the UNATC in Bucharest in 2001.He is best known for the short film Trafic , which won him the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and for the debut feature The Way I Spent the End of the World , which was screened...
(2004) - Won the Short Film Palme d'OrShort Film Palme d'OrThe Short Film Palme d'Or is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the same jury of the Cinéfondation....
at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival2004 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton... - California Dreamin' by Cristian NemescuCristian NemescuCristian Nemescu was a Romanian film director.Nemescu was born in Bucharest. He graduated from the Academy for Theater and Film in 2003. During his final year in the academy he made a short film, Story From The Third Block Entrance, that received awards at the NYU International Student Film...
(2007) - Won the Un Certain RegardUn Certain RegardUn Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival2007 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the sixtieth, ran from 16 to 27 May 2007. Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights opened the festival, and Denys Arcand's The Age of Ignorance closed... - HookedHooked (2008 film)Hooked or Picnic is a 2008 film by Adrian Sitaru, set in Romania .It is the story of a barbecue trip of a Romanian couple, which takes an unexpected turn when their car runs over a prostitute while driving through a forest near Bucharest...
by Adrian SitaruAdrian SitaruAdrian Sitaru is a Romanian director, producer and actor, born in 1971. He is the author of several short films, of which Valuri , the most well-known, has received numerous prizes....
(2008) - Tales from the Golden AgeTales from the Golden AgeTales from the Golden Age is a 2009 Romanian omnibus film. It was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
by Cristian Mungiu, Constantin Popescu, Ioana Uricaru, Răzvan Mărculescu (2009) - Francesca by Bobby Păunescu (2009)
- Cea mai fericită fată din lume by Radu Jude (2009)
- Medalia de onoare by Călin Peter Netzer (2009)
- If I Want to Whistle, I WhistleIf I Want to Whistle, I WhistleIf I Want to Whistle, I Whistle is a 2010 Romanian drama film directed by Florin Şerban.-Plot:Romanian youth Silviu serves a four-year prison sentence. A few days before his release, his younger brother visits him and tells him that their mother has returned, who has found work in Italy and will...
by Florin ŞerbanFlorin ŞerbanFlorin Şerban is a Romanian film director whose film If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle won the Jury Grand Prix and the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 2010 Berlin Film festival...
(2010) - Won the Jury Grand PrixJury Grand PrixThe Jury Grand Prix is a Silver Bear award given by the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival to one of the feature films in competition...
Silver Bear at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival60th Berlin International Film FestivalThe 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to February 21, 2010, with Werner Herzog as President of the Jury. The opening film of the festival was Chinese director Wang Quan'an's romantic drama Apart Together, in competition, while the closing film is Japanese... - Morgen by Marian Crișan (2010)
- Periferic by Bogdan George Apetri (2010)
- LoverboyLoverboy (2011 film)Loverboy is a 2011 Romanian drama film directed by Cătălin Mitulescu. It premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* George Piştereanu as Luca* Ada Condeescu as Veli* Ion Besoiu as Bunicul...
by Cătălin MitulescuCatalin MitulescuCătălin Mitulescu is a Romanian film director. He graduated from the UNATC in Bucharest in 2001.He is best known for the short film Trafic , which won him the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and for the debut feature The Way I Spent the End of the World , which was screened...
(2011) - Din Dragoste cu cele mai Bune Intenţii by Adrian SitaruAdrian SitaruAdrian Sitaru is a Romanian director, producer and actor, born in 1971. He is the author of several short films, of which Valuri , the most well-known, has received numerous prizes....
(2011)
External links
- http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/05/cannes-film-festival-romanian-tuesday-after-christmas.html
- New Wave on the Black Sea, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, 20 January 2008 - Romanian New Wave at Cinema Without Borders
- Romanian Wave at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2008
- Eastern Promise, an article about the Romanian New Wave
- On The Romanian New Wave, includes a list of successes Romania has had at the Cannes Film Festival
- Surfing the New Wave of Romanian Cinema, 2 November 2007
- On the New Romanian Cinema, Danish Journal of Film Studies, 2 July 2009