Tales from the Golden Age

Tales From The Golden Age / Amintiri din epoca de aur (2009)
Director: Constantin Popescu Jr, Razvan Marculescu, Ioana Uricaru, Hanno Hofer, Cristian Mungiu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Cast: Ion Sapdaru, Teodor Corban, Calin Chirila, Radu Iacoban, Diana Cavallioti
Running time: 138 min.

Five short stories dealing with an unconventional personal history of the late Communist period in Romania.

The Legend of the Official Visit
On the occasion of Ceausescu’s working visits, countryside mayors ended up hanging fruit in trees to make sure their villages would be noticed, obeying even the strangest orders from the ferocious Party activists.

The Legend of the Party Photographer
Communist Party secret regulations stated that in official pictures President Ceausescu couldn’t take his hat off in front of the representatives of the rotten capitalistic world, President d’Estaing included.

The Legend of the Chicken Driver
A professional driver decides to open his sealed truck for the first time in his career and discovers the connection between eggs, Easter and marital love.

The Legend of the Greedy Policeman
A policeman gets a live pig as gift before Christmas and decides that gas poisoning would be the best way to kill the animal silently amongst his hungry neighbors.

The Legend of the Air Sellers
In the 80s Romania, Bughi and Crina play Bonnie and Clyde, robbing people of bottled air.

2009 – Official Selection, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival

Q&A session with director Hanno Hoffer to follow screening

Life’s Hard / La Drumul Mare (2008)

Director: Gabriel Sirbu
Screenwriter: Gabriel Sirbu
Cast: Claudia Prec, Mihaela Betiu, Andi Vasluianu, Gabriel Spahiu
Running time: 20 min.

In the Bucharest gridlock, a thief strikes up a strange relationship with his female victim.

Awards / Festivals
- Jury Award (Aspen Short Film Festival) 2008
- Official selection (Palm Springs Int’l Film Society) 2008
- Official selection (Zagreb Int’l Film Festival) 2008

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Home / Acasa (2007)

Director: Paul Negoescu
Screenwriter: Paul Negoescu
Cast: Gabriel Spahiu, Marian Ralea
Running time: 14 min.

A Romanian migrant worker returning home from Spain on Christmas Eve. During the ride from the airport, the taxi driver reveals he wants to work abroad too. But after he sees the cold reunion of his client’s family he has a second thought…

Awards / Festivals
- Special Mention (Cinema Porto in Bra Int’l Film Festival)
- Special Mention (Paris Signes-de-Nuits Film Festival)
- Official Selection (Rotterdam Int’l Film Festival)
- Official Selection (BFI London Film Festival)
- Official Selection (Montpellier Mediterranean Film Festival)

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Interior. Block of Flats, Hallway / Interior.Scara de Bloc (2007)

Director: Ciprian Alexandrescu
Scriptwriter: Simona Ghita
Cast: Tudor Aaron Istodor, Simona Ghita, Luminita Gheorghiu, Gabriel Spahiu, Vlad Ivanov
Running Time: 16 min

A couple argues, but suddenly bigger matters get in their minds and they are drawn to the hallway where they meet several of their neighbours.

Awards / Festivals
- Special jury prize (Uppsala International Short Film Festival) 2008
- Official selection (Cannes) 2008
- Arte short film award (Hamburg Int’l Short Film Festival) 2008

* audience-choice winner at “romaniancinemaNOW: a film festival preview“ (Dec.12)

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A Very Short Trilogy of Loneliness / O Foarte Scurta Trilogia A Singuratatii (2006)

Director: Bogdan Apetri
Screenwriter: Bogdan Apetri
Cast: Marius David, Laur Marin, Anca David
Running time: 7 min.

Open country and a small river, the vista stretching far into the distance. A car approaches and stops. A woman gets out, lights a cigarette, stares into space, then drives on. And then another car, another figure, briefly only, alone again, just passing. Brief stops in a stark landscape, loneliness pausing for loneliness. Meditative moments from a post-industrial age.

Awards / Festivals
- Official Selection (Seattle Int’l Film Festival) 2007
- Official Nomination (Student Oscar) 2007
- Official Selection (Cottbus Film Festival) 2007

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Green Oaks / Stejarii Verzi (2004)

Director: Ruxandra Zenide
Screenwriter: Marek Epstein
Cast: George Hoffmann, Maria Dinulescu, Valentin Popescu, Juliet Strimbeanu, Dorotea Brandin, Roberto Molo
Running time: 30 min.

George looks after his little sister in a remote part of Romania. They are all alone in the world. And even if fate over-takes them, life will reassert its claims.

Awards / Festivals
- Golden Unicorn (Alpinale Film Festival) 2004
- Official Selection (Ismalia Int’l Film Festival) 2004

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Megatron (2008)

Director: Marian Crisan
Screenwriter: Marian Crisan
Cast: Gabriela Crisu, Damian Oancea, Erwin Simsensohn, Maxim Adrian Strinu
Running time: 14 min.

Maxim lives with his mother in a village near Bucharest. It’s Maxim birthday; he’s turning 8. His mother takes him to Bucharest, to McDonald’s. Maxim will do anything to meet his father who lives in the city.

Awards / Festivals
- Palme D’Or (Cannes Int’l Film Festival) 2008
- Official Selection (Thessaloniki Int’l Film Festival) 2008
- Official Selection (Austin Int’l Film Festival) 2008

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The Yellow Smiley Face / Fata Galbena Care Rade (2008)

Director: Constantin Popescu
Screenwriter: Doru Lupe
Cast: Luminita Gheorghiu, Teodor Corban, George Constantinescu
Running time: 15 min.

Mia and Florin Popescu, the two main characters, are two ordinary people, both over 50 and both a little scared of the technological changes going on around them. To them, the computer is nothing more than a piece of furniture until the chance to communicate with their son, Alex, who lives in USA, makes them step into the virtual world. They explore this new territory using the instructions Alex has sent them in a letter.

Awards / Festivals
- Official selection (Locarno Film Festival) 2008
- Official selection (Transylvania International Film Festival) 2008
- Official Selection (Warsaw Film Festival) 2008

A Good Day For A Swim / O Zi Buna De Plaja (2007)

Director: Bogdan Mustata
Screenwriter: Catalin Mitulescu
Cast: Florin Sinescu, Okan Kaya, George Hoffman, Cerasela Iosifescu, Marian Ghenea
Running time: 10 min.

It’s early in the morning and three young delinquents, who have just escaped from reform school, are driving along in a van.  A 36 year-old prostitute is waiting at a crossroad for the next client. The van stops and she’s pulled inside. The vehicle descends on a deserted beach and the three wild boys start playing adult power games.

Awards / Festivals
- Best Live Action Short (Palm Springs Int’l Film Society) 2007
- Golden Bear (Berlin Int’l Film Festival) 2008
- Official selection (Roma Int’l Film Festival) 2007
- Official selection (Thessaloniki Int’l Film Festival) 2008

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Thursday / Joi (2007)

Director: Hadrian Marcu
Screenwriter: Hadrian Marcu
Cast: Toma Cuzin, Mihaela Pintileasa
Running time: 30 min.

She is an ordinary worker in a towel factory. At the end of a working day she accepts the proposal of a fellow worker to drive her home. When they reach her house, he comes in. They have sex. In spite of this they don’t really connect and nothing serious seems to come of their encounter. They end up spending the night apart, alone. Just another Thursday that could have made a difference but didn’t.

Awards / Festivals
- Official selection (Thessaloniki Int’l Film Festival) 2008
- Official selection (Cinema-Jove, Valencia Int’l Film Festival) 2008

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The Boxing Lesson / Lectia De Box (2007)

Director: Alexandru Mavrodineanu
Screenwriter: Alexandru Mavrodineanu, Catalin Mitulescu
Cast: Bogdan Dumitrache, Vlad Voda, Alexandru Manea, Nicolae Modrogan
Running time: 12 min.

Victor, a businessman from Bucharest, cannot stand by while his 12-year-old son gets beaten up at school, and decides to take him for boxing lessons. When the boy refuses to enter the ring, Victor enters the ring himself.

Awards / Festivals
- Official selection (New York Film Festival) 2007
- Official Selection (Sapporo Int’l Short Film Festival) 2008
- Official Selection (Jerusalem Film Festival) 2008

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Alexandra (2008)

Director: Radu Jude
Screenwriter: Augustina Stanciu, Andrei Butica, Radu Jude
Cast: Mimi Branescu, Oana Ioachim, Alexandra Pascu, Serban Pavlu
Running time: 25 min.

Tavi, a man in his late thirties, discovers that Alexandra, his 4 years old daughter, is not calling him “Dad” anymore.

Awards / Festivals
- Short film prize (Cottbus Film Festival of Young East European Cinema) 2007
- Official selection (Claremon-Ferrand Short Film Festival) 2007
- Official selection (Edinburgh Int’l Film Festival) 2008

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Lineman’s Cabin / Canton (2005)

Director: Constantin Popescu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Cast: Petre Nicolae, Nicodim Ungureanu, Mihai Constantin, Ioan Gyuri Pascu
Running time: 30 min.

Two railroad men are living in a lineman’s cabin. Nothing to do, the days are the same, one after another. Alone in the middle of nowhere. One night, though, a stranger has an accident on the beach, nearby. An accident that would forever change everything…

Awards / Festivals
- Official selection (Thessaloniki Int’l Film Festival) 2005

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Sandpit #186 / Balastiera #186 (2006)

Director: Adina Pintilie, George Chiper
Screenwriter: Adina Pintilie, George Chiper
Cast: Gabriel Spahiu, Richard Bovnoczki
Running time: 30 min.

One ordinary day on the outskirts of an industrial city. A deserted sandpit. A secluded inhabitant. A strange visitor. Life will never be the same ever again.

Awards / Festivals
- Critic’s Prize (CineMAiubit Int’l Student Film Festival) 2006
- Official Selection (Rio de Janeiro Int’l Student Film Festival) 2007
- Official Selection (Warszawa Int’l Film Festival) 2007
- Official Selection (Transylvania International Film Festival) 2007