 Posted: 29.05.2007 00:34
The New York Times, cel mai prestigios ziar american, are si el o bucata foarta magulitoare:
CANNES, France, May 27 — The message from the Cannes Film Festival juries was clear: Romania rules.
In its closing ceremony on Sunday the festival bestowed two of its most important prizes on Romanian films, affirming the vitality of this recently emerging cinema. The top award, the Palme d’Or, went to Cristian Mungiu for “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” an unsparing yet humane look at life during the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu. Additionally the jury for Un Certain Regard, a sidebar to the main competition, gave its highest honor to “California Dreamin,’ ” a first feature by Cristian Nemescu set in Romania during the Kosovo war of 1999. It was a poignant victory, because Mr. Nemescu died in an automobile accident last year at the age of 27.
The audience in the Palais des Festivals was audibly delighted by Mr. Mungiu’s victory. His film, shown early in the festival, had enjoyed ardent critical support from the start. It follows the ordeal of two female university students as one tries to help the other obtain an illegal abortion. Harrowing and brilliantly acted, the movie presents a stark image of life under totalitarian rule without political grandstanding or sentimentality. At times it feels like a horror movie. Through meticulous formal control, Mr. Mungiu generates almost unbearable suspense and also shows, in sometimes graphic detail, the consequences of abortion and also of banning it.
Mr. Mungiu, the newest Palme d’Or winner, was born in 1968 and has directed only two previous films. At his moment of glory, he struck a note of unforced modesty. “One year ago we didn’t have any idea about this project, and six months ago we didn’t have any money,” he said, looking a bit stunned. “I hope this award will be good news for small filmmakers from small countries.
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- The director Cristian Mungiu with prize, and a kiss from Jane Fonda
- Cannes2190.jpg (24.42 KiB) Viewed 22049 times
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