Jornal da Mostra

Subscribe here the 'Jornal da Mostra'

Cristian Mungiu

NEW ROMANIAN CINEMA IS GREATEST HIGHLIGHT

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, second film by the young Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, 39 years old, won the desired Golden Palm at the 60th Cannes Festival. The announcement of the award by the president of the jury, Stephen Frears, was effusively cheered both in the ceremony room, broadcasted live to all Europe, as in the press room. Maria de Medeiros, member of the jury, said the awarding was unanimous.
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk, Literature Nobel Prize, said he appreciated the theme and the making of the film at each sequence, every second. If there has been some injustice in the comprehensive list of festival awards, it was again with the film by Russian master Alexander Sokurov, about war’s brutality and stupidity, with the urban and human debris of Chechnya as background.

But the Golden Palm wasn’t the only award granted to new Romanian cinema, which didn’t even exist a few years ago. Mungiu declared after the awarding that his ambition didn’t go further than being selected for any of the side sections of the festival, he never thought of the highest award. And that the real winner was low budget cinema. In fact, his film cost only 600 thousand euros, a modest budget for a movie in any country. Since it was shown, in the first days of the festival, his film about clandestine abortion in the times of socialist Romania, with frightening consequences, became unanimity among all partakers in the festival.

In the side section of the festival Un Certain Regard, another jury awarded another Romanian, CALIFORNIA DREAMING, first film by Cristian Nemescu. The filmmaker died in a car accident during the edition of the film, which was finished by other members of his crew. It wasn’t an emotional award. The film is an excellent parody of the evil left behind by American warlords and their traces of wrath. American peace troops on the way to war in Yugoslavia accidentally park in a Romanian village and spread discordance among the peaceful inhabitants. Nemescu’s death was caused by a teenager, son of an American diplomat, who was driving a heavy military car. He had no driver’s license but has diplomatic immunity and won’t pay for the death he has caused.

Three filmmakers seemed to be unsatisfied, or to expect more when announced to go on stage. American Gus van Sant with the good film PARANOID PARK (a French co-production), that took the 60th Cannes Film Festival special prize; Mexican Carlos Reygadas with the jury award for STELLET LICHT/ SILENT NIGHT; and the also American Julian Schnabel for the French production LE SCAPHANDRE ET LE PAPILLON/ THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (Best Director Award).

Another unanimous prize was to Korean actress Jeon Do-yeon for SECRET SUNSHINE, by Lee Chang-dong. With the themes of child kidnapping and religious sects, the film could take place in any South American country and not in a small Korean town. One unexpected prize was granted to Russian actor Konstantin Lavronesko for IZGNANIE/ THE BANISHMENT. A much deserved award was the one received by the German of Turkish origin Fatih Akin for the script of the film he also directed THE EDGE OF HEAVEN. The film will probably please audiences all over the world.

More information in :
www.festival-cannes.org

English version: Laura Rebessi