The Stanford Romanian Film Series 2009-2010 Introduction and Q&A by Suzan Negip-Schatt Lecturer in Romanian, Stanford Special Language Program. All films shown in the Language Corner, Building 260 (Pigott Hall), Room 113, and start at 7:00pm All films shown with English subtitles Co-sponsored by CREEES and the Special Language Program
October 9th: O Vara De Neuiat / An Unforgettable Summer 1994; directed by Lucian Pintille; 82 min. Nominated at Cannes Film Festival. In 1925 Romania, young Marie-Therese Von Debretsy refuses the flirtatious advances of her husband�s commanding officer. As a result, the cosmopolitan family is reassigned to a brutally bleak and dangerous outpost on the Bulgarian/Romanian frontier where both their relationship and humanity are severely tested. British actress Kristin Scott Thomas views the peak of her career as her role in this disturbing Romanian drama based on a novel by famous Romanian dissident writer Petru Dumitriu. November 13th: Morometii / The Moromete Family 1988; directed by Stere Gulea; 142 min. In a period heralding irreversible changes, in between the two World Wars, the Moromete family is facing break-up. Ilie Moromete, a real �pater familias�, magnificently played by Victor Rebengiuc, feels this, and tries to cling to a way of life which � now we know � is doomed both by the impending war and by the communist regime the Soviets will install. Time no longer has any patience and cracks have started to appear in the mesh of traditional peasant family life. Stere Gulea has brought Marin Preda�s famous novel to life, through the character of Ilie Moromete, the archetype of the Romanian peasant. December 4th: Duios Anastasia Trecea / Anastasia Passed By 1979; directed by Alexandru Tatos; 95 min. The summer of 1944: in a small village on the Danube, close to the Yugoslavian border, one can hardly hear the sounds of the war. Beyond that airy silence, the fight of the Romanian and Yugoslavian Resistance against Hitler�s army is a matter of life and death. This is a great adaptation of D.R. Popescu�s 1967 novel with the same title. January 8th: Privest Inainte Cu Manie / Look Ahead with Anger 1993; directed by Nicolae Margineanu; 75 min. This family drama examines a modern family in turmoil as it is ripped asunder by social and economic problems caused by the demise of Communism. The film is set in a grim little burg on the Danube, 100 miles northeast of Bucharest. Fane, the main character, has just been fired from his factory job. He cannot find work, so begins to hit the bars. He also hangs out with his friends, former freedom fighters, out in the country. Fane�s teenage daughter Vali wants to study in Bucharest; she works nights and saves her money. Nilu, his youngest son, has just joined a gang. The eldest brother Viorel discovers that Vali is earning money by hooking in a trashy bar, he destroys the place. He is sent to jail. Vali and Nilu take off for the capital. Fane tries to organize a strike against the factory bosses. The results are tragic� February 12th: Filantropica / Philanthropy 2002; directed by Nae Caranfil; 107 min. In 21st century Bucharest, going out on the town on a Saturday evening on the arm of a beautiful woman is a financial challenge. Ovidiu (Mircea Diaconu), a modest high school teacher, cannot afford this. Nevertheless, he must, for he is over his head in love with Diana (Viorica Voda), a 20 year old ambitious femme fatale. In his quest to become something more substantial than a high school teacher, Oliviu plunges into a fabulous world� Swinging between a life as a prince and pauper, Oliviu juggles two women, as he is freshly enriched in the eyes of Diana, yet also the humble husband of Miruna (Mara Nicolescu). All while living a fatiguing double life, under the �protection� of Pepe (Gheorghe Dinica)� March 12th: La Est De Bucuresti / 12:08 East of Bucharest 2006; directed by Corneliu Porumboiu; 89 min. Winner of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival Camera D�Or. On the 16th anniversary of the fall of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, a local anchorman of a nearby provincial town invites two of his acquaintances to share their moments of revolutionary glory on his talk show. One is an impish, insightful retiree who sometimes poses as Santa Claus; the other is a henpecked, hard driving teacher who has just devoted his entire salary to his drinking debts. Together they will remember the day when they stormed their town hall calling �down with Ceausescu�, or�did they? May 14th: Nesfarsit / California Dreamin� 2007; directed by Cristian Nemescu; 155 min. Winner of the prestigious Cannes award Un Certain Regard in 2007, Cristian Nemescus film is based on a true story: a NATO train transporting military equipment is stopped in the middle of nowhere by an overzealous chief of a Romanian train station. Set against the backdrop of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the film explores with humor and gritty realism the impact that the arrival of the American soldiers led by Captain Jones has on the small village community. A cinematic tour de force not to be missed! ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------- **[RomaniaUSA] "Romani. Pur si Simplu" ------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.romania-usa.ro Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romaniausa/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romaniausa/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[email protected] mailto:[email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
