Romanian New Wave

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Romanian New Wave
Years active2004–present
CountryRomania
Major figuresCristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu, Cristian Nemescu, Cătălin Mitulescu, Radu Muntean, Corneliu Porumboiu, Călin Peter Netzer, Radu Jude, Alexander Nanau, Adina Pintilie, Radu Mihăileanu

The Romanian New Wave (Romanian: Noul val românesc) is a genre of realist and often minimalist films made in Romania since the mid-aughts, starting with two award-winning shorts by two Romanian directors, namely Cristi Puiu's Cigarettes and Coffee, which won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival,[1][2] and Cătălin Mitulescu's Trafic, which won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival later that same year.[3][4][5]

Themes[edit]

Aesthetically, Romanian New Wave films share an austere, realist and often minimalist approach. Furthermore, black humour tends to feature prominently. While several of them are set in the late 1980s, near the end of Nicolae Ceaușescu's totalitarian rule over communist Romania, exploring themes of freedom and resilience (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Paper Will Be Blue, The Way I Spent the End of the World, Tales from the Golden Age), others, however (The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu, California Dreamin', Tuesday, After Christmas), unfold in modern-day Romania, and delve into the ways the transition to democracy and free-market capitalism has shaped Romanian society after the fall of communism in late 1989.

Award-winning films and directors[edit]

Romanian New Wave films and directors have won a significant number of important international movie awards at prestigious FIAPF-accredited film festivals. Below are a few notable examples:

Director Title Year Awards
Radu Mihăileanu Train of Life
Trenul vieţii
1998 Italy Won the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film at the 1998 David di Donatello Awards, and the Anicaflash Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at 55th Venice International Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu A Trip to the City
Călătorie la oraș
2003 France Won the Second Cinefondation Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu Cigarettes and Coffee
Un cartuș de Kent și un pachet de cafea
2004 Germany Won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival
Cătălin Mitulescu Trafic 2004 France Won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu
Moartea Domnului Lăzărescu
2005 France Won the Un Certain Regard at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival
The first feature film to bring the emerging movement into the international spotlight.
Cătălin Mitulescu The Way I Spent the End of the World
Cum mi-am petrecut sfârșitul lumii
2006 France Won the Best Actress Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu 12:08 East of Bucharest
A fost sau n-a fost?
2006 France Won the Caméra d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile
2007 France Won the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Nemescu California Dreamin' 2007 France Won the Un Certain Regard at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Adrian Sitaru Hooked
Pescuit sportiv
2008 United States Won in the New Voices/New Vision section at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival
Bogdan Mustață A Good Day for a Swim
O zi bună de plajă
2008 Germany Won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival
Marian Crișan Megatron 2008 France Won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
Radu Jude The Happiest Girl in the World
Cea mai fericită fată din lume
2009 Germany Won the CICAE Forum Award at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Mihăileanu Le Concert
Concertul
2009 United States Won the Southwest Audience Award for Best Narrative feature at the Nashville Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu Police, Adjective
Polițist, Adjectiv
2009 France Won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
Florin Șerban If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle
Eu când vreau să fluier, fluier
2010 Germany Won the Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival
Cristi Puiu Aurora 2010 Czech Republic Won the East of the West Award at the 2010 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Marian Crișan Morgen 2010 Switzerland Won the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Locarno International Film Festival
Bogdan George Apetri Outbound
Periferic
2010 Poland Won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2010 Warsaw International Film Festival
Radu Muntean Tuesday, After Christmas
Marți, după Crăciun
2010 Argentina Won the Best Actress Award at the 2010 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Adrian Sitaru Best Intentions
Din dragoste cu cele mai bune intenții
2011 Switzerland Won the Leopard for Best Direction at the 2011 Locarno International Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu Beyond the Hills
După dealuri
2012 Argentina
France
Won the Golden Ástor at the 2012 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Won both the Best Screenplay and the Best Actress Award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Călin Peter Netzer Child's Pose
Poziția copilului
2013 Germany Won the Golden Bear at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival
Tudor Cristian Jurgiu In the Fishbowl
În acvariu
2013 France Won the Third Cinefondation Award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
Radu Jude Aferim! 2015 Germany Won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu The Treasure
Comoara
2015 France Won the Un Certain Talent in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Florin Șerban Box 2015 Czech Republic Won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2015 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Bogdan Mirică Dogs
Câini
2016 France Won the FIPRESCI Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu Graduation
Bacalaureat
2016 France Won the Best Director Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu Sieranevada 2016 United States Won both the Gold Hugo and the Silver Hugo at the 2016 Chicago International Film Festival
Radu Jude Scarred Hearts
Inimi cicatrizate
2016 Switzerland
Argentina
Won the Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Locarno International Film Festival
Won the Best Director Award at the 2016 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Constantin Popescu Pororoca 2017 Spain Won the Silver Seashell for Best Actor at the 2017 San Sebastián International Film Festival
Călin Peter Netzer Ana, mon amour 2017 Germany Won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival
Adina Pintilie Touch Me Not
Nu mă atinge-mă
2018 Germany Won the Golden Bear at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Jude I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians
Îmi este indiferent dacă în istorie vom intra ca barbari
2018 Czech Republic Won the Crystal Globe at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Cristi Puiu Malmkrog 2020 Germany Won the Best Director Award in the Encounters section at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Jude Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc
2021 Germany Won the Golden Bear at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival

Legend:

Best feature film
Best short film or second-best feature film
Best film director

Other notable works[edit]

Director Title Year Notes
Cristi Puiu Stuff and Dough
Marfa și banii
2001 Cristi Puiu's directorial debut
Nae Caranfil Philanthropy
Filantropica
2002
Cristian Mungiu Occident 2002 Cristian Mungiu's first feature film
Lucian Pintilie Niki and Flo
Niki Ardelean, colonel în rezervă
2003 Lucian Pintilie's last feature film
Corneliu Porumboiu Liviu's Dream
Visul lui Liviu
2004
Tudor Giurgiu Love Sick
Legături bolnăvicioase
2006 Compared to My Summer of Love
Cristian Nemescu Marilena from P7
Marilena de la P7
2006 Cristian Nemescu's last short film
Radu Muntean The Paper Will Be Blue
Hârtia va fi albastră
2006
Gheorghe Preda An Angel Hooked on Me
Îngerul necesar
2007 Thematically unrelated to the others.
Unconcerned with social issues.
Radu Muntean Boogie 2008
Cristian Mungiu et al. Tales from the Golden Age
Amintiri din Epoca de Aur
2009
Răzvan Rădulescu et al. First of All, Felicia
Felicia, înainte de toate
2009
Bobby Păunescu Francesca 2009
Andrei Gruzsniczki The Other Irene
Cealaltă Irina
2009
Călin Peter Netzer Medal of Honor
Medalia de onoare
2009
Constantin Popescu Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man
Portretul luptătorului la tinerețe
2010
Cătălin Mitulescu Loverboy 2011
Radu Jude Everybody in Our Family
Toată lumea din familia noastră
2012
Tudor Giurgiu Of Snails and Men
Despre oameni și melci
2012
Corneliu Porumboiu When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism
Când se lasă seara peste București sau metabolism
2013
Nae Caranfil Closer to the Moon
Mai aproape de lună
2014
Ana Lungu Self-Portrait of a Dutiful Daughter
Autoportretul unei fete cuminți
2015
Radu Muntean One Floor Below
Un etaj mai jos
2015
Tudor Giurgiu Why Me?
De ce eu?
2015
Corneliu Porumboiu The Whistlers
La Gomera
2019
Alexander Nanau Collective
Colectiv
2019 First Romanian film to be nominated for an Academy Award

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Berlin International Film Festival 2004 Awards". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  2. ^ "Berlinale: Jahresarchive 2004: Preistraeger". Berlinale.de. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  3. ^ "Cannes Film Festival 2004 Awards". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  4. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Trafic". Festival-Cannes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
  5. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Catalin Mitulescu". Festival-Cannes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.

Further reading[edit]