Eastern European cinema is a diverse subject that has been scarcely regarded, especially compared to other world cinemas. From screen analysis to personal accounts, this blog is a meditation on Eastern European cultural values with emphasis on totalitarian iconography and other clandestine ciphers that have become motifs across the films of Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic and East Germany.
Showing posts with label Film Preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Film Preview. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2015
Monday, December 7, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Film Preview: The Treasure/ Comoara (2015) Corneliu Porumboiu
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
Congratulations to Romanian filmmaker (although I think we can call him an auteur now) Corneliu Porumboiu for winning the 'Un Certain Talent' award at Cannes 2015 for his upcoming feature The Treasure/ Comoara (2015). Porumboiu is known for his brilliant contributions to the slow-cinema style and his wry humour. Other titles directed by him are 12:08 East of Bucharest/ A fost sau n-a fost? (2006) and Police, Adjective/ Polițist, Adjectiv (2009).
Congratulations to Romanian filmmaker (although I think we can call him an auteur now) Corneliu Porumboiu for winning the 'Un Certain Talent' award at Cannes 2015 for his upcoming feature The Treasure/ Comoara (2015). Porumboiu is known for his brilliant contributions to the slow-cinema style and his wry humour. Other titles directed by him are 12:08 East of Bucharest/ A fost sau n-a fost? (2006) and Police, Adjective/ Polițist, Adjectiv (2009).
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Film Preview: Anatomy of a Departure/Anatomie des Weggehens (2013) Şerban Oliver Tătaru
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
For every immigrant that knows how hard it is to live in-between the new world the past life.
For every immigrant that knows how hard it is to live in-between the new world the past life.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Film Preview: Carmen (2013) Doru Nițescu
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
Doru Nițescu's film Carmen (2013) is another instance of dramatic brilliance to derive from New Romanian Cinema. The story details the psychological burden of a mother, Mariana (Rodica Lazăr), dealing with her young daughter's, Carmen (Iulia Lupascu), life-threatening illness. In the midst of the tragedy comes another grim depiction of Romania's corrupt health care system - something notoriously highlighted in Cristi Puiu's The Death of Mr Lazarescu (2005). Both actresses have been lauded for their performances, both on a national scale and throughout Europe, and the film has received an array of critical success at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August.
See the film preview here.
Watch the director speak about his film here.
Doru Nițescu's film Carmen (2013) is another instance of dramatic brilliance to derive from New Romanian Cinema. The story details the psychological burden of a mother, Mariana (Rodica Lazăr), dealing with her young daughter's, Carmen (Iulia Lupascu), life-threatening illness. In the midst of the tragedy comes another grim depiction of Romania's corrupt health care system - something notoriously highlighted in Cristi Puiu's The Death of Mr Lazarescu (2005). Both actresses have been lauded for their performances, both on a national scale and throughout Europe, and the film has received an array of critical success at the Sarajevo Film Festival in August.
See the film preview here.
Watch the director speak about his film here.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Film Preview [From a personal perspective]: Rio 2016 (2013) Bianca Rotaru
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
We all know that Romanians are the best at gymnastics (and if you did not know then you do now!). It all began with Nadia Comăneci when she effortlessly scored a perfect 10 during the Montreal Olympics of 1976. She was coached by husband-wife team Béla and Márta Károlyi - a Hungarian/Romanian duo who went on to train a series of gold medal winning gymnasts in The States following Nadia's success. This may seem like a wonderful story about hard work and triumph, but one might want to stop and consider how gruelling the task of training for the biggest sporting event in the world might be....
Rio 2016 (2013) is a documentary directed by Bianca Rotaru that focuses on the trials and tribulations of two young gymnasts, Teodora and Andreea as they fight for a spot on the Romanian National Team heading for the Rio Olympics. Throughout the film preview, the intimidating voice of a woman is heard, perhaps their coach, as she uses reverse psychology to push her pupils to perform in all excellence, debasing them along the way.
Stills from Rio 2016.
My mother once told me that she remembered reading about how Nadia was not permitted to eat any cake on her birthday. As a little girl, I remember being was disgusted and shocked, thinking "no cake at all, really?" At the time, I was a young gymnast at a quiet local club in suburban Melbourne. I had an severe Russian coach named Katya who persisted to ask me the impossible question: "are you a scared little rabbit?" because I couldn't do the vault. She had no fault in her methods, but she did choose the wrong person to pursue - I was not interested in training for the Olympics. I was disinterested in sports, wanting rather to socialise with the other girls about Leonardo Dicaprio and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, I do remember a feeling a sense of envy when I watched the older girls perform sequential somersaults on the beams. Katya probably whipped them into shape.
So what is the point of this story...? Documentaries are a window to real life experiences, they are the closest interpretations of reality within the cinema realm. Rio 2016 is a documentary with a fresh perspective that not only incorporates the psychology of the game-centred narrative (a typical screenwriting template), but offers a unique examination of a culture of people that are incredibly hard on themselves, especially when passion prevails above all else.
See trailer here.
See trailer here.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Film Preview: An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker/ Epizoda u životu berača željeza (2013) Danis Tanović
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
Bosnian filmmaker, Danis Tanović blurs the line between realism as a genre and documentary filmmaking resulting in a highly innovative approach well worthy of the attention it received at the Berlinale earlier this year.
Bosnian filmmaker, Danis Tanović blurs the line between realism as a genre and documentary filmmaking resulting in a highly innovative approach well worthy of the attention it received at the Berlinale earlier this year.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Film Preview: Another Win for New Romanian Cinema
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
I was both thrilled and surprised to hear that this year's Golden Bear went to Romanian director, Calin Peter Netzer for his psychological drama, Child's Pose/Pozitia Copilului (2013). The reason why I was thrilled, was because there has been a slight dry spell in the way of New Romanian Cinema for the past year or so. Since, Cristi Puiu's Stuff and Dough/Marfa si Banii (2001), Romanian filmmakers have been producing only the highest quality cinema for which they have received an abundance of international recognition and awards. However, there weren't as many films released throughout 2012 compared to the years prior, and it's starting to make us film enthusiasts a little nervous. It is difficult to ignore the menacing fact that New Romanian Cinema might just as well break apart as quickly as it broke through. This is why I was thrilled to read about the the latest Romanian cinema triumph and only hope to witness its continuing growth from this point onwards.
Now to the matter of my surprise. I was swept away when I saw Netzer's second feature film Medal of Honor/Medalia de Onoare (2009) particularly because it combines the dismal traits of a post-communist Romanian society with a sense of comedy and human sensitivity. But not much followed after it's release in the lines of critical reviews and academic papers. So it was a pleasant surprise (maybe mixed with a bit of astonishment) to receive my first Google alert in months, on Netzer's well-deserved feat. Maybe I should be the first critic to examine his vital contribution to New Romanian Cinema.
A film review and plot outline will be published on this site soon. In the meantime, here is an amazing still from the film - the one and only Luminita Gheorghiu aka. one of the most outstanding actresses, well, in the world.
I was both thrilled and surprised to hear that this year's Golden Bear went to Romanian director, Calin Peter Netzer for his psychological drama, Child's Pose/Pozitia Copilului (2013). The reason why I was thrilled, was because there has been a slight dry spell in the way of New Romanian Cinema for the past year or so. Since, Cristi Puiu's Stuff and Dough/Marfa si Banii (2001), Romanian filmmakers have been producing only the highest quality cinema for which they have received an abundance of international recognition and awards. However, there weren't as many films released throughout 2012 compared to the years prior, and it's starting to make us film enthusiasts a little nervous. It is difficult to ignore the menacing fact that New Romanian Cinema might just as well break apart as quickly as it broke through. This is why I was thrilled to read about the the latest Romanian cinema triumph and only hope to witness its continuing growth from this point onwards.
Now to the matter of my surprise. I was swept away when I saw Netzer's second feature film Medal of Honor/Medalia de Onoare (2009) particularly because it combines the dismal traits of a post-communist Romanian society with a sense of comedy and human sensitivity. But not much followed after it's release in the lines of critical reviews and academic papers. So it was a pleasant surprise (maybe mixed with a bit of astonishment) to receive my first Google alert in months, on Netzer's well-deserved feat. Maybe I should be the first critic to examine his vital contribution to New Romanian Cinema.
A film review and plot outline will be published on this site soon. In the meantime, here is an amazing still from the film - the one and only Luminita Gheorghiu aka. one of the most outstanding actresses, well, in the world.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Film Preview: Best Intentions/ Din dragoste cu cele mai bune intentii (2011) Adrian Sitaru
By Olivia Maria Hărşan
I am desperately intending to see Adrian Sitaru's second feature film Best Intentions. From what I have read, the film seems to be a character study that centers on the neurosis and paranoia experienced by the protagonist, Alex (Bogdan Dumitrache). Again, these are themes that bring to mind Romania's communist past and the current human condition experienced as a result of that past. The film also breaks the fourth wall making the symbolic representations very personal and confronting.
Expect to be left with only good impressions from this film--a definite must-see.
I am desperately intending to see Adrian Sitaru's second feature film Best Intentions. From what I have read, the film seems to be a character study that centers on the neurosis and paranoia experienced by the protagonist, Alex (Bogdan Dumitrache). Again, these are themes that bring to mind Romania's communist past and the current human condition experienced as a result of that past. The film also breaks the fourth wall making the symbolic representations very personal and confronting.
Expect to be left with only good impressions from this film--a definite must-see.
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