A fost sau n-a fost? (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Corneliu Porumboiu

Writer:

Corneliu Porumboiu (writer)

Release Date:

29 September 2006 (Romania)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Plot:

It's the 22nd of December. Sixteen years have passed since the revolution, and in a small town Christmas is about to come...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | Teacher | Debt | Post Communism | Vodka

Awards:

9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Mircea Andreescu	...	Emanoil Piscoci
Teodor Corban	...	Virgil Jderescu
Ion Sapdaru	...	Tiberiu Manescu
Mirela Cioaba	...	Doamna Manescu
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Doamna Jderescu
Cristina Ciofu	...	Vali
Lucian Iftime	...	Lica
Annemarie Chertic	...	Vera
Petrica Sapdaru	...	Petrica
Catalin Paraschiv	...	Barman
George Guoqingyun	...	Chen
Constantin Dita	...	Tibi
Daniel Badale	...	Professor
Marius Rogojinski	...	Vecin (as Marius Rogojinschi)
Aurelia Tocu	...	Maricicia Dima (voice)

Also Known As:

12:08 East of Bucharest (Canada: English title) (festival title) (USA)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Romania

Language:

Romanian

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | USA:Unrated | South Korea:12 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

42 Km Film

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best of 2007" (2007)

Wonderfully quirky East-European production

A wonderfully quirky movie, rooted in the deep inner conflict experienced by many people who have to conciliate their Communist-era mentalities with(in) a post-Communist society.

Most Romanians (and East-Europeans alike) will understand it very well, since many clichés are present here: the vain, non-professional media, the desolate streets, the people without perspectives or hope, the arrogant new-rich former secret service people, the successful immigrants coming from even lesser parts of the world... all grafted on top of a nagging general feeling of guilt and shame, emanating from the sheep-like population.

Let's face it: the real (and only) Romanian heroes of 1989, "before 12:08 on December 22", were the several thousands of mostly young folks who defied the authorities in the streets of Timisoara and Bucharest... the rest of the country just watched and waited, much like the viewers of Jderescu's "talk show".

PS. - To the pretentious prig from Denmark: I think you were supposed to post your "art cinema" commentary under the latest creation of your much-ballyhooed co-national, Lars von Trier, "Direktøren for det hele" (2006). Your comments fit that film to a "T"!!!

If you have absolutely no idea what Porumboiu's minimalistic film is all about, and no respect or understanding for another culture, I think you should refrain from posting. Sadly, your inane text was at some point featured on the main page for this Romanian film, even though you - thankfully! - represent an insignificant minority of malcontents.