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Cristi Puiu (; born 3 April 1967) is a
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
and
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
. With Anca Puiu and Alex Munteanu, in 2004 he founded a cinema production company, naming it Mandragora.


Early life, education and career

Cristian Emilian Puiu was born to Iuliana and Emilian Puiu in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north o ...
, Romania. Puiu's first interest in art was painting. In 1992, he was admitted as a student to the Painting Department of ''École Supérieure d'Arts Visuels'' in
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...
. After the first year he switched to film studies at the same school, where he graduated in 1996. He started working in film after his return to Romania. He is married to Anca Puiu. He and Anca have three children: Smaranda, Ileana and Zoe.


Career


Director

Cristi Puiu's debut as a director was in 2001 with the low-budget road movie ''Stuff and Dough'' (''Marfa și banii''), starring
Alexandru Papadopol Alexandru Papadopol (; born 5 April 1975, in Râmnicu Vâlcea) is a Romanian actor. At the beginning of the year 2000 he appeared in the films ''Marfa şi banii'' (''Goods and Money'' or '' Stuff and Dough'') and ''Occident'', after which he app ...
and
Dragoș Bucur Dragoș Bucur (; born 13 June 1977) is a Romanian actor, ambassador for the program ''Youth of the Move'' involved by the European Commission, and TV presenter for the show '' Visuri la cheie'' broadcast on Pro TV '' Visuri la cheie''. Dragoș B ...
. The film received several awards in international film festivals and competed in the Quinzaines des Realisateurs section of the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
. Some critics say that this is the film that started the Romanian New Wave in cinema. He continued with a short film, ''Cigarettes and Coffee'' (''Un cartuş de Kent și un pachet de cafea'') (2004), which was awarded the Golden Bear for best short film at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival. His second feature film, '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' (''Moartea domnului Lăzărescu'') (2005), was a dark comedy about an ailing old man who is carried by an ambulance from hospital to hospital all night long, as doctors refuse to treat him and send him away. The film was a critical success, being awarded the ''
Prix Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, ...
'' at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
and numerous awards at other international film festivals. In 2006 this film gained 47 prizes, several nominations in the American Critics' Top 10 lists and in French magazines such as ''Telerama'' and ''Les Inrockuptibles.''


Screenwriter

Cristi Puiu co-wrote the screenplays of both his feature films, ''Stuff and Dough'' (2001) and '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' (2005), with Romanian writer Răzvan Rădulescu. Puiu independently wrote the screenplay for his short film ''Cigarettes and Coffee'' (2004). In collaboration with Răzvan Rădulescu, Puiu wrote the screenplay for ''Niki and Flo,'' commissioned by
Lucian Pintilie Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018Lucian Pi ...
, one of the most important Romanian directors. In 2005 German director Didi Danquart based the movie ''Offset'' on a
script Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of ha ...
written by Puiu.


''Six Stories from the Outskirts of Bucharest''

Puiu intends to make a series of six movies entitled ''Six Stories from the Outskirts of Bucharest.'' In part he has envisioned them in response to the French director
Éric Rohmer Jean Marie Maurice Schérer or Maurice Henri Joseph Schérer, known as Éric Rohmer (; 21 March 192011 January 2010), was a French film director, film critic, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and teacher. Rohmer was the last of the post-World ...
's '' Six Moral Tales'' series, which influenced filmmaking in the late 20th century. Puiu intends the series to explore six types of love stories, ''The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' being about love for one's fellow man. He plans the next five films to study love between a man and a woman, love for one's children, love of success, love between friends, and carnal love. Cristi Puiu says that he has completed a synopsis for each of these films. The second film, '' Aurora'', was screened in the
Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...
section at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. His film '' Sieranevada'' took part in competition in 2016 Cannes Film Festival.


Awards

*
2005 Cannes Film Festival The 58th Cannes Film Festival started on 11 May and ran until 22 May 2005. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on 21 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Belgian film '' L'Enfant'' by Dardenne brothers ...
Un Certain Regard Award for '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' *2005
Chicago International Film Festival The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964 by Michael Kutza, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. Its logo is a stark, black and white close up of the comp ...
– Silver Hugo Special Jury Prize for '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' *2005 Copenhagen International Film Festival – Grand Prix du Jury for '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' *2005 Reykjavik International Film Festival – Discovery of the Year Award for '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' *2004 Berlin International Film Festival ** Golden Bear for Best Short Film for ''Cigarettes and Coffee'' ** UIP Berlin Award (European Short Film) for ''Cigarettes and Coffee'' *2002 Angers European First Film Festival – Procirep Award for ''Stuff and Dough'' *2002
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema The Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI, es, Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the month of April, in the city of B ...
– Abasto Award for ''Stuff and Dough'' *2001
Cottbus Film Festival Cottbus (; Lower Sorbian: ''Chóśebuz'' ; Polish: Chociebuż) is a university city and the second-largest city in Brandenburg, Germany. Situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree, Cottbus is also a major railway junction with exte ...
of Young East European Cinema ** Findling Award for ''Stuff and Dough'' **Special Prize in Feature Film Competition for ''Stuff and Dough'' *2001
Thessaloniki Film Festival The Thessaloniki Film Festival is a Thessaloniki-based cultural institution focusing on cinema. The Institution organizes the Thessaloniki International Film Festival every November and the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival every March, while its y ...
– FIPRESCI Prize for ''Stuff and Dough''


Filmography as director

*2020 '' Malmkrog'' *2016 '' Sieranevada'' *2014 '' Bridges of Sarajevo'' (documentary) *2010 '' Aurora'' *2005 '' The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu'' (''Moartea domnului Lăzărescu'') *2004 '' Cigarettes and Coffee'' (''Un cartuș de Kent și un pachet de cafea''), short *2001 ''
Stuff and Dough ''Stuff and Dough'' ( ro, Marfa și banii) is a 2001 Romanian drama film directed by Cristi Puiu. The film was screened for the Directors' Fortnight at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Alexandru Papadopol - Ovidiu * Dragoș Bucur - Vali * ...
'' (''Marfa și banii'')


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Puiu, Cristi 1967 births Living people Film people from Bucharest Romanian film directors Romanian screenwriters