The Romanian New Wave ( ro, Noul val românesc) is a
genre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other f ...
of
realist and often
minimalist films made in
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 ...
since the mid-
aughts, starting with two award-winning shorts by two Romanian directors, namely
Cristi Puiu
Cristi Puiu (; born 3 April 1967) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. 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 ...
's ''Cigarettes and Coffee'', which won the
Short Film Golden Bear The Short Film Golden Bear () is the most important award in the short film competition of the Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale ...
at the
2004 Berlin International Film Festival
The 54th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 5–15 February 2004. The festival opened with out of competition film '' Cold Mountain'' by Anthony Minghella. '' 25 Degrees in Winter'' by Stéphane Vuillet served as the closing ...
,
and
Cătălin Mitulescu
Cătălin Mitulescu (; born 13 January 1972 in Bucharest) is a Romanian film director. He graduated from the Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest in 2001.
He is best known for the short film ''Trafic'' (Romanian for "tra ...
's ''
Trafic'', which won the
Short Film Palme d'Or
The Short Film Palme d'Or (french: Palme d'Or du court métrage) is the highest prize given to a short film at the Cannes Film Festival. Since the creation of the Cinéfondation
La ''Cinéfondation'' is a foundation under the aegis of the Cannes ...
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 ...
later that same year.
Themes
Aesthetically
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
, 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
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He ...
's
totalitarian rule
Totalitarianism is a form of government and a political system that prohibits all opposition parties, outlaws individual and group opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high if not complete degree of control and regul ...
over
communist Romania
The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the state was known as the Romanian Peop ...
, exploring themes of freedom and resilience (
'' 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days'', ''The Paper Will Be Blue
''The Paper Will Be Blue'' ( ro, Hârtia va fi albastră) is a 2006 Romanian film written and directed by Radu Muntean. The story is set on the night between 22 and 23 December 1989, the time of the Romanian Revolution. It follows a Militia unit ...
'', ''The Way I Spent the End of the World
''The Way I Spent the End of the World'' ( ro, Cum mi-am petrecut sfârșitul lumii) is the feature-length film debut of Romanian director Cătălin Mitulescu. It was released on September 15, 2006.
Synopsis
The film is about 17-year-old Eva and ...
'', ''Tales from the Golden Age
''Tales from the Golden Age'' ( ro, Amintiri din epoca de aur) is a 2009 Romanian omnibus film. It was screened as part of the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
The film is composed of six whimsical yet blackly comic ...
''), 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
Romanian New Wave films and directors have won a significant number of important international
movie award
This is a list of groups, organizations, and festivals that recognize achievements in cinema, usually by awarding various prizes. The awards sometimes also have popular unofficial names (such as the "Oscar" for Hollywood's Academy Awards), which ar ...
s at prestigious
FIAPF-accredited
film festivals. Below are a few notable examples:
Legend:
Other notable installments
References
Further reading
Realism and ideology in post-2000 Romanian cinema by Andrei Gorzo for the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, June 6, 2016.
Romania continues an unlikely cinematic domination at Cannes, with a pair of rival directors by Steven Zeitchik for
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
, May 25, 2016.
15 Essential Films for an Introduction to the Romanian New Wave by Andrew Ricci for Taste of Cinema, October 11, 2014.
Romania's overlooked New Wave by
Larry Rohter for
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, December 18, 2013.
The Romanian New Wave in
Bonjour Tristesse, November 1, 2010.
Cannes 2010: Those Romanians are at it again by Steven Zeitchik for
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
, May 13, 2010.
Romania's New Wave is riding high by Ronald Bergman for
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
, March 26, 2008.
On the New Romanian Cinema by Marina Kaceanov fo
A Danish Journal of Film Studies No. 25 March 25, 2008.
On The Romanian New Wave by Ion Martea for Culture Wars, March 18, 2008.
by
A.O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic. He has been chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' since 2004, a title he shares with Manohla Dargis.
Early life
Scott was born on July 10, 1966 in ...
for
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
, January 20, 2008.
Eastern Promise in
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's
Sight & Sound October 2007 issue.
Romanian New Wave, International Spotlight "Romania at LAFF 2007" by Vera Mijojlic fo
Cinema Without Borders June 18, 2007.
{{Film genres, state=collapsed
Works about the Romanian Revolution
New Wave
Movements in cinema
New Wave in cinema
2000s in Romanian cinema