Victor Rebengiuc (; known in full as Victor-George Rebengiuc; born 10 February 1933) 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 and stage actor, also known as a
civil society
Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.Bulandra Theater company, acting in more than 200 roles on that stage alone. Having had his breakthrough performance with
Liviu Ciulei
Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of the b ...
Dan Pița
Dan Pița (; born 11 October 1938 in Dorohoi, Botoșani County, Romania) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter.
Career
Pița has directed several award-winning films since 1970, including the 1985 hit ''Pas în doi'', which won an Honourab ...
The Man of the Day
''The Man of the Day'' ( ro, Omul zilei) was a 1997 Romanian film directed by Dan Pița.
Cast
* Ștefan Iordache as Andrei
* Alina Chivulescu as Ana
* George Mihăiță as Florentin
* Victor Rebengiuc as Gral. Vlădescu
* Maia Morgenstern
* Cr ...
'') and
Lucian Pintilie
Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018Lucian Pi ...
(''
De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?
''Carnival Scenes'' ( ro, De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?, literally, "Why the bells are ringing, Mitică?") is a 1981 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was banned in Romania and was not shown until after the 1989 revolution. T ...
Too Late Too Late may refer to:
Film and theatre
*'' Too Late (1914 film)'', American film written by Winifred Dunn
* ''Too Late'' (1996 film), a Romanian film
* ''Too Late'' (2000 film), a Portuguese film
* ''Too Late'' (2015 film), an American film
* ' ...
''; ''
Last Stop Paradise
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...
''; ''
Niki and Flo
Niki and Flo ( ro, Niki Ardelean, colonel în rezerva ) is a 2003 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie.
Cast
* Victor Rebengiuc - Niki Ardelean
* Răzvan Vasilescu - Florian (Flo) Tufaru
* Coca Bloos - Poucha Ardelean
* Mihaela Car ...
''; ''
Tertium non datur
In logic, the law of excluded middle (or the principle of excluded middle) states that for every proposition, either this proposition or its negation is true. It is one of the so-called three laws of thought, along with the law of noncontradi ...
''). Rebengiuc was celebrated for his stage performances, appearing in plays directed by, among others, Ciulei,
Radu Penciulescu
Radu may refer to:
People
* Radu (given name), Romanian masculine given name
* Radu (surname), Romanian surname
* Rulers of Wallachia, see
* Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960), disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne
Other uses
* Radu ( ...
,
Andrei Şerban
Andrei Șerban (born June 21, 1943) is a Romanian-American theater director. A major name in twentieth-century theater, he is renowned for his innovative and iconoclastic interpretations and stagings. In 1992 he became Professor of Theater at the ...
Yuri Kordonsky
Yuri Kordonsky (russian: Юрий Михайлович Кордонский) (born 17 October 1966) is a Russian-born theatre actor and director, now a United States citizen and a professor of directing at the Yale School of Drama in New Haven, Con ...
,
Gábor Tompa Gábor Tompa (born 8 August 1957 in Târgu Mureș) is an internationally renowned Hungarian theater and film director, poet, essayist and teacher. Between 2007 and 2016 he was the Head of Directing at the Theatre and Dance Department of the Univers ...
, and
Alexandru Dabija
Alexandru Dabija (born February 13, 1955) is a stage director and actor in Romanian theater and film.
Born in Piatra Neamț, he graduated from the I.L. Caragiale Institute of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest. Dabija debuted in 1976 with Phili ...
. The former husband of actress
Anca Verești ANCA or Anca may refer to:
* Anca (name), Romanian female first name
* Áncá language
* Ançã (Cantanhede), civil parish in Portugal
* Ançã, town in Portugal
Organization
* Australian Nature Conservation Agency, now Environment Australia
* A ...
, he is married to Mariana Mihuț, his Bulandra colleague.
Rebengiuc's life under the
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
provided him an
anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
perspective, and some of his 1980s films were
censored
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
or banned by the country's officials. In 1989, he took part in the
Romanian Revolution
The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, when he was among the people who stormed into the
Romanian Television
Televiziunea Română (), more commonly referred to as TVR , is the short name for Societatea Română de Televiziune ("Romanian Television Society"; SRTV), the Romanian public television. It operates six channels: TVR1, TVR2, TVR3, TVR Info, T ...
building and broadcast the downfall 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 was ...
and an end to communist rule. Rebengiuc subsequently spoke out against political forces he believes stand for the regime's legacy in modern society, and called for the retrospective condemnation of communism. As a public figure, he has had a brief career in politics, and, since the mid-1990s, endorses
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s.
Biography
Early life
A native of
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 of ...
, Rebengiuc hails from a modest family. After his parents separated when he was three years old, he and his younger brother were raised by their maternal grandparents. He grew up on the city's outskirts, in the low-income quarters, and, as he remembers, his family frequently changed residence in order to afford the rent. Evelyn Badea "Victor Rebengiuc - talent şi dăruire" , in ''
Adevărul
''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...
Evenimentul Zilei
''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name means "today's even (news)".
History and profile
''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nistorescu and Mihai Cârciog, an ...
Chiajna
Chiajna () is a commune in the south-west of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, immediately west of the capital, Bucharest. It is composed of three villages: Chiajna, Dudu and Roșu.
The mayor of Chiajna is currently Mircea Minea ( National Liberal ...
,
Rahova
Rahova is a neighbourhood of southwest Bucharest, Romania, situated in Sector 5, west of Dâmboviţa River. It is named after the Bulgarian town ''Rahovo'' (today Oryahovo), site of a battle in the Romanian War of Independence.
The neighborh ...
,
Dealul Spirii
Dealul Spirii (, ''Spirea's Hill'') is a hill in Bucharest, Romania, upon which the Palace of the Parliament (formerly known as ''House of the People'') is now located.
Spirii Hill
Initially a vineyard known as ''Dealul Lupeștilor'', the hil ...
and ultimately northern Bucharest. His father Gheorghe, whom the two sons seldom met, was drafted during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and died fighting in the
land Forces
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various islan ...
during the
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...
Observator Cultural
''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe ...
'', Nr. 412, February 2008 Victor and his brother were subsequently granted a
pension
A pension (, from Latin ''pensiō'', "payment") is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments ...
. His mother worked as a clerk, and, just before her retirement, was an employee of the Transport Ministry. Rebengiuc credits his father's genes with his own acting ability. He noted in an interview: "I was pained by my father's absence and, in a way, I always felt like there was something missing, although the bond between us was not strong."
Victor Rebengiuc completed his secondary studies at the Military High School, a school which he is grateful to for having instilled in him a sense of discipline. After a period of collaboration with an amateur troupe located in the Vitan area, Rebengiuc attended the Theater Institute, where he had for his professor actress
Aura Buzescu
Aura most commonly refers to:
* Aura (paranormal), a field of luminous multicolored radiation around a person or object
* Aura (symptom), a symptom experienced before a migraine or seizure
Aura may also refer to:
Places Extraterrestrial
* 1488 ...
Dilema Veche
''Dilema veche'' (English: "Old Dilemma") is a Romanian weekly magazine that covers culture, social topics, and politics. It was founded in 2004 as the successor to the magazine ''Dilema'', which was founded in 1993. Both magazines were founded by ...
'', Vol. II, Nr. 94, November 2005 Among the artists who have shaped his work, Rebengiuc also includes the major
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
actors
Mikhail Zharov
Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Жа́ров; 27 October 1899 – 15 December 1981) was a Soviet and Russian stage and film actor and director. People's Artist of the USSR (1949) and Hero of Socialist Labour ...
and
Ruben Simonov
Ruben Nikolayevich Simonov (russian: Рубен Николаевич Симонов (2 April 1899, Moscow, Russian Empire – 5 December 1968, Moscow, Soviet Union) was a Soviet and Russian actor, theater director and pedagogue. People's Artist of ...
, whose performances in films he followed closely, and his older Romanian colleague
Radu Beligan
Radu Beligan (; 14 December 1918 – 20 July 2016) was a Romanian actor, director, and essayist, with an activity of over 70 years in theatre, film, television, and radio. On 15 December 2013, confirmed by Guinness World Records, the actor receiv ...
. Laura Popescu "Victor Rebengiuc: 'Eu sunt acolo undeva, în spate, curentul electric care le animă' " a LiterNet (originally published in ''Ghidul HBO'', November 2004); retrieved May 29, 2008 He says: "Back when I started I was acting with the amateurs, I was imitating Beligan. ..Only when I was undergoing examination at the Institute, I was told, 'hey, you're imitating Beligan!' And then I realized it and try to get rid of this thing."
He graduated in 1956, and, after a six-month stint at the National Theater in
Craiova
Craiova (, also , ), is Romania's 6th Cities in Romania, largest city and capital of Dolj County, and situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximatel ...
,Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräfe, ''Who's Who in Contemporary World Theatre'',
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, London, 2002, p.254. returned to Bucharest, settling in the vicinity of Cişmigiu Gardens and starting work with Bulandra. Rebengiuc was at the time in a relationship with Anca Vereşti, whom he married in 1960, divorcing her five years later.
Rebengiuc's first drama role was as Biff in
Arthur Miller
Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...
's play ''
Death of a Salesman
''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...
'', a performance which he regrets, describing its director, Dinu Negreanu, as an untalented person promoted over "political reasons". He also recounts that training for the part brought his first collaboration with
Liviu Ciulei
Liviu Ciulei (; 7 July 1923 – 24 October 2011) was a Romanian theater and film director, film writer, actor, architect, educator, costume and set designer. During a career spanning over 50 years, he was described by ''Newsweek'' as "one of the b ...
, which he sees as one of the few positive aspects of the production. At around the same time, he began a collaboration with the '' Teatrul Mic'' company and director
Radu Penciulescu
Radu may refer to:
People
* Radu (given name), Romanian masculine given name
* Radu (surname), Romanian surname
* Rulers of Wallachia, see
* Prince Radu of Romania (born 1960), disputed pretender to the former Romanian throne
Other uses
* Radu ( ...
George Constantin
George Constantin (; 3 May 1933 – 30 April 1994) was a Romanian actor.
and
Olga Tudorache
Olga may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Olga (name), a given name, including a list of people and fictional characters named Olga or Olha
* Michael Algar (born 1962), English singer also known as "Olga"
Places
Russia
* Olga, Russia ...
Evenimentul Zilei
''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name means "today's even (news)".
History and profile
''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nistorescu and Mihai Cârciog, an ...
'', December 13, 2009 Rebengiuc appeared in several of Penciulescu's
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
productions: ''
Two for the Seesaw
''Two for the Seesaw'' is a 1962 American romantic-drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. It was adapted from the 1958 Broadway play written by William Gibson with Henry Fonda and Anne Bancroft (who ...
'' by
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, his ...
, ''
Tango
Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...
'' by
Sławomir Mrożek
Sławomir Mrożek (29 June 1930 – 15 August 2013) was a Polish dramatist, writer and cartoonist.
Mrożek joined the Polish United Workers' Party during the reign of Stalinism in the People's Republic of Poland, and made a living as a politica ...
and ''
Richard II
Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father died ...
'' by
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. Theater critic Simona Chiţan saw the collaboration as an aspect of the
liberalization
Liberalization or liberalisation (British English) is a broad term that refers to the practice of making laws, systems, or opinions less severe, usually in the sense of eliminating certain government regulations or restrictions. The term is used m ...
following the
socialist realist
Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ...
years: "Penciulescu and Rebengiuc have thus opened ..a positive period for Romanian theater: the repertoire had been widened, foreign, not just Soviet, plays were being performed, authors modern for the age in question had their plays produced."
First major roles
Rebengiuc debuted in cinema with the 1956 ''Mîndrie'', and went on to minor roles in several films, including the 1960 '' Furtuna'', adapted by
Andrei Blaier
Andrei Blaier (15 May 1933 – 1 December 2011) was a Romanian film director and screenwriter. His 1958 film '' The Ball'' was entered into the 1st Moscow International Film Festival.
Born in Bucharest, he graduated in 1956 from the I.L. C ...
from one of
Titus Popovici
Titus Viorel Popovici (16 May 1930 – 29 November 1994) was a Romanian screenwriter and author.
Biography
He graduated from the University of Bucharest in 1953. Two years later, he published his first novel, ''Străinul'' (The Stranger). H ...
's writings,
Iulian Mihu
Iulian Mihu (3 November 1926 – 20 June 1999) was a Romanian film director. He directed nineteen films between 1953 and 1998. His 1981 film '' The Pale Light of Sorrow'' was entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival, where i ...
's ''Poveste sentimentală'' (from a work by
Horia Lovinescu Horia or ''Horea'' may refer to:
Places in Romania Communes
*Horea, Alba
*Horia, Constanța
* Horia, Neamț
*Horia, Tulcea
* Hilișeu-Horia, Botoșani Villages
*Horea, in Sanislău, Satu Mare
*Horia, in Vladimirescu, Arad
*Horia, in Surdila-Greci, ...
) and '' Darclée'', the biographical story of opera singer
Hariclea Darclée
Hariclea Darclée (née Haricli; later Hartulari; 10 June 1860 – 12 January 1939) was a celebrated Romanian operatic soprano who had a three-decade-long career.
Darclée's repertoire ranged from coloratura soprano roles to heavier Verdi role ...
. In 1965, Victor Rebengiuc portrayed Apostol Bologa, the central character in Ciulei's film '' The Forest of the Hanged'' (adapted from
Liviu Rebreanu
Liviu Rebreanu (; November 27, 1885 – September 1, 1944) was a Romanian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and journalist.
Life
Born in Felsőilosva (now Târlișua, Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania), then part of the Kingd ...
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 o ...
, and was received with a standing ovation at the
Acapulco Film Festival The Acapulco Film Festival () was a film festival held in Acapulco, Mexico, annually from 1959 to 1968 and once more in 1987, with a precursor event held in Mexico City in 1958. The festival showcased both Mexican and international films, and in it ...
in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Thirty-six years after, Rebengiuc acknowledged that the film was his breakthrough role,
Irina Margareta Nistor
Irina Margareta Nistor (born 26 March 1957) is a Romanian translator and film critic.
Biography
Nistor worked as a translator of TV programs in Romania under the Communist regime, and is known for secretly dubbing over 3,000 banned movie titles on ...
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
made it "absolutely fresh, undated", drawing a parallel between its script and the issues posed by the
Yugoslav wars
The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
. According to his recollections, his "angelic face" had initially been judged unsatisfactory by Ciulei, but he managed to convince during casting. He also says that, upon receiving the news of his acceptance, "my legs began trembling and I fell off my chair".
It was on the set that he met and fell in love with Mariana Mihuţ, marrying her in 1965. He fathered a son, Tudor, in 1975, and later recounted that his wife had decided to keep him only because
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
had been outlawed and the clandestine interventions had become unsanitary (''see
Abortion in Romania Abortion in Romania is currently legal as an elective procedure during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy, and for medical reasons at later stages of pregnancy. In the year 2004, there were 216,261 live births and 191,000 reported abortions, meaning th ...
,
Decreţei
Decree 770 was a decree of the communist Romanian government of Nicolae Ceaușescu, signed in 1967. It restricted abortion and contraception, and was intended to create a new and large Romanian population. The term (from the Romanian language wor ...
''). Tudor Rebengiuc is a known architect.
Ever since he became known to the public, Rebengiuc established himself as one of the leading actors of his generation, and won praise for both his technique and natural ability.Bulandra Theater profile ; retrieved May 29, 2008 Philosopher and critic Andrei Pleşu writes: "Victor Rebengiuc can act magnificently in any role, for he never acts in the role of 'the artist'. The only 'signal' of his specific involvement is, perhaps, the unmistakable crystal-like nature of his speech, the break-through diction, the natural attention toward the clarity of the vocal emission and the message. And this does not mean the usual affectation of the stage, the pedantic, artificial care for sound effects, for the virile imposture of the voice. It means the respect for the text, for the partner in dialog and for the language. Victor Rebengiuc's talent stems, most of all, from a certain cult for the truth ..and a most rare ability for what is natural." The actor acknowledges having a fear for
improvisation
Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...
, and recounts having prepared himself intensely for each of his roles. Collaborating with important stage directors such as Ciulei, Cătălina Buzoianu and
Andrei Şerban
Andrei Șerban (born June 21, 1943) is a Romanian-American theater director. A major name in twentieth-century theater, he is renowned for his innovative and iconoclastic interpretations and stagings. In 1992 he became Professor of Theater at the ...
, Rebengiuc won further notability for his performances in adaptations of Shakespearean plays (Orlando in ''
As You Like It
''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...
'',
Brutus
Marcus Junius Brutus (; ; 85 BC – 23 October 42 BC), often referred to simply as Brutus, was a Roman politician, orator, and the most famous of the assassins of Julius Caesar. After being adopted by a relative, he used the name Quintus Serv ...
in ''
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
'', the title role in ''Richard II''), as well as in those of
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...
(Bernick in ''
The Pillars of Society
''The Pillars of Society'' (or "Pillars of the Community"; original Norwegian title: ''Samfundets støtter'') is an 1877 play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
Ibsen had great trouble with the writing of this play. The ending i ...
'' and the main character in ''
Rosmersholm
''Rosmersholm'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in Danish—the common written language of Denmark and Norway at the time—and originally published in 1886 in Copenhagen by the Danish publisher Gyldendal. ''Rosmersholm'' ...
''),
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
(Michail Lvovich Astroff in ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...
''),
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
(Jack in ''
The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
''),
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...
A Moon for the Misbegotten
''A Moon for the Misbegotten'' is a play in four acts by Eugene O'Neill. The play is a sequel to O'Neill's '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', with the Jim Tyrone character as an older version of Jamie Tyrone. He began drafting the play late in ...
'') and
Tennessee Williams
Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...
(
Stanley Kowalski
Stanley Kowalski is a fictional character in Tennessee Williams' play ''A Streetcar Named Desire''.
In the play
Stanley lives in the working-class Faubourg Marigny neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife, Stella ( DuBois), and is employed ...
in ''
A Streetcar Named Desire
''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...
''). Before Penciulescu left for
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, he and Rebengiuc also worked on the Bulandra version of
Rolf Hochhuth
Rolf Hochhuth (; 1 April 1931 – 13 May 2020) was a German author and playwright, best known for his 1963 drama '' The Deputy'', which insinuates Pope Pius XII's indifference to Hitler's extermination of the Jews, and he remained a controversial ...
's ''
The Deputy
''The Deputy, a Christian tragedy'' (German: ''Der Stellvertreter. Ein christliches Trauerspiel''), also published in English as ''The Representative '', is a controversial 1963 play by Rolf Hochhuth which portrayed Pope Pius XII as having failed ...
'' (known in
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
as ''Vicarul'', "The Vicar").
After his debut in cinema, Rebengiuc became a regular presence on screen. His next film was the 1967 '' Nay-dalgata nosht'', by
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
n director
Vulo Radev
Vulo Radev () ( Lesidren, 1 January 1923 – Sofia, 28 March 2001) was a Bulgarian film director, writer, and cinematographer, who also did some script editing.)
Within the context of Bulgarian cinema, his films Цар и генерал (Tsar ...
, where he starred opposite
Nevena Kokanova
Nevena Kokanova ( bg, Невена Коканова) (12 December 1938 – 3 June 2000) was a Bulgarian film actress. She was known as the "first lady of Bulgarian cinema." Her mother was from a well-known Austrian aristocratic family, and he ...
as the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
prisoner. Two years later, under the direction of
Mihai Iacob
Mihai Iacob (11 May 1933 – 5 July 2009) was a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He directed twelve films between 1955 and 1972. His 1961 film ''Thirst'' was entered into the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival.
Filmography
* '' Bl ...
, Rebengiuc starred in '' The Castle of the Condemned''. During the late 1960s and 1970s, he was present in two screen adaption from works by Romania's classical writer
Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179-184 – 9 June 1912) was a Romanian playw ...
(''Cadou'' and ''
O scrisoare pierdută
''O scrisoare pierdută'' (Romanian for "A Lost Letter") is a play by Ion Luca Caragiale. It premiered in 1884, and arguably represents the high point of his career.Vianu, Vol. II, p.180
It was adapted into a 1953 film ''A Lost Letter''.
Characte ...
''). In 1972 and 1973, he starred two adaption of
Manole Marcus
Manole Marcus (8 January 1928 – 12 October 1994) was a Romanian film director and screenwriter. Many of the actors who starred in his films won awards for their performances.
Studies
In 1955 he graduated from the National Institute of Theat ...
' adaptations of scripts by Titus Popovici: ''Conspiraţia'' and '' Departe de Tipperary''. Also in 1973, he appeared in
Gheorghe Vitanidis
Gheorghe Vitanidis (1 October 1929 – 25 November 1994) was a Romanian film director. He directed 19 films between 1958 and 1987. His 1969 film ''A Woman for a Season'' was entered into the 6th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1979 ...
' ''
Dimitrie Cantemir
Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir (, russian: Дмитрий Кантемир; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Romanian prince, statesman, and man of letters, regarded as one of the most significant e ...
'', and, the following year, had one of the main roles in
Constantin Vaeni
Constantin is an Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian and Romanian male given name. It can also be a surname.
For a list of notable people called Constantin, see Constantine (name).
See also
* Constantine (name)
* Konstantin
The first name Konsta ...
's '' Zidul''. Rebengiuc also had a role in the 1976 '' Tănase Scatiu'' (an adaptation of
Duiliu Zamfirescu
Duiliu Zamfirescu (30 October 1858 – 3 June 1922) was a Romanian novelist, poet, short story writer, lawyer, nationalist politician, journalist, diplomat and memoirist. In 1909, he was elected a member of the Romanian Academy, and, for a while ...
's ''Comăneştenilor''
literary cycle
A literary cycle is a group of stories focused on common figures, often (though not necessarily) based on mythical figures or loosely on historical ones. Cycles which deal with an entire country are sometimes referred to as matters. A fictional c ...
Nicolae Mărgineanu
Nicolae Mărgineanu (born 25 September 1938) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 15 films since 1978. His 1983 film '' Return from Hell'' was entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival where it won a Spe ...
.
During the late 1970s, Rebengiuc was also required to appear in a series of film productions that he admits were of little quality and mainly catered to the ideological tenets newly imposed by the
communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
and
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Nicolae Ceauşescu Nicolae may refer to:
* Nicolae (name), a Romanian name
* ''Nicolae'' (novel), a 1997 novel
See also
*Nicolai (disambiguation)
*Nicolao Nicolao is an Italian given name and a surname. It may refer to the following:
Given name
*Nicolao Civitali ...
(''see
July Theses
The July Theses ( ro, Tezele din iulie) is a name commonly given to a speech delivered by Romanian leader Nicolae Ceaușescu on July 6, 1971, before the Executive Committee of the Romanian Communist Party (PCR). Its full name was ("Proposed meas ...
''). As an example, he cites ''Buzduganul cu trei peceţi'', where he portrayed the main character, late 16th-century conqueror of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
. Of communist films based on Michael's life, Rebengiuc says: "Michael the Brave was Ceauşescu himself nlywith a beard, mustache and a fur hat, and what came out of his mouth were Ceauşescu's speeches." Rebengiuc also states not having "any regret" for not being invited to star in similar films directed by
Sergiu Nicolaescu
Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (; 13 April 1930 – 3 January 2013) was a Romanian film director, actor and politician.
He was best known for his historical films, such as ''Mihai Viteazul'' (1970, released in English both under the equivalent titl ...
.
He acknowledges having managed to escape most other forms of endorsement for the communist leader's
personality cult
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...
, but indicates that, without his permission, several of his performances were considered up for competition in communist-run festivals, and that he was sent a number of diplomas for his various roles. He remembers having refused to take part in '' Cântarea României'' festival, a nationwide quasi-compulsory form of
socialist competition
Socialist competition or socialist emulation (, "sotsialisticheskoye sorevnovanie", or , "sotssorevnovanie") was a form of competition between state enterprises and between individuals practiced in the Soviet Union and in other Eastern bloc stat ...
in the field of arts: "I couldn't and I said no, sir! hey said:'Now, if you don't go we'll fire you.' So fire me! Well, they didn't."
1980s and Revolution
During the 1980s, he had several roles in Romanian productions, beginning with
Lucian Pintilie
Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018Lucian Pi ...
's 1981 film ''
De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?
''Carnival Scenes'' ( ro, De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?, literally, "Why the bells are ringing, Mitică?") is a 1981 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie. It was banned in Romania and was not shown until after the 1989 revolution. T ...
'', where he played Pampon, one of the main roles, while his wife Mihuţ was cast as Pampon's lover Miţa Baston. Pintilie, who planned the production over several years, later recounted that he had meant to cast
Toma Caragiu
Toma Caragiu (; (21 August 1925 – 4 March 1977) was a prolific Greek-born Romanian theatre, television and film actor.
He was born in an Aromanian family from the village of Chroupista (since 1926 renamed Argos Orestiko) in the region of Mace ...
as Pampon, and that he considered asking him just before Caragiu's death in the 1977 earthquake. Regarding the new spin on his character, he noted: "It was a Pampon, one of those who waste nights away, play cards, suffer out of love, is always jealous, is always cheated but does not ever realize it. It was a Pampon with a reduced intellect and tired, who only understands things with difficulty." Although set during the
Belle Époque
The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...
and based on works by Caragiale, the film's bleak atmosphere and irreverent tone alluded to the realities of Communist Romania, which caused it to be
censored
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
and ultimately banned before it could premiere. The cooperation between the actor and director cemented their friendship: Rebengiuc calls Pintile "a great director", and states "I love him like a brother."
In 1983, Rebengiuc appeared in Dan Piţa's '' Dreptate în lanţuri''. The same year, he also collaborated with Piţa on '' Faleze de nisip'', based on a screenplay by Bujor Nedelcovici. He starred as the surgeon Theodor Hristea, who, after some of his belongings are stolen, involves himself in the inquiry and directs the interrogation of a seemingly innocent man. The subtle criticism of authorities became a matter of scandal: just days after ''Faleze de nisip'' premiered, Nicolae Ceauşescu spoke in front of
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
officials in
Mangalia
Mangalia (, tr, Mankalya), ancient Callatis ( el, Κάλλατις/Καλλατίς; other historical names: Pangalia, Panglicara, Tomisovara), is a city and a port on the coast of the Black Sea in the south-east of Constanța County, Northern ...
, singling it out from breaking with the ideological requirements; as a result, it was banned from cinemas.
In 1986, Rebengiuc was the central figure in '' Moromeţii'', an adaption of
Marin Preda
Marin Preda (; 5 August 1922, Siliștea Gumești, Teleorman County, Kingdom of Romania – 16 May 1980, Mogoșoaia, Ilfov County, Socialist Republic of Romania) was a Romanian novelist, post-war writer and director of Cartea Românească publis ...
's 1955 book, directed by Stere Gulea. His critically acclaimed performance saw Rebengiuc being identified by the public with his character, the
patriarchal
Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
and rigid peasant Ilie Moromete. Rebengiuc repeatedly stated having felt unsure about his participation in the film, indicating that he had only impersonated city-dwellers in his previous roles, and that he had limited knowledge of the rural world. He was initially deemed unfit for the part, but managed to convince the director after preparing for it by spending a month in
Teleorman County
Teleorman County () is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in the historical region Muntenia, with its capital city at Alexandria.
The name ''Teleorman'' is of Cumanic ( Turkic) origin. It literally means ''crazy forest'' ...
, where he lived among the peasants. The Moromete performance earned Rebengiuc several prizes, including one handed to him during the San Remo Film Festival in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, and reportedly won Pintilie's praise. He soon after also cast in Nicolae Mărgineanu's '' The Forest Woman'', alongside Manuela Hărăbor and
Adrian Pintea
Adrian Virgil Pintea (; 9 October 1954 – 8 June 2007) was a Romanian actor.
Career
Pintea graduated from the Caragiale National University of Theatre and Film, Theatrical and Cinematographical Arts Institute in Bucharest. He appeared in the 200 ...
.
In December 1989, Rebengiuc was a participant in the
Romanian Revolution
The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, which managed to topple the Ceauşescu regime and end Communist Party's rule. He joined the crowd of revolutionaries heading into the
Romanian Television
Televiziunea Română (), more commonly referred to as TVR , is the short name for Societatea Română de Televiziune ("Romanian Television Society"; SRTV), the Romanian public television. It operates six channels: TVR1, TVR2, TVR3, TVR Info, T ...
building, and voiced
anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
messages in front of live cameras. In early 1990, he rallied with the ''
Golaniad
The Golaniad ( ro, Golaniada , from the word ''golan'' meaning "hoodlum") was a protest in Romania in the University Square (Bucharest), University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest.
The ...
'' protesters in University Square, expressing his opposition to the
post-communist
Post-communism is the period of political and economic transformation or transition in former communist states located in Eastern Europe and parts of Africa and Asia in which new governments aimed to create free market-oriented capitalist economi ...
România Liberă
''România liberă'' ("") is a Romanian daily newspaper founded in 1943 and currently based in Bucharest. A newspaper of the same name also existed between 1877 and 1888.
History and profile
The name ''România liberă'' was first used by a dai ...
'', May 19, 2006
1990s and early 2000s
After the end of communism, Rebengiuc continued to act in cinema productions. In 1992, he starred as the Village Mayor in Pintilie's award-winning '' Balanţa'', a role he considered "small, but consistent." His line "
Americans
Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many Multi ...
are the stupidest people in the world" is remembered as an ironic reflection of
nationalism
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
being recovered in communist and
anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and Political movement, movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of economi ...
discourse.
The following year, he was in the cast of ''
The Earth's Most Beloved Son
''The Earth's Most Beloved Son'' (originally ''Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni'') is a 1993 Romanian drama film, directed by Șerban Marinescu, based on the novel '' Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni'' by Marin Preda.
Cast
* Ștefan Iordache – ...
'', another adaptation from Marin Preda (from the book '' Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni''). The second of Pintilie's films to star Rebengiuc was the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
-nominated drama ''
Too Late Too Late may refer to:
Film and theatre
*'' Too Late (1914 film)'', American film written by Winifred Dunn
* ''Too Late'' (1996 film), a Romanian film
* ''Too Late'' (2000 film), a Portuguese film
* ''Too Late'' (2015 film), an American film
* ' ...
'', which discussed the failings of justice in post-communist Romania, where he played the role of Elephant Foot. In 1997, he was in Piţa's ''
The Man of the Day
''The Man of the Day'' ( ro, Omul zilei) was a 1997 Romanian film directed by Dan Pița.
Cast
* Ștefan Iordache as Andrei
* Alina Chivulescu as Ana
* George Mihăiță as Florentin
* Victor Rebengiuc as Gral. Vlădescu
* Maia Morgenstern
* Cr ...
'', which was based on a screenplay by Radu F. Alexandru, and, in 1999, starred alongside Hungarian and Romanian actors in
Gábor Tompa Gábor Tompa (born 8 August 1957 in Târgu Mureș) is an internationally renowned Hungarian theater and film director, poet, essayist and teacher. Between 2007 and 2016 he was the Head of Directing at the Theatre and Dance Department of the Univers ...
's '' Chinese Defense''. Rebengiuc also starred as Grigore Cafanu in Pintilie's 1998 film ''
Last Stop Paradise
A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...
'' (awarded the Special Grand Jury Prize at the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
).
He was also sporadically present on the stage with Bulandra, and stated that he was not interested in starring in works of
experimental theater
Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde theatre), inspired largely by Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, began in Western theatre in the late 19th century with Alfred Jarry and his Ubu plays as a rejection of both the age in particular ...
, indicating that it did not suit his taste. Between 1990 and 1996, he was head of the Theater Institute. Speaking in 2005, he said that his ultimate goal was to be "a great actor", elaborating that this implied: "acting in a role and not having anything to reproach myself afterwards. Acting without any specks, being without fault, this is what makes me continue." He made a similar statement in 2008, adding: "I do not act beyond reproach. I have good accomplishments, but there are those sections of a part that I do not cover .. When there will no longer be such uncovered sections ..only then will I say: man, I'm a great actor!"
He was
Caliban
Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell H ...
in Bulandra's 1991 production of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' The Tempest'', appearing alongside his fellow actor and revolutionary
Ion Caramitru
Ion Horia Leonida Caramitru, OBE (; 9 March 1942 – 5 September 2021) was a Romanian stage and film actor, stage director, and political figure. He was Minister of Culture between 1996 and 2000, in the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) cabi ...
. He starred in several main roles in classical plays, and, as
Nick Bottom
Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' who provides comic relief throughout the play. A weaver by trade, he is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of a donkey by the elusive Puck. Bott ...
in Ciulei's production of Shakespeare's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'', received the UNITER prize. He had several main roles in play by acclaimed stage director
Silviu Purcărete Silviu may refer to:
*Silviu Bălace (born 1978), Romanian football player
*Silviu Berejan (1927–2007), Bessarabian writer from Moldova and member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova
*Silviu Bindea (1912–1992), Romanian football player
* Silv ...
: Horazio in
Carlo Goldoni Carlo is a given name. It is an Italian form of Charles. It can refer to:
*Carlo (name)
*Monte Carlo
*Carlingford, New South Wales, a suburb in north-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
*A satirical song written by Dafydd Iwan about Prince Char ...
Pelasgus
In Greek mythology, Pelasgus ( grc, Πελασγός, ''Pelasgós'' means "ancient") was the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians, the mythical inhabitants of Greece who established the worship of the Dodonaean Zeus, Hephaestus, the Cabeiri, and ot ...
in
Aeschylus
Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...
' '' The Suppliants'', and the title role in Shakespeare's ''
King Lear
''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.
It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...
''. In 2001, Rebengiuc and his wife appeared together in
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
's ''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...
'', produced for Bulandra by
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n director
Yuri Kordonsky
Yuri Kordonsky (russian: Юрий Михайлович Кордонский) (born 17 October 1966) is a Russian-born theatre actor and director, now a United States citizen and a professor of directing at the Yale School of Drama in New Haven, Con ...
The Colonel Bird
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' and appeared in
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...
Alexandru Dabija
Alexandru Dabija (born February 13, 1955) is a stage director and actor in Romanian theater and film.
Born in Piatra Neamț, he graduated from the I.L. Caragiale Institute of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest. Dabija debuted in 1976 with Phili ...
and Gábor Tompa).
Rebengiuc also appeared in his first major television production, ''Tandreţea lăcustelor'', adapted by Dan Necşulea from a screenplay by Eugene Pretorian, and aired by
TVR 1
TVR 1 (; spelled out as ''Televiziunea Română 1'', "Romanian Television 1") is the main channel of the Romanian public broadcaster TVR.
The most important show of the channel is Jurnalul TVR, whose motto is ("The news journal as it should ...
in 2003. It depicted the lives of people made rich and powerful by the Revolution, who invest their energies in undermining each other's positions. The same year, he again collaborated with Pintilie, starring opposite
Răzvan Vasilescu
Răzvan Vasilescu (; born 14 August 1954) is a Romanian actor. He has appeared in 40 films and television shows since 1979. He starred in ''The Oak'', which was screened out of competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.
Selected filmography
...
and ''
Niki and Flo
Niki and Flo ( ro, Niki Ardelean, colonel în rezerva ) is a 2003 Romanian drama film directed by Lucian Pintilie.
Cast
* Victor Rebengiuc - Niki Ardelean
* Răzvan Vasilescu - Florian (Flo) Tufaru
* Coca Bloos - Poucha Ardelean
* Mihaela Car ...
'', impersonating Colonel Niki Ardelean. His character, whom Rebengiuc himself describes as "a modest man, but one who knows his own value", is exasperated by Flo's continuous intrusion into his life, and eventually turns to murder. He describes this part as the most straightforward of his film characters, and indicates that working with screenwriter Cristi Puiu impressed him. In 2004, he and Puiu collaborated on the
short film
A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
Golden Bear
The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin.
History
The winn ...
at the
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...
. Rebengiuc, who portrayed one of three characters (The Father), describes feeling "pleased" by the collaboration, and having to work with "one of the best" texts. This performance also earned him prizes at the
Transilvania International Film Festival
The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF; ro, Festivalul internațional de film Transilvania) is the first international feature film festival in Romania, which is held annually in the historic capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca. Found ...
in
Cluj-Napoca
; hu, kincses város)
, official_name=Cluj-Napoca
, native_name=
, image_skyline=
, subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County
, subdivision_name1 = Cluj County
, subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status
, subdivision_name2 ...
Danube Delta
The Danube Delta ( ro, Delta Dunării, ; uk, Дельта Дунаю, Deľta Dunaju, ) is the second largest river delta in Europe, after the Volga Delta, and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube Delta lies in Ro ...
.
Late 2000s
With the Bulandra crew, he was also cast as The Father in Liviu Ciulei's adaptation of
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for "his almost magical power ...
's ''
Six Characters in Search of an Author
''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( it, Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore, link=no ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist fiction, absurdist metatheatrical, metatheatric play about th ...
'' (2005-2006 season). He was praised by critic Valentin Dumitrescu for a "remarkable performance covering the palette of the tragic-grotesque and de-canonized myth of an insurmountable condition". Rebengiuc starred in another of Pintilie's productions, ''
Tertium non datur
In logic, the law of excluded middle (or the principle of excluded middle) states that for every proposition, either this proposition or its negation is true. It is one of the so-called three laws of thought, along with the law of noncontradi ...
'' (based on a story by
Vasile Voiculescu
Vasile Voiculescu (, literary pseudonym V. Voiculescu; 27 November 1884 – 26 April 1963) was a Romanian poet, short-story writer, playwright, and physician.
Biography
Early life and education
Voiculescu was born in Pârscov, Buzău County ...
), playing The General. He collaborated with Kordonsky on three other stage productions:
Nikolai Gogol
Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
's ''
Marriage
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
'',
Ion Luca Caragiale
Ion Luca Caragiale (; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179-184 – 9 June 1912) was a Romanian playw ...
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
's ''
Heart of a Dog
''Heart of a Dog'' (russian: links=no, italic=yes, Собачье сердце, Sobachye serdtse) is a novella by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. A biting satire of Bolshevism, it was written in 1925 at the height of the NEP period, when commu ...
'', where he was Preobrazhensky. The latter play was notably showcased at the József Katona Theater in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Hungary during autumn 2007. Rebengiuc also resumed his work in television productions, appearing in the short series '' La Urgenţă'' (aired by TVR 1 in 2006–2007), and in several episodes of Pro TV's '' Cu un pas înainte''. In 2007, entitled to an age pension provided he retires, the actor stated: "I am valid and I still act... When I shall no longer act, I will place myself at a street corner, perchance someone will recognize me and hand me a pretzel or something."
In early 2008, he was
Willy Loman
William "Willy" Loman is a fictional character and the protagonist of Arthur Miller's play ''Death of a Salesman'', which debuted on Broadway with Lee J. Cobb playing Loman at the Morosco Theatre on February 10, 1949. Loman is a 63-year-old t ...
in the Bulandra production of ''
Death of a Salesman
''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...
Evenimentul Zilei
''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name means "today's even (news)".
History and profile
''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nistorescu and Mihai Cârciog, an ...
Mediafax
Mediafax ({{IPA-ro, ˌmedi.aˈfaks) is a Romanian media company headquartered in Bucharest and founded in 1991. It is a part of the MediaPro Group and its primary line of business is a news and photography service. The company's ''Mediafax Busines ...
, April 27, 2009 He appeared again alongside Mihuţ, who played Linda, in what was announced as his comeback to the world of theater. During the same months, Rebengiuc, together with
Gheorghe Dinică
Gheorghe Dinică (; 1 January 1934 – 10 November 2009) was a Romanian actor.
Career
Dinică showed an early interest in acting, being part of different amateur theater troupes since he was 17. In 1957, he entered The National Institute of Thea ...
Doctor honoris causa
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
'' by the Theater Institute.
Also in 2007–2008, Rebengiuc was cast in two films: '' După EA'' and ''
Silent Wedding
''Silent Wedding'' ( ro, Nunta mută) is a 2008 Romanian comedy-drama film about a young couple who was about to celebrate their marriage in 1953, but they were ordered to desist by the occupying Red Army and Communist authorities because the Sovi ...
'', the debut production of his friend and colleague Horaţiu Mălăele. He also released an
audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
version of
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
's ''
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
''The Death of Ivan Ilyich'' (also Romanized ''Ilich, Ilych, Ilyitch''; russian: Смерть Ивана Ильича, Smert' Ivána Ilyicha), first published in 1886, is a novella by Leo Tolstoy, considered one of the masterpieces of his late ...
''. In February, just before the actor turned 75, journalists Simona Chiţan and Mihaela Michailov published ''De-a dreptul Victor Rebengiuc'' ("Victor Rebengiuc for Sure"), a book they dedicated to his acting career, edited by
Humanitas
''Humanitas'' is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below.
Classical origins of term
The Latin word ''humanitas'' corresponded to the Greek concepts of '' philanthr ...
. Rebengiuc, who discussed his Christian faith in interviews, also began applying his actor's craft to
religious broadcasting
Religious broadcasting, sometimes referred to as faith-based broadcasts, is the dissemination of television and/or radio content that intentionally has religious ideas, religious experience, or religious practice as its core focus. In some coun ...
, with readings of the ''
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
Observator Cultural
''Observator Cultural'' (meaning "The Cultural Observer" in English) is a weekly literary magazine based in Bucharest, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe ...
'', Nr. 493, September 2009 The same year, Rebengiuc appeared in Călin Netzer's film '' Medalia de onoare'', and his interpretation as an unwitting war hero was awarded prizes at the
Torino Film Festival
The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...
and the
International Thessaloniki Film Festival
The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF), organized by the cultural institution of the same name under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, is held every November in Thessaloniki.TIFF features international competition secti ...
Evenimentul Zilei
''Evenimentul Zilei'' is a formerly physical and now exclusively online newspaper in Romania. Its name means "today's even (news)".
History and profile
''Evenimentul Zilei'' was founded by Ion Cristoiu, Cornel Nistorescu and Mihai Cârciog, an ...
'', June 3, 2010 The role earned him another Best Male Actor Award at the Transilvania Film Festival, 2010 edition, where he was a guest of honor. In October 2010, he received the Prometheus ''Opera Omnia'' Award for Performance Art, granted by the Anonimul Foundation.
He also embarked on a collaboration with the
National Theater Bucharest
The National Theatre Bucharest ( ro, Teatrul Naţional "Ion Luca Caragiale" București) is one of the national theatres of Romania, located in the capital city of Bucharest.
Founding
It was founded as the ''Teatrul cel Mare din București'' ("Gra ...
(TNB), as Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's '' All My Sons''—under Caramitru's direction. Theater critic Silvia Dumitrache, who called the show "lively and dynamic, tense and troubling", highlights the fact that Rebengiuc created a "rather positive" portrayal of a negative role, serving to cast "an even more tragic light over the play." Rebengiuc was also the lead in another TNB production, ''Legenda Marelui Inchizitor'' ("The Legend of the Grand Inquisitor"), adapted by Radu Penciulescu from
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's eponymous parable. Dan Boicea "Război între diavol şi Dumnezeu" in '' Adevărul Literar şi Artistic'', December 8, 2009 Critic Dan Boicea, who noted that the production relied on Rebengiuc's monologues, also argued: "Rebengiuc does not in any way exaggerate, he is passionate through his gentleness, he is firm in the manner through which he spares his energy .. He does not erupt at the moment of
climax
Climax may refer to:
Language arts
* Climax (narrative), the point of highest tension in a narrative work
* Climax (rhetoric), a figure of speech that lists items in order of importance
Biology
* Climax community, a biological community th ...
, although he could have well fallen into this sin."
Politics
Early causes
In a 2005 interview with ''
Dilema Veche
''Dilema veche'' (English: "Old Dilemma") is a Romanian weekly magazine that covers culture, social topics, and politics. It was founded in 2004 as the successor to the magazine ''Dilema'', which was founded in 1993. Both magazines were founded by ...
'', Victor Rebengiuc said: "I have but one certainty: communist society is bad. After the unfortunate experience of several tens of years, I would shove my hand into the furnace over this issue." Despite being confronted with recruitment campaigns before 1989, Rebengiuc never joined the
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...
and felt that his role in ''
Heart of a Dog
''Heart of a Dog'' (russian: links=no, italic=yes, Собачье сердце, Sobachye serdtse) is a novella by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. A biting satire of Bolshevism, it was written in 1925 at the height of the NEP period, when commu ...
'' was "representative" of himself, owing to the anti-communist undertones in
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov ( rus, links=no, Михаил Афанасьевич Булгаков, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ɐfɐˈnasʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bʊlˈɡakəf; – 10 March 1940) was a Soviet writer, medical doctor, and playwright active in the fir ...
's play.
Rebengiuc first voiced his political message to the public during the
Romanian Revolution
The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, when he was present in the
Romanian Television
Televiziunea Română (), more commonly referred to as TVR , is the short name for Societatea Română de Televiziune ("Romanian Television Society"; SRTV), the Romanian public television. It operates six channels: TVR1, TVR2, TVR3, TVR Info, T ...
building. In an iconic moment, he held up a roll of
toilet paper
Toilet paper (sometimes called toilet tissue or bathroom tissue) is a tissue paper product primarily used to clean the anus and surrounding anal region of feces after defecation, and to clean the perineal area and external genitalia of u ...
to the camera, urging viewers and members of the television staff who had promoted Ceauşescu's
personality cult
A cult of personality, or a cult of the leader, Mudde, Cas and Kaltwasser, Cristóbal Rovira (2017) ''Populism: A Very Short Introduction''. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. is the result of an effort which is made to create an id ...
to clean up after themselves. In 2008, Rebengiuc recalled: "I had been wanting to do this gesture for a long time, and I think it was the most appropriate of moments. I know I took a lot of people by surprise. I told them that people who ate shit and who filled up our lives and ears with Ceauşescu this, Ceauşescu that, ought to disappear. That paper was supposed to wipe out some traces. I am still fighting windmills." Elsewhere, he spoke of his motivations: "All those who just an hour or two before were still eulogizing Ceauşescu were
till
image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...
on television. And, just like that, they were on television, making themselves look innocent, pure. ..Me, until 22 December 1989 hat is, the day Ceauşescu fled I was wondering: gee, what will all these shit-eaters be doing if the regime is changed? Will they be ashamed? Will they run to hide in dark corners? And then I see them on television..." Rebengiuc, who credits his son Tudor with having urged him to walk into the Television building, also remembers reciting ''
Doina
The doina () is a Romanian musical tune style, possibly with Middle Eastern roots, customary in Romanian peasant music, as well as in Lăutărească. It was also adopted into klezmer music.
Similar tunes are found throughout Eastern Europe an ...
'', a
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
poem by
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...
, changing stress from its condemnation of foreigners to read like an attack on people associated with the regime.
On 1 May 1990, at the height of the ''
Golaniad
The Golaniad ( ro, Golaniada , from the word ''golan'' meaning "hoodlum") was a protest in Romania in the University Square (Bucharest), University Square, Bucharest. It was initiated by students and professors at the University of Bucharest.
The ...
'' events, Rebengiuc read a ''Protest of the Romanian Intellectuals'', expressing solidarity with the students gathered in University Square in opposition to the National Salvation Front. It was signed by 27 cultural personalities, among them civil society militants ( Gabriel Andreescu,
Doina Cornea
Doina Cornea (; 30 May 1929 – 3 May 2018) was a Romanian human rights activist and French language professor. She was a dissident during the communist rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu.
She was co-founder of the Democratic Anti-totalitarian Forum of ...
,
Radu Filipescu
Radu Filipescu (born December 26, 1955cpcadcr.presidency.ro/upload/Radu_Filipescu.pdf) is a former Romanian Romanian anti-communist resistance movement, anti-Communist dissident.
Radu Filipescu's maternal uncle, Victor Groza, is the brother of Pe ...
Ana Blandiana
Ana Blandiana (; pen name of Otilia Valeria Coman; born 25 March 1942, in Timișoara) is a Romanian poet, essayist, and political figure. She is considered one of the famous contemporary Romanian authors. She took her name after Blandiana, nea ...
,
Petru Creţia Petru is a given name, and may refer to:
* Petru I of Moldavia (Petru Mușat, 1375–1391), ruler of Moldavia
* Petru Aron (died 1467), ruler of Moldavia
* Petru Bălan (born 1976), Romanian rugby union footballer
* Petru Cărare (1935–2019), wri ...
Ion Bogdan Lefter
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electric charge, electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be po ...
Sorin Dumitrescu Sorin may refer to any one of the following:
People
*Sorin (given name), a Romanian masculine name
*Edward Sorin (1814–1893), American priest, founder of the University of Notre Dame and St. Edwards University
* Herbert I. Sorin (1900–1994), Ne ...
Irina Petrescu
Irina Carmen Petrescu (19 June 1941 – 19 March 2013) was a Romanian film actress. She appeared in 29 films between 1959 and 2010. She won the award for Best Actress at the 6th Moscow International Film Festival for her role in the 1969 fi ...
,
Florin Zamfirescu
Florin Zamfirescu (; born 12 April 1949) is a Romanian theatre and film actor and director, and university professor.
Zamfirescu was born in Călimănești, Vâlcea County; his grandfather, Gheorghe Zamfirescu, was mayor of the town. He graduate ...
Johnny Răducanu
Johnny Răducanu (born Răducan Crețu; 1 December 1931 – 19 September 2011) was a Romanian jazz pianist of Romani ethnic background, whose family has a long musical tradition dating back to the 17th century.
He was born in Brăila and started ...
Lucian Pintilie
Lucian Pintilie (; 9 November 1933 – 16 May 2018Lucian Pi ...
. The document offered praise to the Timişoara Proclamation, through which both the 1989 revolutionaries and the ''Golaniad'' were asking for the application of lustration in Romanian politics, and stressed the continuity between the two forms of street protest, while objecting to the Salvation Front's allegations that the protesters were jeopardizing social consensus: " he demonstratorsexpress the Revolution's spirit, the sacrifice of those who have stood for the Romanian people's horror for any form of
totalitarianism
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 reg ...
. The Government's decision to refuse dialogue with the demonstrators, with those who have signed the Proclamation, still divides the population, still alienates one of the most active and responsible sections of the nation. ..We too wish for stability, but we wish for a moral stability, one based not on personal or party interests, but on the interests of the country and on the sacred aspirations of the December Revolution."
After 1990, Rebengiuc remained a critic of the Salvation Front's successor, the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
Fo ...
. He felt that "The party in power immediately after the Revolution only changed its name and high-ranking leadership, that is all. People were still tied to the communist party's mentality." During the early 1990s, Rebengiuc sympathized with the opposition National Liberals, and, without formalizing his affiliation, ran in elections for the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
in the 1990 suffrage. Rebengiuc later reflected: "Fortunately, I was not elected." The actor also publicized his
monarchism
Monarchism is the advocacy of the system of monarchy or monarchical rule. A monarchist is an individual who supports this form of government independently of any specific monarch, whereas one who supports a particular monarch is a royalist. ...
: in April 1992, he was one of the celebrities welcoming
Michael I Michael I may refer to:
* Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767
* Michael I Rhangabes, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844)
* Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantinopl ...
, the deposed
King of Romania
The King of Romania (Romanian: ''Regele României'') or King of the Romanians (Romanian: ''Regele Românilor''), was the title of the monarch of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947, when the Romanian Workers' Party proclaimed the Romanian ...
, during his return visit to the post-communist country. In 2003–2004, Rebengiuc was affiliated with the minor party Union for Romanian Reconstruction (URR). He later stated: "It was a political proposal I believed in. URR could have been a change of the political class." He indicated that his reasons for parting with the group was its failure to gain popularity and reach the number of votes necessary to enter
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
''Asociaţia Revoluţionarilor fără Privilegii'' (Association of Non-Privileged Revolutionaries), alongside
Ion Caramitru
Ion Horia Leonida Caramitru, OBE (; 9 March 1942 – 5 September 2021) was a Romanian stage and film actor, stage director, and political figure. He was Minister of Culture between 1996 and 2000, in the Romanian Democratic Convention (CDR) cabi ...
,
Dan Pavel
Dan or DAN may refer to:
People
* Dan (name), including a list of people with the name
** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark
* Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa
**Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...
Revista 22
''Revista 22'' (''22 Magazine'') is a Romanian weekly magazine, issued by the Group for Social Dialogue and focused mainly on politics and culture.
History and profile
''Revista 22'' was started in 1990. The first edition of the magazine was prin ...
'', Nr. 723, January 2004 In reference to the goal behind this group, Filipescu states: "The Association was established as a reaction to the very active organizations of revolutionaries, which were mostly active in demanding material gains. Ultimately, the situation arose where joining an association of revolutionaries had the connotation of pursuing material gains, privileges." He is also a member of the Group for Social Dialog (GDS), a platform for reform-minded intellectuals. As of 2005, he was, with fellow revolutionary
Mircea Diaconu
Mircea Diaconu (; born 24 December 1949) is a Romanian actor, writer, and politician. First appearing on stage in 1970, and on screen two years later, Diaconu pursued a lengthy career in both formats, working with a series of prominent directors ...
, one of the two actors among its 48 members.
He chose to retire from Romanian politics, stating in 2008: "I see no sense in being involved, since I cannot go all the way in opting for any person. I do not believe in any of the people I could elect at this moment, and I therefore prefer to stand aside." Confessing that he cannot bring himself to even read newspapers, he declares himself "disgusted" with the political class. Despite his withdrawal, he signed his name to a set of initiatives which presume a political role. In March 2006, the actor voiced a public appeal signed by 30 non-governmental organizations and over 230 public figures, through which he asked
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Traian Băsescu
Traian Băsescu (; born 4 November 1951) is a conservative Romanian politician who served as President of Romania from 2004 to 2014. Prior to his presidency, Băsescu served as Romanian Minister of Transport on multiple occasions between 1991 ...
to effect the condemnation of the communist regime in the spirit of the Timişoara Proclamation.
Partly as a result of this appeal, the head of state instituted the
Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania
The Presidential Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania ( ro, Comisia Prezidenţială pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste din România), also known as the Tismăneanu Commission (''Comisia Tismăneanu''), was a commissio ...
, which was headed by historian
Vladimir Tismăneanu
Vladimir Tismăneanu (; born July 4, 1951) is a Romanian American political scientist, political analyst, sociologist, and professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. A specialist in political systems and comparative politics, he is di ...
, and a report which the president read in Parliament. During the subsequent controversy, criticism of Băsescu and the report was notably voiced by the opposition groups: the Social Democrats, the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
and the
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party ( ro, Partidul România Mare, PRM) is a Romanian nationalist political party. Founded in May 1991 by Eugen Barbu and Corneliu Vadim Tudor, it was led by the latter from that point until his death in September 2015. The ...
. In February 2007, as parliamentary forces voted in favor of an impeachment referendum against Băsescu, Rebengiuc joined Tismăneanu and 48 other intellectuals in signing an
open letter
An open letter is a Letter (message), letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally.
Open letters usually take the form of a letter (mess ...
condemning the move. They argued that such a reaction had been made possible by "the concerted attacks of those who felt shaken their business, their impunity, the possibility of perpetuating the post-communist
oligarchic
Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV (, meaning "The Reality TV") is the former name of the Romanian news television channel Realitatea Plus. The channel began broadcasting in 2001 as a general-profile television and became the first Romanian news television in 2002. I ...
release, February 7, 2007 Warning that, together with the break-up of the
Justice and Truth Alliance
The Justice and Truth Alliance (originally in ro, Alianţa Dreptate şi Adevăr; or D.A. for short, meaning "yes" in Romanian) was a political alliance comprising two political parties in Romania, namely the centre-right liberal National Libera ...
, this kind of reaction had fermented "a political crisis", they also supported Băsescu's stated goals of stamping out
corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
and granting the public opening the archives of the communist secret police, the
Securitate
The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
. Other signatories of the letter included
Gabriel Liiceanu
Gabriel Liiceanu (; b. May 23, 1942, Râmnicu Vâlcea) is a Romanian philosopher.
He graduated from the University of Bucharest's Faculty of Philosophy in 1965, and from Faculty of Classical Languages in 1973. He earned a doctorate in philosop ...
Mircea Cărtărescu
Mircea Cărtărescu (; born 1 June 1956) is a Romanian novelist, poet, short-story writer, literary critic, and essayist.
Biography
Born in Bucharest in 1956, he attended Cantemir Vodă National College during the early 1970s. During his sch ...
Horia-Roman Patapievici
Horia-Roman Patapievici (; born March 18, 1957) is a Romanian physicist and essayist who served as the head of the Romanian Cultural Institute from 2005 until August 2012. Between 2000 and 2005, he was a member of the National Council for the Stud ...
Andrei Oişteanu
Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include:
*Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman
*And ...
Dan Perjovschi
Dan Perjovschi is an artist, writer and cartoonist born on 29 October 1961 in Sibiu, Romania.
Perjovschi has over the past decade created drawings in museum spaces, most recently in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in which he created ...
,
Alexandru Zub Alexandru Zub (born October 12, 1934) is a Romanian historian, biographer, essayist, political activist and academic. A former professor at the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, University of Iași, noted for his contribution to the study of cultural ...
Andrei Cornea
Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/ Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include:
*Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman
*An ...
Florin Gabrea
The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...
,
Andrei Pippidi
Andrei-Nicolae Pippidi (born 12 March 1948, in Bucharest) is a Romanian historian and Professor Emeritus at the University of Bucharest, specialised in South-Eastern European history of the 15th–19th century, in Romanian history of the Middle A ...
Hannelore Baier
Hannelore is a German female given name, which is a combination of two names:
* Hanne, a German and Dutch diminutive or short form of Johanna, itself a feminized form of Iohannes (i.e. John), which means God is gracious.
* Lore, the German short ...
and
Traian Ungureanu
Traian Ungureanu (born 1 March 1958) is a former Romanian journalist and politician.
He has been a journalist at BBC World and was between 2009 and 2019 a Member of the European Parliament. He has spoken out about the persecution of Christians in ...
.
His call to uncover the secrets of Romania's communist past also made him look up data kept on him by the Securitate and placed at his disposal by the CNSAS, a state agency which manages Securitate archives. He believes that certain information is still missing from his file, indicating that his tendency to speak his mind is likely to have caused the authorities to keep him under surveillance. He also stresses that he long suspected people in his pre-1989 entourage of having informed on him to the Securitate, and recounts having received
hate mail
Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwise ...
soon after the Revolution, especially after having expressed criticism for the Salvation Front.
In January 2007, Rebengiuc and Perjovschi also spoke out on the issue of cultural policies, protesting against the state-run Center for Cinema Production: together with actor Florin Piersic Jr, filmmaker Radu Afrim, and critics Mihai Chirilov, Alex Leo Şerban, Marius Chivu and
Daniel Cristea-Enache
Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength" ...
, they endorsed an
online
In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" or ...
petition which condemned the institution for its decision to grant funding to the projects of controversial director
Sergiu Nicolaescu
Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (; 13 April 1930 – 3 January 2013) was a Romanian film director, actor and politician.
He was best known for his historical films, such as ''Mihai Viteazul'' (1970, released in English both under the equivalent titl ...
, and for failing to finance young and internationally acclaimed directors such as Cristi Puiu and
Thomas Ciulei
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the A ...
. Three years later, during the
Transilvania International Film Festival
The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF; ro, Festivalul internațional de film Transilvania) is the first international feature film festival in Romania, which is held annually in the historic capital of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca. Found ...
, Rebengiuc voiced a public protest of cinema professionals against Nicolaescu's law project, which aimed to modify the criteria in use for the public financing of films. Their protest, codified in the ''Cluj Proclamation'', earned support from visiting
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
director
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker, playwright, author, and photographer. He is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among many honors, he has received three nominations for the Academy Award for Best Docum ...
.
Rebengiuc was also the spokesman of a 2009 campaign launched by
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV (, meaning "The Reality TV") is the former name of the Romanian news television channel Realitatea Plus. The channel began broadcasting in 2001 as a general-profile television and became the first Romanian news television in 2002. I ...
and titled ''Noi vrem respect'' ("We Demand Respect"). The initiative announced as its goal the change of morals and attitudes among the Romanians: "Cheekiness will not turn one into God, money will not make us masters, ignorance does not make us blessed.""Actorul Victor Rebengiuc susţine campania ''Noi vrem respect''"
Realitatea TV
Realitatea TV (, meaning "The Reality TV") is the former name of the Romanian news television channel Realitatea Plus. The channel began broadcasting in 2001 as a general-profile television and became the first Romanian news television in 2002. I ...
, October 1, 2009; retrieved December 24, 2009 In a promotional video headlining the campaign, Rebengiuc himself stated that he felt solidarity with the Realitatea vision, being motivated in this by what he saw as a general decrease in standards within Romanian society. His participation in the project was the topic of criticism: commentators argued that the station was using the slogan in the political battle leading up to the 2009 election, and thus reflected its patron
Sorin Ovidiu Vântu
Sorin Ovidiu Vîntu (; 23 November 1955, Bucharest) is a Romanian businessman and owner of the Realitatea-Cațavencu media company. In 2007, he was considered the 4th richest man in Romania, with an estimated net worth between 2.1 and 2.3 billion ...
Dilema Veche
''Dilema veche'' (English: "Old Dilemma") is a Romanian weekly magazine that covers culture, social topics, and politics. It was founded in 2004 as the successor to the magazine ''Dilema'', which was founded in 1993. Both magazines were founded by ...
'', Vol. VI, Nr. 297, October 2009 Journalist and academic Bogdan Iancu, who entered a polemic with Realitatea over the issue of covert political support, suggested that there was a contrast between Rebengiuc's stance during the Revolution (the toilet paper episode) and his lending credibility to what "reeks of manipulation intelligently packaged in the suave discourse of social responsibility". In contrast, writer Cezar Paul-Bădescu found the campaign "laudable", describing it the start of a "moral revolution" and believing Rebengiuc's role to have been "as usual, extraordinary", but noting that Realitatea had itself failed at maintaining the journalistic standard it implicitly advertised.Cezar Paul-Bădescu "Valoare şi respect" in ''
Dilema Veche
''Dilema veche'' (English: "Old Dilemma") is a Romanian weekly magazine that covers culture, social topics, and politics. It was founded in 2004 as the successor to the magazine ''Dilema'', which was founded in 1993. Both magazines were founded by ...
National Theater Bucharest
The National Theatre Bucharest ( ro, Teatrul Naţional "Ion Luca Caragiale" București) is one of the national theatres of Romania, located in the capital city of Bucharest.
Founding
It was founded as the ''Teatrul cel Mare din București'' ("Gra ...