Synopsis
The post-communist Romania´s confusion is the main theme of the short films that Cristian Mungiu directed in late last century. In The Hand of Paulist, Nothing by Chance, The Firemen’s Choir and Zapping the director portrays a confused country, sometimes haunted by a television that has gone from broadcasting pure political propaganda to programming Latin American soap operas and other Western TV contents that induce to confuse reality with fiction. On the other hand, some of the shorts deeply explore the surreal humor that also underlies in Tales from the Golden Age.
Shorts List:
The Firemen’s Choir (Corul Pompierilor)
Romania, 2000. 35mm, 30 min.
The Hand of Paulista (Mâna lui Paulista)
Romania, 1998. Digital, 15 min.
Nothing by Chance (Nici o întîmplare)
Romania, 1999. 35mm, 17 min.
Zapping
Romania, 2000. 35mm, 15 min.
Filmmaker
Cristian Mungiu
He is one of the most prominent directors on the contemporary scene, the initiator of what is considered the new wave of Romanian cinema. His film The Death of Mr. Lazarescu won the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes, and since then all of his films have gone through the most important festivals. With Sieranevada, his fourth feature film, he won the Chicago Film Festival, and with Malmkrog he was awarded in Seville.
Filmography: MMXX (2023, D'A 2024), Malmkrog (2020, D'A 2021), Sieranevada (2016), Three Interpretation Exercises (2013), Aurora (2010, D'A 2011), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005, D'A 2013), Cigarettes and Coffee (short film, 2004), Stuff and Dough (2001)
