A fost sau n-a fost?

The “Romanian New Wave” is something I have not been all that familiar with, which is a shame. Having only seen “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” by Cristi Puiu before “12:08 East of Bucharest,” I knew it was an exciting, under appreciated cinematic movement. Having now seen the hilariously quirky “Bucharest” twice - I cannot wait to see what the observant Romanians come up with next, and am anticipating the release of “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” (releasing on the 11th of July) more than ever.

Set on the anniversary of the revolution that saw the fall of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, who fled Bucharest on the 22nd of December 1989 at exactly 12:08pm, “Bucharest” is a bleak but hopeful tale of truth and reconciliation in terms of figuring out the definition of a “revolution” – laced with biting wit and hilarity beneath the political echoes and deadpan small-town life.

We first meet Tiberiu Manescu (Ion Sapdaru), an alcoholic history teacher, and Old-Man Piscoci (Mircea Andreescu) who lives a lonely existence highlighted with the prospect of playing Santa Clause come Christmas time. Christmas seems to be overly glum this particular year, due to the strange weather conditions and lack of money. When they are invited to take part in a broadcasted remembrance of the revolution and to discuss their part in overthrowing communism, the seemingly aimless quality of the picture wears off and the dry humour does not stop flowing.

Virgil Jderescu (Teodor Corban), a local television show host, decides to dedicate a show to figuring out whether a revolution took place in the town square of Vaslui, or not. Was there anyone there before the media flooded with news of a revolt? Did people only start streaming in after the news broke? He makes it his mission to find out the truth and grills his guests whose claims are directly contradictory to those given by the show’s on-air callers.

Manescu claims to have been in the square before the revolt and therefore claiming to have started it, but everyone who calls in claims he is a drunk and a liar. Virgil’s word-for-word recitations of quotes he picked up from the “Dictionary of Mythology” start taking its toll and his good intentions crumble under the weight of the fact that the answer to his question seems to be non-existent. Instead of paying too much attention to their public ridicule, Manescu and Piscoci make the most of the time by playing with pieces of paper in between their mumbled accusations and curses. In more than one humorous instance, a hand belonging to a production assistant makes its way into the frame, confiscating the paper from the child-like guests.

The simple joke in the film is that no one honestly remembers what happened that day, who was there or who was not, when it happened and how it happened. Memory of the day has since faded, and nostalgia is all that remains. History is a stubborn topic, where no two people share the exact same beliefs. If nothing else, “Bucharest” offers a simple solution – those differences do not matter. In actual fact, in order for a revolution to take place, these characters would need to adapt to drastic change on a personal level as well as in a communal sense - something they are all clearly incapable of doing. But has time simply changed them or have they always been this way? The memories are too foggy for anyone to remember clearly. One thing is certain, it seems as though it does not take a hero to start a revolt - or join one - but also the humble and meek. The journey taken in trying to figure the answer out is thoroughly amusing and perceptive and that it is consolation for the initial cynicism the film gives off.

Told with conviction and effortless comedic skill, the actors never give the impression that they are performing – it is not often that such pessimism can come across as accessible, something the Romanians seem naturally capable of. Director Corneliu Porumboiu weaves these ideas of the validity of time and human nature into a resonant story, one where, at the end of the day, the lights always shine – be it one by one or all together.

Fatac Rating: ***½

12:08 East of Bucharest. Written and Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu. Cinematography by George Dascalescu & Marius Panduru. Music by Rotaria. Starring: Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban, Ion Sapdaru. Running Time: 89 minutes. Age Restriction: TBC. Language: Romanian wih English subtitles. Rating out of five stars.

Not released in South Africa.
Viewed on the small-screen.