This broad package of Romanian shorts highlights the genre’s most recent standouts from striking animations and zany musicals to sharp social critiques and sympathetic stories about couples and families in crisis.
The Cradle
2020. Paul Mureșan. 4 m. Romania. Romanian with subtitles. Rated NR.
The classic lullaby song performed by legendary Maria Tănase gets an unofficial yet powerful music video with this dark and intriguing black and white animation about the damaging effects of domestic abuse and alcoholism.
Intermission for Autonomous Vacuum and the End of the World
2020. Eugen Dediu. 16 m. Romania. Romanian with subtitles. Rated NR.
Outside, the world is ending, more or less like in Don’t Look Up! Inside a house, a cleaning lady and a stranger in a bathrobe spend their last moments sharing a common passion, in what feels like the perfect happy ending.
The Mouse B
2021. Ioachim Stroe. 18 m. Romania. Romanian with subtitles. Rated NR.
Seeking to overturn Darwin’s theory, a psychology professor is about to prove that mice are capable of empathy, But the miracle doesn’t last long, bringing down the scientist’s belief in the utopia of equality.
Still
2020. Miruna Minculescu. 29 m. Romania. No dialogues. Rated NR.
Two young parents are emotionally stuck and grow more distant by the day after their four-year-old son dies. You can literally feel the grief in the air in this impressive one-shot that quietly suggests only time can heal wounds.
Summer Planning
2021. Alexandru Mironescu. 26 m. Romania. Romanian with subtitles. Rated NR.
A young boy’s dream of going to summer camp with his friends after the school year ends is threatened by his parents’ imminent divorce in this touching study of a couple in crisis and adults’ responsibilities.
Before watching films in this series, be sure to check out the conversation between Making Waves president Corina Șuteu and artistic director Mihai Chirilov!
Pricing/Film Availability Info: Admission to the series will be sold either as an all-access pass or à la carte, available in the JBFC Virtual Marquee. Pricing is $75 (members), $90 (nonmembers) for the all-access pass, or $10 (members), $12 (nonmembers) per film. All film programs will be available to stream for the entire length of the series—films will become available at 10:00 am on March 25 and will be open to stream until 11:59 pm on March 31. Once a film is started, pass holders will have 48 hours to finish, regardless of when in the series they start the film. Films are available to stream in the entire US, unless otherwise noted. Certain films in this series can and may sell out, so we encourage ticket and pass purchasers to secure their access by unlocking their films on March 25 when they become available. Series passes will go on sale February 25, while individual tickets will go on sale March 25.
Series Pass: $75 (members), $90 (nonmembers)
