Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema

“As promised, Making Waves returns this March with an extended online showcase after last December’s in-person event at the Jacob Burns Film Center, replaying two of its previous offerings (Poppy Field and Unidentified) while adding several fiction works plus plenty of documentaries and shorts, including several U.S. premieres. Coincidentally, all three fiction films newly included in the program share a similar narrative device—the death of a key character—that threatens to disrupt an already fragile balance: the familial comfort zone in Mikado and Otto the Barbarian, and a lifelong friendship in No Rest for the Old Lady. Two of the four documentaries (Holy Father and Us Against Us) are extremely intimate works, mirroring each other as both directors face their fathers on camera in search of reconciliation. The remaining documentaries cover both ends of the spectrum, ranging from the experimental (You Are Ceaușescu to Me) to the National Geographic approach (Wild Romania), each compelling and surprising in their own way. The sky’s the limit for the short film packages, featuring scientific experiments, Maria Tanase’s lullaby song, and the end of the world in a highly inventive, engaging and entertaining mix.”— Mihai Chirilov, series curator

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.

Before watching films in this series, be sure to check out the conversation between Making Waves president Corina Șuteu and artistic director Mihai Chirilov!

The 16th Making Waves: New Romanian Cinema is presented by Film ETC and the Jacob Burns Film Center. Lead support for Making Waves is provided by the Trust for Mutual Understanding, with additional support from Carturesti bookstores, the Romanian National Film Center, and individual donors.