The end of February and the beginning of March bring us two festivals, films that explore family love and dynamics, as well as a white night, full of Romanian films, to watch this time from the comfort of our home.

Film O’Clock

Film O’Clock International Festival returns with a new edition from February 28 to March 4. The program features online events and talks, as well as film screenings, which will take place simultaneously in the seven participating countries: Lithuania, Ukraine, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt and South Africa.

Among the ten short films competing for the festival prizes is Mihai Dragolea’s latest effort, Aurică, A Dog’s Life. The film follows Aurică, who just escaped from prison, now living in the middle of a cornfield, where he befriends a chained dog.

The online events will take place on Saturday, March 4:

Rethinking the Classics: A Modern Perspective – A conference about the new generation of filmmakers and what constitutes a “modern classic” and how films from the past, present, and future fit into this category;

Her Story, Her Future: Empowering Women in the Film Industry – The talk will explore the power of mentoring and networking as a way to support and encourage women in the film industry, providing information on platforms and initiatives that offer opportunities for interaction and collaboration.

In Romania, the festival will take place at the Peasant Museum Cinema in Bucharest. The full program is available on the Film O’Clock website.

IZANAGI, Japanese Film Festival

The second festival we recommend takes place between March 3-5 and its program revolves around harmony and spirituality. Whether you’re a fan of Japanese culture or animation in general, or simply want to enjoy some memorable stories, you have every reason to attend this year’s screenings.

At its third edition, IZANAGI Festival aims to explore the spirituality of Japanese society as portrayed in anime through a selection of five films – Princess Mononoke (dir. Hayao Miyazaki), The Tale of Princess Kaguya (dir. Isao Takahata), The Boy and The Beast (dir. Mamoru Hosoda), A Letter to Momo (dir. Hiroyuki Okiura ), Spirited Away (dir. Hayao Miyazaki).

You may already be familiar with or a true connoisseur of these classic Studio Ghibli productions but the chance to watch them on the big screen is not to be missed, if only for the opportunity to marvel at the detail that animates every frame.

The festival takes place at the Eforie Cinemateque in Bucharest. For more details, visit the official website.

Aftersun (dir. Charlotte Wells)

Charlotte Wells makes her feature debut with a powerful, “emotionally autobiographical” story. Sophie recalls the last holiday she spent with her father, Calum, when she was 11. Real and imaginary memories intertwine in an attempt to reconstruct the portrait of the man she knew as a parent.

Among the dancing, sunburned skin, scuba diving and long summer days at the cheap vacation resort where the two are staying, a hint of melancholy and sadness lingers in the air. Calum is there and yet not fully present; his gaze, silences and gestures betray an inner anguish that is hard to discern.

Starring as the father is Paul Mescal, who you may know from the hit series Normal People (dir. Lenny Abrahamson, Hettie Macdonald) and who is now enjoying his first Oscar nomination for his performance in Aftersun.

The film premieres in Romania on March 3.

Fools (dir. Tomasz Wasilewski)

Marlena (62) and Tomasz (42), hidden away from the world in a small seaside town, have been in a happy relationship for many years. When Marlena allows her son to move in with them, against Tomasz’s will, the relationship is turned upside down and the two are forced to redefine their love, choices and life. Also showing up is Marlena’s daughter, who comes and goes as the plot unfolds, but when she does make an appearance it’s only to externalize her anger.

There is an undercurrent to all these frustrations that you only come to understand at the end. The cinematography signed by Romanian director of photography Oleg Mutu (Miracle, Unidentified, Love 2. America, Beyond the Hills, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) highlights this permanent anguish.

A film about a difficult love condemned by society, Fools hits theatres nationwide on March 3.

Holy Spider (dir. Ali Abbasi)

Journalist Arezoo Rahimi travels to Mashhad, Iran to investigate a series of murders of local street prostitutes. As Rahimi gets closer to finding the serial killer, it becomes clear that a large portion of the public see him as a hero.

Thus, Rahimi is forced to fight not only to stop the killer but also against the misogyny, religious extremism and violence of a society deeply rooted in the belief that women with “immoral” behaviour deserve their fate.

The film is based on the true story of Saeed Hanaei, known as the “Spider Killer”, who in a single year killed 16 women in what he called “a holy mission”.

Holy Spider can be seen at the Elvire Popesco Cinema on February 28. For more insight into the film, check out the Films in Frame review by Ionuț Mareș.

The White Night of Romanian Films on TVR Cultural

We veer off course at the end to turn our attention to an important event that will be aired on TV. The White Night of Romanian Films kicks off on March 4, at 10 pm, on TVR Cultural with a portrait of Radu Jude, one of the most acclaimed Romanian directors today.

The films in the program: I Matter (dir. Alina Şerban), Aferim! (dir. Radu Jude), The Bed of Procrustes (dir. Andrian Împarațel), Scarred Hearts (dir. Radu Jude), I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians (dir. Radu Jude), Together (dir. Alma Buhagiar), To Grow Under a Wild Cherry Tree (dir. Agata Olteanu), Contraindications (dir. Lucia Chicoș).

For more details, click here.

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.