1. Government of Children 3D (dir. Ioana Mischie, documentary) – We begin the list of recommendations with a unique project in Romania, both as a civic imagination experiment and as an innovative cinematographic approach, being the first Romanian 3D documentary. Since Romania has recently turned 100, we have invited 100 Romanian children to imagine the next 100 years of society in all its dimensions: educational, economic, architectural, social, technological.

Curious about the result? Government of Children 3D can be watched on Friday, June 7th, at Union Cinema at 6pm. Tickets can be bought in advance from here.

2. Gauguin in Tahiti: Paradise Lost (dir. Claudio Poli; biography) – is a film that will lead you to French Polynesia, Tahiti and Marquesas Islands, to see the landscapes that inspired him, among the locals whom Gauguin loved, on the footsteps of a story that has become a legend, in the places where he built houses out of bamboo and leaves, where he discovered the light and colors that changed his painting forever, as well as the uninhibited sensuality of indigenous women.

If you are interested in learning more about Gauguin’s life and work, Gauguin in Tahiti can be watched throughout the weekend at Happy Cinema Liberty Mall. Tickets can be found here.

3. Amanda (dir. Mikhaël Hers, drama) – The film carries us in David’s world, who lives a bohemian life in today’s Paris. Things suddenly change when his sister dies in a terrorist attack, and David takes his 7-year-old niece, Amanda, under his care. Leaving behind the tragic event, the two build a bright, tender relationship, where each of them learns to become a better person as time passes. The film won the Magic Lantern at Venice International Film Festival in 2018 and the Tokyo Grand Prix and the Best Screenplay Award at Tokyo International Film Festival 2018.

If you’re in the mood for some good humor, Amanda will run at Cine Globe Titan every day this weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Tickets can be bought from here.

And for those lucky enough to spend their weekend in Cluj, at TIFF 2019, we have some recommendations of Romanian films for all tastes, which shouldn’t be missed out:

• La Gomera (dir. Corneliu Porumboiu) – Corneliu Porumboiu’s latest film and the only Romanian feature film in the Official Competition at Cannes Film Festival 2019. We invite you to read Flavia Dima’s review of La Gomera written exclusively for Films in Frame – here.

La Gomera can be watched at TIFF on Friday, June 7th, at 7:30pm at the Student Culture House. Tickets here.

• MO (dir. Radu Dragomir) – Radu Dragomir’s directorial debut, starring Dana Rogoz. The film can be watched on Friday, June 7th at 5:15pm at the Student Culture House and on Saturday, June 8th at 10:30am at Sapientia University. Tickets here.
• The Distance Between Me and Me (dir. Mona Nicoară) – A documentary about the avant-garde poet, composer and graphic artist Nina Cassian. The film can be watched on Friday, June 7th at 10:00am at Arta Cinema and on Saturday, June 8th at 5:30pm at Victoria Cinema. Tickets here.
• Alice T. (dir. Radu Muntean) – One day, during an altercation with her mother on school problems, Alice comes with a shocking revelation: she is pregnant and wants to keep the baby. The film can be watched on Friday, June 7th at 4pm at Arta Cinema and on Saturday, June 8th at 12:30pm at Victoria Cinema. Tickets here.
• I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians (dir. Radu Jude) – For those who have not yet had the opportunity to see Radu Jude’s latest film on Ion Antonescu’s execution, they still have a chance to watch it at TIFF 2019 – on Saturday, June 8th at 3pm at Florin Piersic Cinema and on Sunday, June 9th at 12:30pn at Sapientia University. Tickets here.

Films to watch at home, on TV or laptop:

1. Several Conversations About a Very Tall Girl (dir. Bogdan Theodor Olteanu, romantic) – Nominated for 3 awards at Gopo 2019 (Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Debut Film and “Young Hope”), the film “is a brief insight into the queer world, but also a look at a generation less represented in the Romanian film: young people living in the big cities, caught between conflicting values and options, between the models proposed by Western Europe and a society lost in reveries of an alleged “tradition”. The screenplay is the fictional drama of real stories, a collage of things that are happening around us even today”, as the director himself says.

You can read the interview with Florentina Tanase and Silvana Mihai about the film right here. Several Conversations About a Very Tall Girl runs on Cinemax 2 and Cinemax 2 HD on Saturday, June 8th at 9:30pm and on Sunday, June 9th at 10:40am.

2. Why me? (dir. Tudor Giurgiu, thriller) – In case you’re in the mood for a thriller based on real facts, Why me? tells the story of Cristian (Emilian Oprea), a young idealist prosecutor who tries to solve a complicated case of corruption in the tumultuous socio-political context of 2000 Romania. Cristian investigates the case of a fellow prosecutor suspected of bribery, forgery and use of forgery, document evasion. However, the investigation reaches to the highest levels and it ruins the young magistrate’s trust in justice. Trying to discover the truth, Cristian enters a dangerous area and exposes himself to painful and unexpected revelations.

The film can be watched on Prima TV on Friday, June 7th, at 00:00am and on Saturday, June 8th at 00:30am.

3. #Selfie69 (dir. Cristina Jacob, comedy) – Winner of the Audience Award at Gopo 2017, #Selfie69 is a love story full of adrenaline, sensuality and humor. The film breaks the urban myth according to which marriage does not bring happiness … On the contrary! But to reach this conclusion, the three main characters played by Olimpia Melinte, Crina Semciuc and Flavia Hojda have to go through the pitfalls, temptations and dangers that arise from making a bet: which one of them will get married first in just three days?

The film can be watched on Sunday, June 9th on PRO Cinema at 10:30pm.

Romina Banu

Photographer and editor; she co-founded Dissolved Magazine together with Melissa. For Films in Frame she gathers film and TV series recommendations for lazy weekends and she writes about interesting projects from the film industry. Other than that, she likes traveling, chilling with her cats and sleeping.