July kicks off with films from all over the world: a new Indiana Jones production, a Romanian documentary, a Norwegian dramedy, a French comedy, and the opportunity to see “Forest of the Hanged” (“Pădurea spânzuraților”) on the big screen.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (dir. James Mangold)

Indiana Jones is back, but he’s not as fit as before. Now at an old age, he struggles to keep up with a world that seems to have outgrown him, where his whip can no longer compare to the power of gunfire, and where retirement is his only option.

Things change when Helena, his goddaughter, draws him into one last adventure to save the world from impending evil. Thus begins a race against time against Jürgen Voller, an old acquaintance of Jones’s and a mortal enemy.

You can watch Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Mads Mikkelsen as they fight in secret tunnels, dodge deadly traps, and avoid explosions on the big screen, starting from June 30.

Sick of Myself (dir. Kristoffer Borgli)

Signe works as a barista while her boyfriend, Thomas, is an artist. When he becomes famous for his sculptures made out of stolen furniture, Signe grows tired of living constantly in his shadow.

The desire for validation leads her to hatch a plan that will bring her into the spotlight and onto the front page of the newspapers, but the price is not small, as she will discover. The two end up competing in a macabre game where each tries to become more popular by any means possible while exposing the other.

Sick of Myself alternates between horror and comedy, being both devastating and absolutely absurd, difficult to watch at times, but certainly memorable. The film hits theatres on June 30.

Grand Paris (dir. Martin Jauvat)

Leslie and Renard are good friends, perhaps a bit lazy, but well-intentioned. When they stumble across a mysterious artefact that appears to be from a long-lost civilization, they embark on a journey to determine the origin of the object and, of course, make a little money off it.

Meanwhile, Île-de-France transforms around them. If the Parisian suburbs have mainly been depicted as a dangerous and violent place in movies so far, this time they become the seemingly mundane scene where the fantastic emerges out of nowhere until the line between reality and dream begins to blur.

Jauvat’s characters maintain their optimism and ingenuity no matter what happens to them, revealing a funny, light, and at the same time, moving story.

The film runs exclusively at the Elvire Popesco Cinema and can be seen on Tuesday, June 27, at 6.30 pm.

4 iulie 1977. Cutremurul neștiut / July 4th, 1977. The Unknown Earthquake (dir. Șerban Georgescu)

Gradina cu filme – Cinema & More hosts on Friday, June 30, at 9:00 pm the screening of 4 iulie 1977. Cutremurul neștiut (July 4th, 1977. The Unknown Earthquake), a documentary about the order issued by Nicolae Ceausescu to stop consolidation works, 4 months after the 1977 earthquake. The film is based on the stage play of the same name by Carmen Lidia Vidu and is produced by Re:Rise – the Association for Reducing Seismic Risk.

The screening will be followed by a talk with the following guests:

Andrei Ursu, son of engineer Gheorghe Ursu (the only one among the participants in the July 4th, 1977 meeting who raised an alarm regarding the matters discussed);

Matei Sumbasacu, representing Re:Rise – the Association for Seismic Risk Reduction;

Carmen Lidia Vidu, the director of the play 4 iulie 1977. Cutremurul neștiut (July 4th, 1977. The Unknown Earthquake).

Pădurea spânzuraților / Forest of the Hanged (dir. Liviu Ciulei, 1964)

To celebrate the centenary of Liviu Ciulei’s birth, Pădurea spânzuraților (Forest of the Hanged), awarded at Cannes for Best Director in 1965, will be screened at the Eforie Cinematheque.

Although he directed only three films, Liviu Ciulei demonstrates a profound understanding of the art of filmmaking, from storyline and character development to cinematography.

Victor Rebengiuc plays the remarkable role of Apostol Bologa. “The way he was able to render Apostol Bologa’s troubles, idealism and pangs of conscience became an exemplar of acting, which is invoked all the time.” (Victor Rebengiuc, an exemplar of long-haul professionalism by Ionuț Mareș, Films in Frame). The cast includes Mariana Mihuț, Toma Caragiu, Anna Széles, Ion Caramitru, and Liviu Ciulei.

Steeped in symbolism, Pădurea spânzuraților (Forest of the Hanged) still stands today as a must-see masterpiece of Romanian cinema. The public has the opportunity to see it on the big screen on Saturday, July 1, at  2.30 pm.

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.