This week we go from all-consuming loves and romantic comedies to political films about class struggle and feminism. We conclude the list of recommendations with a bonus, an important discussion about the future of Romanian cinemas.

Active Archive: Retro Amour Fou

Between March and June, the Active Archive dedicates a retrospective to forms of love that cannot be constrained by social pressures. The program is curated by Irina Balcu, Liri Chapelan, Teona Galgoțiu, Alexandru Leca, Ștefan Ristea, Andrei Rus, Maria Salomia, Laura Săvuțiu, Daiana Stănușoiu, Andrei Voineag.

“The 19 titles we chose from the collection preserved by the National Film Archive belong to different eras and cultures and present different states of love, which transcend the conventional sphere, proving once more that it does not adhere to a certain time or place. In these films, love is a transforming force, an experience that possesses and overwhelms, regardless of any external factor,” stated the curators.

The upcoming films in the program are L’histoire d’Adèle H. (dir. François Truffaut) on March 23, Un chien andalou (dir. Luis Buñuel) on March 24, Mikaël (dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer), and Mädchen in Uniform (dir. Leontine Sagan) on March 26.

The Perfect Dinner / La cena perfetta (dir. Davide Minnella)

A perfect choice for hopeless romantics and comedy fans, as well as for suspense enthusiasts. The film follows Carmine (Salvatore Esposito, whom you may know from Fargo), a good-hearted mobster who finds himself exiled from Naples to Rome after screwing up on his last mission, and Consuelo, a pragmatic and determined chef who won’t let anyone stand in her way to success, not even the Mafia.

After The Menu, the world of fine dining is once again brought into the spotlight, but this time, instead of a chef turned psychopath, we deal with a lighter message: the secret ingredient is cooking with love, which may even save the day. A bit too cheesy? Maybe, but who can say no to an Italian story full of passion?

The film premiered on March 17 and is playing in cinemas across the country.

To the North / Spre Nord (dir. Mihai Mincan)

Dumitru, a Romanian stowaway hidden on a transatlantic ship, is discovered by Joel, a Christian Filipino sailor. Joel does his best to protect him, knowing he would be thrown overboard if discovered.

The film shifts easily from thriller to topics such as religion, status, power and class differences. The action takes place on the sea, a biblical landscape in its own right, and the ship is a supposed escape to a better world.

“To the tunes of Alessandro Cortini […], and with Nicolas Becker’s sound design, before turning into an excellent thriller […], To The North is a naval oeuvre, equally an impeccable choreography and cartography of the labyrinth, hideout or prison that is the container-filled cargo boat,” says Cătălin Olaru in his review for Films in Frame.

To the North is based on a true story, with a scope rarely seen in modern Romanian cinema – with a large international cast and with dialogues spoken in (at least!) five languages, while also putting forward a narrative whose political stakes go far beyond the country’s borders.

The film had its premiere on March 17 and can be watched in cinemas across the country.

The Girls / Flickorna (dir. Mai Zetterling, 1968)

Film Menu Cineclub continues this month’s program dedicated to women in the film industry.

Three stage actresses are touring Sweden with Lysistrata, based on Aristophanes’ play about women and war. Although a comedy, the three women see their own lives and marriages mirrored in the complex and conflictual gender relations underlying the play, which has a huge impact on them but seems to leave the audience unaffected.

Mai Zetterling creates a feminist, political, incisive cinema. Reality and fantasy intertwine in The Girls, giving rise to reflections on the role of women in society and family, on their oppression and constant struggle.

The screening will take place on March 22 at the Eforie Cinematheque and will be followed by a discussion moderated by Film Menu writers Iris Irodi and Iulia Necșulescu. Tickets are available here.

Haita de actiune (dir. Vali Dobrogeanu) 

Matei Dima returns to the big screen as a traffic officer with big dreams, idealistic and eager for cases like in American movies. But in reality, he works at a petty police station, where corruption and quick fixes prevail.

When he finally comes across a big case, he launches a whole operation together with his two colleagues, Oli (Antonia) and Aurel (Vlad Brumaru). Of course, his investigation bothers important people, and what at first seemed like a series of trivial robberies has much deeper implications.

The film hits theatres on March 21. Tickets are already on sale.

French Film Festival: What is the future of Romanian cinemas?

The French Film Festival, in partnership with Films in Frame, is hosting on March 22 a debate about the future of cinemas in Romania. Key issues such as the current state of cinemas and possible solutions to increase their number will be the focus of the panel discussions.

Guest speakers include Antoine Bagnaninchi (distributor, Independența Film), Ștefan Bradea (distributor, Bad Unicorn), Ioana Florescu (program coordinator, Elvire Popesco Cinema in Bucharest), Cristian Mungiu (director, producer), Gabriela Suciu (producer), Luigi Magri (project manager of continuing education, La Fémis), Monica Sebestyen (manager, ARTA Cinema in Cluj), Mihaela Pelteacu (architect, author of The Movie Theatre / CineBucharest. A Century of Modernity), and Ioana Dragomirescu (project manager, Victoria Cinema in Timișoara).

Also part of the festival program, Alice Diop’s latest effort and first narrative feature, Saint Omer, will be screened on March 21. A Senegalese woman is accused of murdering her 15-month-old child by leaving her on a beach to be swept away by the tide. Rama, a novelist, attends the trial to use the young woman’s story to write a modern-day adaptation of the ancient myth of Medea, but her beliefs, including her own experience with motherhood, are shaken in the process.

The screening will be followed by a talk with Marie NDiaye, co-writer of the film.

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.