From Cannes to Bucharest: the festival’s highlights in a new edition
Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest
At the end of October, Bucharest becomes a meeting point for cinema lovers with the 17th edition of *Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest*, a key event of the autumn film season. Between October 23 and November 1, Cinema Elvire Popesco, Cinema Muzeul Țăranului Român, the Auditorium Hall of the National Museum of Art of Romania, and Apollo 111 will host this special experience for festival audiences.
Once again, *Les Films de Cannes* is extending to several other cities across the country: Timișoara, Arad, Oradea, and Iași. In Timișoara, audiences are invited to Cinema Studio and Cinema Timiș from October 22 to 25. The festival continues in Arad, with screenings at Cinema Arta from October 28 to 31. In Oradea, films will be shown at Cinema Palace from October 29 to November 1; additionally, on October 29, the Crișana Museum (Muzeul Țării Crișurilor) will host a special screening of *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days*, directed by Cristian Mungiu. The festival tour concludes in Iași, where cinephiles are invited to Cinema Ateneu from November 6 to 8.
*Fjord*—written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, this year’s Palme d’Or winner—will be screened as part of *Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest* on October 24 at 6:00 PM, in a simultaneous showing across all participating cinemas in Bucharest and the rest of the country. That same evening in Bucharest, the film will also have a gala screening at the Romanian Athenaeum.
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev—winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes and France’s submission for the Oscars—*Minotaur* follows the downfall of a wealthy Russian CEO whose life is destabilized by professional pressures, the war in Ukraine, and suspicions of his wife’s infidelity. The film blends family drama with political tension, exploring the corruption and decay of contemporary Russian society. *The Hollywood Reporter* considers it one of the director’s most direct commentaries on the political, spiritual, and moral degradation of modern-day Russia.
This year, the Jury Prize went to *The Dreamed Adventure* by German filmmaker Valeska Grisebach. Premiering at Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest, the film follows Veska as she attempts to help an old friend recover a car stolen in the mountains of Bulgaria. Her search leads her into a dangerous world dominated by illicit trade and criminal enterprise, set against the backdrop of the socio-economic hardships of the late 1990s. *Variety* described the film as a boldly unconventional small-town gangster epic.
*A Man of His Time*, directed by Emmanuel Marre, won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes and is making its Romanian premiere at Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest. Henri Marre is a writer who arrives in Vichy in 1940 with a political manuscript, seeking a position within Pétain’s new regime. His desire for influence draws him into the game of collaboration, where personal ambition clashes with moral compromise. IndieWire wrote of the character Marre that “he is granted no virtue or chance to become a better person in his role as a Vichy regime official.”
*La Bola Negra*, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, won the award for Best Director, sharing the honor with *Fatherland*, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. A queer period drama, *La Bola Negra* intertwines the stories of three men from different generations against the backdrop of key moments in Spanish history, spanning from the Civil War and the Franco dictatorship to the present day. Inspired by the life and work of Federico García Lorca, the film explores love, desire, family, and the way the past continues to resonate across generations. *The Guardian* praised the acting performances and superb cinematography of this narrative triptych. The film also recently won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and is making its Romanian premiere at *Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest*.
The second film to win the Best Director award is *Fatherland*, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. Set during the Cold War, the story focuses on the relationship between the writer Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller)—an actress, writer, and rally driver. The two embark on a journey in a black Buick, traversing a Germany in ruins. As *The Hollywood Reporter* noted, *Fatherland* is a road movie “of exquisite subtlety.” Another film premiering at the festival is *Soudain*, directed by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi and starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto—joint winners of the Best Actress award at Cannes. The director of a center for the elderly attempts to implement a new philosophy of care based on listening and respect. An encounter with…
Festivalul Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest este un eveniment fondat în 2010 de către Cristian Mungiu cu sprijinul delegatului general al Festivalului de Film de la Cannes, Thierry Frémaux, și este organizat de către Asociația Cinemascop și Voodoo Films.
Prezentat de: UniCredit Bank
Cu sprijinul: Catena, Adrem, Groupama
Proiect cultural finanțat de: CNC, Ambasada Franței și Institutul Francez din România, SACD, Institutul Cultural Român
Parteneri: Mercure Hotel, UNATC, Avanpost, Abator, Europa Cinemas, Cinema Elvire Popesco, Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român, Cinema Muzeul Țăranului, Muzeul Național de Artă al României, Apollo 111 Cinema, Cărturești
Partener de mobilitate: Cupra România
Partener media principal: PRO TV și VOYO
Parteneri media: Radio Europa FM, Agerpres, BIZ, Zile și Nopți, Libertatea, Cinemap, Films in Frame, Cultura la Dubă, Cinefan, Cinefilia, cinemagie.ro, Tonica, Cinemaraton, CineGhid, FILM, MovieNews, Munteanu, Liternet, Movienator, GenȘtiri, Like5, Daily Magazine, A List Magazine, urban.ro, happ.ro, news.ro, F-Sides
Partener de monitorizare: mediaTRUST
Partener cultural: RFI România