The
Romanian filmmaker Alexandru Belc won the award for best director in the Un
Certain Regard section of the Cannes International Film Festival, for his
film ‘Metronome’.
The
film tells
the story of two high school students who fall in love and write letters on the
show Free Metronome in Free Europe, while Ion Ţiriac and Ilie Năstase play
America in the 1972 Davis Cup final. When the boy and his family are allowed to
leave the country, the two teenagers know they have to part, but they don’t
expect that their last days together would be decisive for their whole lives.
‘Metronome’
is the feature debut of director Alexandru Belc, previously known for his documentaries
‘Cinema, mon amour’ (2015) and ‘8 March’ (2012). The cast includes Mara
Bugarin, Şerban Lazarovici, Mara Vicol, Vlad Ivanov, Mihai Călin and Andreea
Bibiri. Un Certain Regard is a Cannes Festival section devoted to
films with unusual styles by emerging directors seeking international
recognition.
Taking
part in the Cannes official competition was, among others, R.M.N, by
the Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, a well-known presence in the festival. He
is the winner of a Palme d’Or trophy in 2007, for his 4 months, 3 weeks
and 2 days, of an award for best screenplay in 2012, for his Beyond
the Hills and of an award for best director, in 2016, with Graduation.
R.M.N. is, according to the Hollywood
Reporter, a fascinating, very human exploration of the many problems faced by
Romania.
Another
Romanian presence in this year’s festival was the director Radu Jude, with his
world premiere of the short film The Potemkinists, in the Directors’
Fortnight (‘Quinzaine des Realisateurs’) section.
The
Romanian actress Cosmina Stratan, awarded in Cannes 10 years ago for her part
in Cristian Mungiu’s Beyond the Hills, this year featured in ‘Frere et
soeur’, alongside Marion Cotillard and Melvil Poupaud. Arnaud Desplechin’s film
was selected in the festival’s official competition.
In
turn, the Romanian producer Diana Păroiu was selected by European Film
Promotion and took part in ‘Producers on the Move’, a prestigious programme
that has been a part of the Cannes Festival for 22 years. (AMP)