Romanian New Wave

Through a mix of razor-sharp realism and pitch-black humor, the films of the Romanian New Wave turn everyday dilemmas into gripping moral dramas. Provocatively merging the personal and the political, leading directors like Cristi Puiu (THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU), Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST), and Cristian Mungiu (4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS) confront the legacy of Communism and the messy transition that followed Nicolae Ceaușescu’s authoritarian regime, revealing the lingering bureaucratic absurdities and indignities that continue to shape day-to-day life and its endless ethical choices. Made with modest means but unmistakable assuredness, these powerful, unsparing works are models of minimalist filmmaking at its most urgent and alive.