The First Edition of the Romanian Film Festival in China – UCCA 2024 Short Film Screening
The first edition of the Romanian Film Festival in China – UCCA 2024 Short Film Screening was successfully held on Saturday, December 7, from 14:00 to 20:30. The opening speeches were given by Dr. Li Lin, International Programs Director at UCCA, Andreea-Ema Stoian, Senior Relations Officer, and Prof. Wang Yao, film critic and researcher, who is considered the leading expert in China on the Romanian "New Wave" generation of filmmakers.
The short film screenings lasted a total of 5 hours, captivating the audience until the very end (over 350 registered spectators). This edition featured a selection of 21 Romanian short films made by 15 of the most important contemporary Romanian directors (Cristian Mungiu, Cristi Puiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Tudor Giurgiu, Marian Crișan, Paul Negoescu, Adrian Sitaru, Radu Jude, Anca Damian, Cătălin Mitulescu, Gopo, Cătălin Peter Netzer, Tudor Cristian Jurgiu, and Bogdan Mustață), whose distinct styles and profound themes are characteristic of the Romanian "New Wave" cinema. The short films have won prestigious international festival awards (3 Palme d'Ors, 2 Golden Bears, 1 Golden Pardino, 1 Golden Bayard, 3 BAFTA awards, 1 Heart of Sarajevo award, etc.), thus establishing Romanian directors in the global cinematic heritage.
The festival's program was as follows: 14:00-14:20 Opening Ceremony & Cocktail
14:30-19:30 Short Film Screenings
19:30-20:30 Lecture "The History of Cinematic Cultural Exchanges between China and Romania" by Prof. Dr. Wang Yao, Filmology Department, Beijing Film Academy
I. Short Film Screening
Duration: 5 hours and 6 minutes
"Mâna lui Paulișta" (1998, 15 minutes)
Directed by Cristian Mungiu
Two beggars watch a soap opera through a store window where a robbery occurs. Their concern is focused on the fate of those on the screen.
Cast: Valeriu Andriuţă, Florin Grigoraş, Hanno Höfer
Producer: UNATC
CineMAiubit Grand Prize, 1998
"Călătorie la oraș" (2003, 19 minutes)
Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
A short film that brought Porumboiu a Cannes award in 2004, capturing elements he would later use in his feature films both thematically and visually.
Cast: Constantin Diţă, Ion Sapdaru, Teodor Corban
Producer: UNATC
2004 – Montpellier – Grand Prize for Short Film
2004 – Kerry – Special Jury Award
2004 – Cannes – Second Prize (Cinéfondation section)
"Pe aripile vinului" (2002, 9 minutes)
Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
Costel doesn't feel well surrounded by his drunken fellow villagers, so he plans to leave for England.
Cast: Constantin Diţă, Ion Sapdaru
Producer: UNATC
"Un cartuș de Kent și un pachet de cafea" (2004, 13 minutes)
Directed by Cristi Puiu
A father (Victor Rebengiuc), laid off two years before retirement, wants to rejoin the workforce with the help of his son (Mimi Brănescu). A brief encounter between them shows two generations with different mentalities but following the same principle: a carton of Kent cigarettes and a package of coffee can make a difference when seeking a job.
Cast: Victor Rebengiuc, Mimi Brănescu
Producer: Mandragora
European Film Academy Awards, 2004
Berlinale – Golden Bear for Short Film, 2004
Special Jury Award, Anonimul International Film Festival – Romania, 2004
"Das Spektrum Europas" (2014, 8 minutes)
Directed by Cristi Puiu
A couple of intellectuals analyze, on New Year's Eve, the interpretation of World War I in Hermann Keyserling’s "Das Spektrum Europas."
Cast: Valeria Seciu, Marian Râlea
Producer: Obala Art Center
Special Selections, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
"Târziu" (2008, 23 minutes)
Directed by Paul Negoescu
A young journalist is tasked with creating a report on his old high school.
Cast: Andrei Mateiu, Tudor Aaron Istodor, Constantin Diţă, Monica Mihăescu
Producer: UNATC
58th Berlinale – Nomination
"Lampa cu căciulă" (2006, 23 minutes)
Directed by Radu Jude
A road movie about the father-son relationship and the importance of small things in life. Marian, a 7-year-old boy, wakes up his father to fix the TV in the city.
Cast: Marian Bratu, Gabriel Spahiu, Natalia Călin
Producer: HiFilm
Best International Short Film, Sundance Film Festival – USA, 2007
Best Short Film (Second Place), Almeria Short Film Festival – Spain, 2007
Special Jury Award, Aspen Shorts Fest – USA, 2007
"Valuri" (2007, 16 minutes)
Directed by Adrian Sitaru
A Western woman entrusts a Roma man with the care of her 4-year-old child while she learns to swim with a married man.
Cast: Sergiu Costache, Adrian Titieni, Karen Wallet
Producer: CNC, ADDA
Winner, Golden Pardino - Leopards of Tomorrow, Locarno Film Festival 2007
Winner, Best Short Film, Dresden Film Festival
Aspen Shortsfest, Best Drama, Cinematography, BAFTA/LA Excellence Winner
"Colivia" (2009, 17 minutes)
Directed by Adrian Sitaru
Alex, a boy who finds a sick pigeon in the street, faces strong opposition from his father. After a silent struggle, the pigeon finds a place on the balcony, but Alex now wants a cage.
Cast: Adrian Titieni, Clara Voda, Vlad Voda
Producer: CNC, 4 Proof Film
DAAD Trophy for Best Short Film, Berlin International Film Festival, 2010
Grand Prize, Vila do Conde International Film Festival, Portugal, 2010
"Megatron" (2008, 14 minutes)
Directed by Marian Crișan
Maxim, an 8-year-old boy, lives in a village far from the city, and on his birthday, his mother takes him to a McDonald's restaurant.
Cast: Maxim Adrian Strinu, Gabriela Crisu, Damian Victor Oancea
Producer: Mandragora
Palme d’Or for Short Film, Cannes Film Festival – France, 2008
Best Short Film, Stockholm International Film Festival – Sweden, 2008
"Trafic" (2004, 15 min), directed by Cătălin Mitulescu
On his way to a business meeting, Tudor gets stuck in traffic. Determined to take advantage of the situation, he invites a woman for a coffee.
Cast: Bogdan Dumitrache, Maria Dinulescu, Ana Bart
Producer: StradaFilm
Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival 2004
"București-Wien, Ora 8:15" (2000, 13 min), directed by Cătălin Mitulescu
It is five in the morning. Niki gathers everything valuable in his house while his wife and child are sleeping. He is leaving for Germany. He has managed to get a passport to work illegally. He leaves with his childhood friend Crețu, hoping that together it will be easier. The journey, however, turns out to be more problematic than they imagined.
Cast: Andi Vasluianu, Cosmin Seleși, Florin Cătălina
Producer: UNATC
Cannes Film Festival, Nomination for Cinéfondation Award, 2001
"O zi bună de plajă" (2008, 10 min), directed by Bogdan Mustață
The film raises questions about its issues, rather than offering solutions to them. It does so in a very precise and unpredictable manner. We consider it one of the most precious things when a film stays with you and continues to unfold long after the final credits have passed.
Cast: Florin Sinescu, Okan Kaya, George Hoffman
Producer: CNC, Axel Film
Golden Bear, the most important short film award at the 58th Berlin Film Festival
"Superman, Spiderman sau Batman" (2011, 11 min), directed by Tudor Giurgiu
Aron, a 5-year-old boy, wishes to have the powers of a superhero to save his sick mother from a heart condition.
Cast: Adriana Băilescu, Zsolt Bogdán, Ovidiu Crișan
Producer: Libra Film
BAFTA Award for Best Short Film,
Jury Prize for Best Drama,
Aspen Short Film Festival, Colorado, USA, 2012
Best Short Film, European Film Academy Awards – 2012
"Zăpada mieilor" (1998, 20 min), directed by Cătălin Peter Netzer
In Zăpada Mieilor, Călin Peter Netzer creates an impressive gypsy atmosphere. The final sequence, with the bride wandering through the forest and the lamb running through the fields, evokes a profound feeling of freedom and innocence.
Producer: UNATC
Tampere 1999, Winner of Best Fiction Award – International Competition
"Telefonul" (2019, 10 min), directed by Anca Damian
A phone call, a bath, and a woman are at the intersection of worlds.
Cast: Jean-Marc Barr, Vlad Ivanov
Producer: Aparte Film
TIFF, 43rd Hong Kong International Film Festival, Jury Award – International Short Film Competition
"Scurtă Istorie" (1957, 10 min), directed by Ioan Popescu Gopo
This 1957 Romanian animated short film skillfully and with incredible artistic expression condenses the entire narrative of human evolution theory into a film of just ten minutes.
Distributor: GOPO Foundation
Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival
"7 arte" (1958, 11 min), directed by Ioan Popescu Gopo
Gopo's little man presents the appearance of the arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, theater, dance, music, and cinematography.
Distributor: GOPO Foundation
"Ucenicul vrăjitor" (1985, 8.44 min), directed by Ioan Popescu Gopo
In Ucenicul vrăjitor, Gopo illustrates the story of a wooden apprentice who, through his teachings, discovers the joy of creativity.
Distributor: GOPO Foundation
In MEMORIAM Ioan Popescu Gopo & Constantin PĂUN
"Poveste la Scara C" (2004, 14 min), directed by Cristian Nemescu
Andrei is a teenager madly in love with his neighbor Monica. He calls an erotic hotline to ask for tips on the art of seduction.
Cast: Lucian Ciurariu, Maria Dinulescu, Alexandru Mărgineanu
Producer: UNATC
2004 Winner Prix UIP Angers (European Short Film)
"În acvariu" (2013, 20 min), directed by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
George and Cristina desperately try to break up, but they don’t seem to manage it until the end.
Cast: Maria Mițu, Ionuț Vișan
Producer: UNATC
Cannes 2013 Nomination for the Cinéfondation Award,
2013 Winner of the Golden Pram Award, Zagreb Film Festival.
II. Conference: "History of Cinematic Cultural Exchanges Between China and Romania" by Dr. Wang Yao (online)
The conference was held online and thoroughly analyzed the dynamics of cultural exchanges between Chinese and Romanian cinema, focusing on the historical context, aesthetic influences, and bilateral collaborations. The presentation offered an interdisciplinary perspective, exploring how cinematic interactions have reflected and shaped the cultural relationships between the two countries over time.Wang Yao (Andrei) is a film critic, researcher, and university lecturer at the Beijing Film Academy. He is the top expert in China on Romanian cinema, especially the Romanian New Wave. Active since 2015 at the Chinese Film Culture Institute, he stands out for his deep involvement in academic research, serving as an invited editor and organizer of the National Forum for Young Film Researchers. A member of prestigious international associations such as FIPRESCI and NETPAC, and a jury member at numerous international film festivals, Wang Yao is recognized for his contributions to the study of world cinema, with a special focus on Romanian cinema, film festivals, and science fiction films. He has published books and articles, coordinated major academic projects, and been involved in the production of several films, thus consolidating a versatile and influential profile in the field of cinema.
The project was organized by the ICR Beijing in partnership with Switch Lab and UCCA.
UCCA (Ullens Center for Contemporary Art) is one of the most important contemporary art centers in China, located in the 798 Art Zone of Beijing, a district known for its galleries and art spaces. Founded in 2007 by art collectors Guy and Myriam Ullens, UCCA functions as a space dedicated to contemporary art exhibitions, showcasing works by both Chinese and international artists. UCCA not only hosts art exhibitions but also organizes cultural events, film screenings, workshops, and symposiums that explore aspects of contemporary culture and art, thus connecting the public with global trends in the field.
The Romanian Film Festival in China was the last event in a series dedicated to the 75 years of bilateral relations.
For a brief summary, we remind that this year, in the context of celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and China, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing organized events in essential cultural cooperation fields between the two countries – music (3 concerts “Allegretto” at Winland Financial Center, Silk Road International Arts Centre & Forbidden City Concert Hall, and the “Violoncellissimo” concert at the National Opera of Beijing), literature and poetry (“Sino-Poetic Dialogue” – at the Beijing Language and Culture University), history & diplomacy (“75 Years of Bilateral Relations – Book and Photography Exhibition”), visual arts (“A Glimpse of Disconnection” at Choi Centre and “Sublim” at CAFA Art Museum, these being the first exhibitions of modern Romanian art in China), and cinema (the Romanian Film Festival described above).
