12:08 East of Bucharest
Dir. Corneliu Porumboiu , 2006
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Sun 13 January 2008 // 19:30
/ Cinema
Part of the excellent Eastern Europe cinema revival, 12:08 East of Bucharest has been internationally acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. A "Gem", a "treat", a "masterpiece", "acutely funny", this is a rare black comedy about Romania and life after communism...
The story...
A few days before Christmas, a smug TV host is calling around his small town, looking for guests to appear on his afternoon panel show. Two men eventually agree to help: a drunken deep in debt history teacher, and a grumpy old Santa Claus impersonator. All three men engage each other and their neighbors in casual, dryly funny conversations that tell viewers all they need to know about post-Communism Romania...
Some of the awards...
12:08 East of Bucharest won the Golden Camera (prize for best first film) at the International Cannes Film Festival, and Best Film at the Copenhagen Film Festival.
The reviews...
The Times
"Beautifully observed and very funny, this film is a real treat."
Time out
"Porumboiu’s satire about history and short memories is a modest, deadpan masterpiece"
BBC
"12:08 took the Camera D'or for best first film at Cannes in 2006, and it's easy to see why. We get three strong performances from the central actors - Corban excels as the bullying, insecure Jderescu - and a tightly constructed narrative that conjures great interest from small, anecdotal events. Crucially, it's all held together by Porumboiu's wonderful lightness of touch; politics, here, is leavened by a gentle sense of the absurdity of small-town life, and even some great one liners. An unexpected gem."
When was the last time you saw a funny Romanian film about post-communism? This film is a rare treat, don't miss it.
12:08 East of Bucharest is also shown on Wed 9 Jan at 7.30pm.