Synopsis
“Silent River” reminds us of a period, which we can leave behind with a sigh of relief, where local discourse strained to extract every dysfunctional aspect of the past and exploit it dramatically. The distance from the obsessions of the past allows a new perspective of the present, a clear one, with the same type of critical eye, but less sure of the sum of its conclusions, with which we look at eras that do not belong to us directly.
Thus, we can allow ourselves to look at the world we live in, seemingly so volatile and sensitive to any form of criticism, as if we were looking at Antiquity, the Renaissance, or, why not, the years before the fall of the socialist regime.
Directed by: Anca Miruna Lăzărescu
Cast: Toma Cuzin, Andi Vasluianu, Patricia Moga, Marius Ursu, Branko Tomociv
Script: Anca Miruna Lăzărescu
Producer: Filmallee Germania (David Lindner Leporda, Daniel Schmidt), Strada Film (Cătălin Mitulescu, Florentina Onea – executive producer)
Cinematography by: Christian Stangassinger
Edited by: Dan Olteanu
Sound: Thorsten Bolzé, Alexandru Dragomir
Music: Marius Leftărache
Year: 2011
Category: short film
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Duration: 30 minutes
13,947 – Cinepub viewers
PLOT SUMMARY
Romania, 1986: Gregor and Vali want to get away. Both need each other, yet there is mutual distrust. One night Gregor finds his doubts confirmed. In the end only hope is left.
AWARDS:
- 2011 – Berlin – Golden Bear (short film)
- 2011 – European Film Academy – Best Short Film (Anca Miruna Lăzărescu)
- 2012 – Gopo – Best Short Film (Anca Miruna Lăzărescu)
- 2012 – Gopo – Young Hope Award (Anca Miruna Lăzărescu)
REVIEWS:
“Silent River is a perfect and compelling production, it follows the trends of new cinema while being completely different. It is grandiose in a non-commercial style, a once-in-a-lifetime marvel.” (Süddeutsche Newspaper, Germany)
“One of the recurring questions abroad is why there are no women directors (in Romania). And every time, when at least in short films, there is someone who could one day make a feature film (and we see it, after how well the one she came here with, ‘Silent River’, turned out), our heart grows and we know that at some point we will be able to give this answer, because overall, the new generation, apart from Ruxandra Zenide with ‘Ryna’, girls have not made feature films. We could also include here Anca Damian. I think this movie, which is extremely exciting and which explains some things quite clearly, has a chance for Westerners, who I really don’t think they knew and I don’t think they care very much about what is happening to us.” – Irina Nistor, dw.com
TRIVIA:
- Anca Miruna Lăzărescu often reconstructs moments from the communist period because, she says, “it’s a period – especially the 1980s, when I grew up, and after the fall of communism in 1990 I left. All the years that followed afterwards I didn’t live as intensely in Romania, more as a tourist; my visits were occasional. I couldn’t allow myself as a filmmaker – at least at this point in time – to talk about Romania today. It would seem unfair and I think there are much stronger voices in Romanian cinema. And on the other hand, I find that it is a past that influences us even today and it is extremely important to understand what happened back then. If we don’t understand what our people went through and why the current situation has come about, we won’t have any answers for the future.” – filmsinframe.com
- The director began her film studies in Germany in 2000, where she worked on several short films and documentaries. She later spent time studying in Los Angeles, where she assisted on several episodes of the comedy series “Scrubs” and worked for CNN Entertainment.
- “Silent River” is her graduation film from the University of Television and Film in Munich.
- Having a background in documentary, the authenticity of all elements of cinematography is very important to the director.
LINES:
“You mean no?”
“Yes.”
“What do you mean yes?”
“Yes, I mean no.” – Gregor (Toma Cuzin) and Vali (Andi Vasluianu)
“Hey, want a cigarette? Come on, take two. – Vali (Andi Vasluianu)
“God take care of you, because I won’t!” – Gregor (Toma Cuzin)
ARTICLES:
- “Silent River” by Anca Miruna Lăzărescu – the most awarded Romanian short film – liternet.ro
- Romanian short film “Silent River” has won 75 national and international awards – adevărul.ro
- Anca Miruna Lăzărescu on her feature debut – “On the road with Dad” – filmsinframe.com
- The Silence of the Waters – eefb.org
- Irina Nistor: “The short film ‘Silent River’ has a chance at the Berlinale – dw.com
