A fost sau n-a fost? (2006)

Director:

Corneliu Porumboiu

Writer:

Corneliu Porumboiu (writer)

Release Date:

29 September 2006 (Romania)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Plot:

It's the 22nd of December. Sixteen years have passed since the revolution, and in a small town Christmas is about to come...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | Debt | Teacher | Thief | Telephone Call

Awards:

9 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Mircea Andreescu	...	Emanoil Piscoci
Teodor Corban	...	Virgil Jderescu
Ion Sapdaru	...	Tiberiu Manescu
Mirela Cioaba	...	Doamna Manescu
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Doamna Jderescu
Cristina Ciofu	...	Vali
Lucian Iftime	...	Lica
Annemarie Chertic	...	Vera
Petrica Sapdaru	...	Petrica
Catalin Paraschiv	...	Barman
George Guoqingyun	...	Chen
Constantin Dita	...	Tibi
Daniel Badale	...	Professor
Marius Rogojinski	...	Vecin (as Marius Rogojinschi)
Aurelia Tocu	...	Maricicia Dima (voice)
Ion Apostoliu	...	Vasile Rebegea (voice)
Ion Ciolacu	...	Ion Costachescu (voice)
Lucian Pinzaru	...	Costica Bejan (voice)
Corneliu Negrea	...	Gelu Isarescu (voice)
Coca Bloos	...	Tina (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cautea Alexandru	...	Grupul Rotaria
Diaconu Victor Alexandru	...	Grupul Rotaria
Danaila Andrei	...	Grupul Rotaria
Mihai Basescu	...	Grupul Rotaria
Avasiloae Marian Catalin	...	Grupul Rotaria
Birzoi Marian Ciprian	...	Grupul Rotaria
Fartanescu Silviu Costel	...	Grupul Rotaria
Popa Daniel	...	Grupul Rotaria
Suru Iulian	...	Grupul Rotaria
Trufia Carmen Lenuja	...	Grupul Rotaria
Vatamanu Remus	...	Grupul Rotaria
Cristea George Robert	...	Grupul Rotaria
Marius Rogojinschi	...	Vecin
Talmaciu Romeo	...	Grupul Rotaria
Talmaciu Andra Roxana	...	Grupul Rotaria
Leonte Sergiu	...	Grupul Rotaria
Danaila Tudor	...	Grupul Rotaria
Dula Valentin	...	Grupul Rotaria
Dula Ciprian Vladut	...	Grupul Rotaria

Directed by
Corneliu Porumboiu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Corneliu Porumboiu		writer

Produced by
Daniel Burlac	....	executive producer
Corneliu Porumboiu	....	producer

Original Music by
Rotaria

Cinematography by
Marius Panduru

Film Editing by
Roxana Szel

Production Design by
Daniel Raduta

Costume Design by
Monica Raduta

Makeup Department
Cristina Ilie	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mihai Sofronea	....	first assistant director
Alexandru Vitzentzatos	....	assistant director

Art Department
Alin Iacovle	....	props
Luca Ionut	....	props

Sound Department
Mirel Cristea	....	assistant sound
Alex Dragomir	....	sound engineer
Sebastien Zsemlye	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Mihai Reti	....	special effects (as Reti Mihai)
Florin Stoian	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Pompiliu Avram	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Nicolae Bunea	....	camera loader (as Nicu Bunea)
Dinu Constantin	....	gaffer (as Constantin Dinu)
George Dascalescu	....	camera operator
Marin Gheorghe	....	focus puller: "a" camera
Cristi Grosu	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera (as Cristian Grosu)
Cristi Grosu	....	focus puller: "b" camera (as Cristian Grosu)
Cristian Iacob	....	electrician
Ion Nica	....	gaffer
Tica Terenche	....	video assist operator

Editorial Department
Elena Bodrug	....	conforming editor
Dana Cioplea	....	negative cutter
Flori Stoica	....	negative cutter
Marcela Ursu	....	post-production coordinator

Transportation Department
Mihai Tirziman	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Lili Gavrilescu	....	script supervisor
Cezar Helmis	....	production coordinator
Adrian Popescu	....	set operator
Oltei Rodica	....	production accountant
Marcela Ursu	....	location manager

Production Companies

• 42 Km Film

Distributors

• Artroumain (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Bac Films (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Independenta Film (2006) (Romania) (theatrical)
• Mars Production (2007) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Zeta Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Discovery Film & Video Distribution (2008) (Croatia) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2008) (Spain) (DVD)
• Gaia Films (2006) (Spain) (all media)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Palisades Tartan (2006) (USA) (all media)
• Video Film Express (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Vivarto (2007) (Poland) (all media)

Other Companies

• Axel Film  electric equipment
• Castel Film Romania  filming equipment (as Castel Film)
• Exit Films  casting
• Filmex  filming equipment
• Karpatic  casting
• Racova  catering
• Raza Studio  sound post-production
• Videolink  filming equipment
• Videorgy  video post-production

Also Known As:

12:08 East of Bucharest (Canada: English title) (festival title) (USA)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Romania

Language:

Romanian

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | USA:Unrated | South Korea:12 | Peru:PT

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

42 Km Film

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Best of 2007" (2007)

If you know anything about Romania, you will enjoy this film

The viewer needs to understand that this is a Romanian film for Romanians. You'll catch all the inside jokes of the film if you've been there. The point of the film is that indeed the revolution was different for everyone . Even in late 1990 when I was there, the people were still scared of the Securitate, or secret police. Even during the one year anniversary of the revolution, it took courage to go and march, much less right after Ceausescu fled. The emphasis on 12;08, the reaction of the students when the teacher asked why they were so interested in the French Revolution, the interviewers emphasis on the time of the protests, and the accusatory views of the callers on the TV program, let alone the long shots of the bare dilapidated concrete buildings, all lend to the whole idea of the plot. Not only does one ask did the revolution occur in this one town, but did it occur at all? After all, Ceausescu's right hand people took over after he was gone. The people themselves ask if anything has changed.

The film can seem long and tedious to some viewers, but if you've lived in Romania, you get it.