Aurora ( Romania, France, Switzerland, Germany, 2010). Directed by Cristi Puiu. Synopsis: An apartment kitchen: a man and a woman discuss Little Red Riding Hood, their voices hushed, mindful of waking the little girl sleeping in the next room. / A wasteland on the city's outskirts: behind a line of abandoned trailers, the man silently watches what seems to be a family. / The same city, the same man: driving through traffic with two hand-made firing pins for a hunting rifle. / The man is 42 years old, his name - Viorel. Troubled by obscure thoughts, he drives across the city to a destination known only to him. Screenings schedule. English and Hebrew subtitles.
26/9/10 09:00 Rapaport Hall (142 Hanassi Ave.) 30/9/10 14:15 Cinematheq (142 Hanassi Ave.) http://www.haifaff.co.il/Movie%20Info.php?id=2151, trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8VNGkuKzx8
"There is no such thing as a murderer, only people who kill." With these words director Cristi Puiu qualifies his careful study of contemporary Romanian society and of fatal acts such as murder. [...] The director doesn't psychologize his characters or indicate where they are heading, while his intentionally staid narrative contributes to the overall suspense and lack of certainty. Although Viorel's behavior doesn't make him stand out, he gives the impression of having been long divorced from reality. Or is it the whole of society that's become detached from reality? - Karlovy Vary IFF
Winner, East of the West award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 2010. Presented at Cannes Festival 2010, Un certain regard section.
Medal of Honour (Romania, Germany, 2010). Directed by Calin Peter Netzer. Synopsis: Ion is seventy-five years old. His relationship with his wife Nina is compromised by her silence and indifference and his son Cornel still bears him a grudge because many years ago he had denounced Cornel to the police to keep him from fleeing Communist Romania. One day, Ion receives a medal of honor from the Ministry of Defense for his heroic deeds during WWII. This seems to give his life some meaning once again and convinces him that he can win back the esteem of his family. Screenings schedule. English and Hebrew subtitles.
23/9/10 11:00 Kriger Hall (Elihayu Hakim St.) 25/9/10 09:30 Kriger Hall (Elihayu Hakim St.)
http://www.haifaff.co.il/Movie%20Info.php?id=2155, trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2K-pTnEJEM
Told with precision, irony and extraordinary performances, this immensely touching film encapsulating Romania's shift from Communism to Capitalism, centers on a 75-year-old man awarded a Medal of Honor for unspecified "heroic" actions during World War II.
Winner, Jury Award, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, FIPRESCI Award, Thessaloniki Film Festival, 2010.
