Romania | 1981 | col | 99min | cert 15 | dir. Tudor Marascu | cast: Marian Culineac, Tora Vasilescu, Nicolae Praida, Ion Anestin, Constantin Brinzea, Radu Panamarenco, Mihai Stan In Romanian with English subtitles.
Invingatorul (The Fighter) won Targa D'argento award at the International Film Festival in Avellino, Italy, 1982 and is considered a veritable precursor of the Romanian New Wave of cinema.
The film is a drama describing the spectacular career of a boxer living at a crossroad moment. After a series of successes in the ring, the main character Cristea traverses a tough period: his relations with his wife and her family deteriorate, since they brutally disregard his concern for sports. Gradually, Cristea goes low down. He no longer copes with either his job as a mechanic or his boxing. The only one still pinning hopes on him is his son, for the sake of whom Cristea makes a last attempt to straighten out, if not as a sportsman, at least as a professional, as a moral being, therefore he tries to be again a man useful to his family and to society.
Tudor Marascu (b. 1940) is a Romanian award-winning theatre and film director. Selected filmography: Buna seara Irina (1980), Invingatorul (1981), Singur de cart (1983), Increderea (1984), Miracolul (1988), Conu Leonida fata cu reactiunea (2001).
Romanian Cinematheque is a partnership with the National Centre for Cinematography in Romania (CNC)
When: Thursday 11 November, 7pm; Where: Romanian Cultural Institute London. Free entrance. To attend please email office@icr-london.co.uk or call 0207 752 0134. Early booking recommended.
