After a successful virtual edition in 2020, the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle brings you Back to Wonderland, this time with exclusives of new film productions from Romania and Europe that showcase the creative spirit and resilience of young and established directors alike.

Dim the lights and get comfortable with your loved ones at home for this two-week feast of films!

(Marian Crișan, Romania, 2020, 93 min)

The Campaign follows the mishaps of Ion Sapdaru, a Romanian politician running for the European Parliament in the hope that, once elected, he can be granted immunity to the corruption charges that bedevil him.

A Zoom Q&A with director Marian Crișan will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 11am PT.

(Radu Muntean, Romania, 2021, 104 min)

In Radu Muntean’s latest feature film, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Întregalde.

A Zoom Q&A with director Radu Muntean will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 15 at 9am PT.

(Bogdan Theodor Olteanu, Romania, 2020, 82 min)

Mia, a young actress, finds herself back at her parent’s home after having been slapped by her boyfriend. She struggles with her feelings about and trauma from the event, processing with the help of friends and family… while also developing a plan for revenge.

A Zoom Q&A with director Bogdan Theodor Olteanu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 18 at 11am PT.

(Andrei Gruzsniczki, Romania, 2021, 99 min)

Emil, a nonbeliever, is challenged by the faith of his best friend Titi, who has a strange confession: the spirit of Emil’s late wife has moved in with Titi and haunts him. A delicate, impeccably acted, honest glimpse into the lives of the elderly.

A Zoom Q&A with director Andrei Gruzsniczki will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 18 at 9am PT.

(Eugen Jebeleanu, Romania, 2020, 81 min)

Poppy Fields follows the life of Cristi, a gendarme trying to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho, hierarchical workplace and increasingly religious society.

A Zoom Q&A with director Eugen Jebeleanu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 12:30pm PT.

(Ivan Ostrochovský, Slovakia, Romania, Ireland & Czech Republic, 2020, 80 min)

This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the torturous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia.

A Zoom Q&A with actor Vlad Ivanov and director Ivan Ostrochovský will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 10am PT.

(Bogdan George Apetri, Romania & Czech Republic, 2020, 123 min)

Detective Florin Iespas, despite facing his own personal issues, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case.

A Zoom Q&A with director Bogdan George Apetri and actor Bogdan Farcaș will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 10am PT.

(Ioana Mischie, 2021, Romania, 60 min)

In Ioana Mischie’s creative documentary, actress Ioana Flora gives voice to several Romanian women who have suffered abuse and trauma.

Join us for Romanian Women in Film, a Zoom discussion between actress Ioana Flora and directors Ioana Mischie (Fragile), Oana Tenter (The Pastor’s Women) and Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies). The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 12:30pm PT.

• I Am Dorin
  (Valeriu Andriuță, Romania & Moldova, 2020, 23 min)
  The night before the final exam in Dorin’s bachelor’s program is restless, filled with furious internal negotiations, preoccupation, and lost sleep. And it’s no wonder: he’s assuming someone else’s identity to take the test.
• Salix Caprea
  (Valeriu Andriuță, Romania & Moldova, 2018, 30 min)
  Returning to a grove of Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow”) that they planted in a small Moldovan village, Americans find their lush meadow of willows chewed bare by the trees’ namesake: goats.
• Chers Amis
  (Valeriu Andriuță, Romania & Moldova, 2017, 20 min)
  At a Moldovan school council meeting, staff discuss how to prepare for the winter and make ends meet despite being underfunded. A student waits outside as the assembly also discusses the “verdict” for his misbehavior.

Still image from Valeriu Andriuță’s Salix Caprea, 2018.

A Zoom Q&A with director Valeriu Andriuță will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 16 at 9am PT.

• Cradle
  (Paul Mureșan, Romania, 2020, 4 min)
  The young director Paul Mureșan’s heart-rending short animation reveals the damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed.
• 31 Hours
  (Claudiu Mitcu, Romania, 2021, 21 min)
  This powerful short about a surgeon overworked to the point of exhaustion scrutinizes the corrupt Romanian healthcare system’s hallmarks: payoffs, threats, and tragedy.
• No Singing After 8
  (Alex Pintică, Romania, 2021, 20 min)
  In this delightful short musical, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives, so they invite another attractive couple over for dinner.

Still image from Paul Mureșan’s Cradle, 2020.

A Zoom Q&A with director Claudiu Mitcu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 12:30pm PT, and will be held in Romanian.

(Radu Jude, Romania, 2017, 83 min)

Using excerpts of Jewish doctor Emil Dorian’s diary written during the war, The Dead Nation highlights the Jewish experience of WWII against their portrayal in the political propaganda of the war’s perpetrators.

Join us for Romanian Jewish History and Collective Memory in Romanian Film, a Zoom discussion between director Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The panel will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 17 at 9am PT.

(Adrian Cioflâncă & Radu Jude, Romania, 2020, 175 min)

In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film, he explores the history of the Iași pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iași Jewish community.

Join us for Romanian Jewish History and Collective Memory in Romanian Film, a Zoom discussion between director Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies) and historians Cristina A. Bejan and Adrian Cioflâncă. The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 17 at 9am PT.

(Andrei Dăscălescu, 2020, Romania, 85 min)

As they prepare to become parents, Andrei and his girlfriend are both looking for role models they never had in their own lives.

A Zoom Q&A with director Andrei Dăscălescu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 14 at 12:30pm PT.

(Claudiu Mitcu, Romania, 2021, 88 min)

Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old, members of the rock band Blană Bombă, for an entire year.

A Zoom Q&A with director Claudiu Mitcu will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 20 at 12:30pm PT, and will be held in Romanian.

(Oana Tenter, Romania, 2019, 27 min)

This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her family and to improve her Roma community.

Join us for Romanian Women in Film, a Zoom discussion between actress Ioana Flora and directors Ioana Mischie (Fragile), Oana Tenter (The Pastor’s Women) and Oana Giurgiu (Occasional Spies). The panel will will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 13 at 12:30pm PT.

(Teodora Ana Mihai, Belgium & Romania, 2014, 88 min)

While their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide for their family, Georgiana assumed her mother’s role to her six siblings, making her the head of her household at age 15.

(Dan Dinu & Cosmin Dumitrache, Romania, 2021, 123 min)

This exquisitely filmed, award-winning documentary, made over the course of a decade, shares the abundant beauty of Romania’s natural diversity both above and below water; in forests and wetlands, through the seasons, by day and by night.

A Zoom Q&A with directors Dan Dinu and Cosmin Dumitrache will air on the ARCS Facebook page. In their confirmation email, ticket purchasers will receive a link to join the Zoom if they are interested in participating. The Q&A takes place Nov. 19 at 9am PT.

The American Romanian Cultural Society (ARCS) is a nonprofit association striving to promote a better understanding of the rich culture of Central and Eastern Europe, with an emphasis on Romania and the American Romanian cultural heritage in the Seattle area. Our signature event is the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle – ordinarily hosted at SIFF Cinema Uptown – every year in November, since 2014.