As a cinephile, I feel that I owe a lot to one particular film festival: Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). TIFF is the first international film festival from Romania, and definitely the most important

—————————————————————-

From 432 movie theaters in 1997 to 75 in 2008 – one might think these are the darkest times for Romanian cinephiles. With no substantial help from the state and with more and more multiplex theaters, independent movie theaters are, indeed, on the verge of extinction.

Despite all this, I choose to adopt the glass half-full perspective. With each year, more and more film festivals are being organized, and more or less obscure films are being screened in unusual places.

As a cinephile, I feel that I owe a lot to one particular film festival: Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF). TIFF is the first international film festival from Romania, and definitely the most important; since its first edition in 2002, it has grown incredibly much. TIFF basically means ten days of films from all over the world, films brought directly from Cannes (Von Trier’s Antichrist, for example), movie theaters packed with viewers, around 200 volunteers, international guests (Julie Delpy, Vanessa Redgrave, Catherine Deneuve – just to name a few). Most importantly, TIFF has proven to be a great framework for the promotion of new Romanian cinema. It’s this festival that has introduced me to the work of Cristian Mungiu and to that of Corneliu Porumboiu.

Other important film festivals are Anonimul International Independent Film Festival (6 editions), Bucharest International Film Festival (5 editions), Anim’est International Animated Film Festival (4 editions), and Next International Short & Medium Length Film Festival (3 editions). Moreover, this year alone has welcomed four new international film festivals: KINOdiseea International Film Festival for Children, Iaşi International Film Festival (IIFF), Romanian International Film Festival (Ro-IFF) and Comedy Cluj International Film Festival.

Needless to say, film festivals are a cinephile’s playground. There’s something exhilarating about being in a movie theater full of people during a film festival. At the same time, after such a festival is over, I enjoy the familiarity and the almost intimate feeling of being in a movie theater with only five to ten people, as often is the case. Personally, I’m not a stickler for the classic definition of cinephilia, i.e. “avid moviegoing”. Although nothing compares to watching a film in dark theater, I mostly watch films at home. I like being alone with a film, away from any type of distractions (popcorn bags, impatient moviegoers – “Is it over yet?” etc.); and I certainly enjoy the possibility of replaying certain scenes that caught my attention. Besides, most of the films I watch are in a digital format (received from friends or borrowed from the French médiathèque, or even downloaded – because it’s the Wild West out there, right?).

I strongly believe that cinephilia supposes a lot of individual research. While recommendations from friends play an important role, I’ll have to say that the Internet is the best tool for discovering great films, no matter how alienating that might sound. As for magazines, I stopped relying on them for information about cinema a long time ago. Film magazines in Romania have come and gone. The only magazine that has been a constant in the Romanian print market is Cinemagia, which has also managed to build a strong online community around it. And, of course, there used to be Republik, my favorite music / film magazine. Unfortunately, the major editorial changes at Republik resulted in less space for film reviews, and also in poor writing. I find it more efficient to follow the reviews of a number of well-known film critics (Alex Leo Şerban, Iulia Blaga, Andrei Gorzo, Lucian Maier etc.), that they write for different cultural publications than to read a film magazine. Luckily, I can always count on finding the latest issue of Cahiers du Cinéma at the previously mentioned French médiathèque. Plus, there are always the online editions of international film magazines for well written reviews, and IMDB.com for news as well as for complete filmography lists.

I’m lucky to live in the town that hosts TIFF, and I’m also lucky to be surrounded by people who share my love for films. Nevertheless, there are those rare occasions on which someone will tell me they don’t care about cinema, which is when I like to remind myself the quote that opens Godard’s Le Mépris: “The cinema substitutes for our gaze a world that corresponds to our desires.” It’s why I love cinema, it’s why I need cinema.

Tags: Cinephilia in Romania, November Issue no-7, Romanian Cinema, Transilvania

Posted By Anamaria Dobinciuc | Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 | Filed under Cover Story, Film Festivals, World Cinema