Archive of films Graduation / Bacalaureat

Romania / Belgium / France
2016, 127 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2016

As a doctor and citizen, Romeo enjoys the respect of the inhabitants of a small town in Transylvania. But his reputation begins to disintegrate when, in an effort to secure a better future for his talented daughter, he gets caught in a chain of quid pro quos and loses face with his family as well. Another film by Cristian Mungiu awarded at Cannes.

Synopsis

Romeo Aldea, a respected doctor living with his family in a small town in Transylvania, is doing all he can to ensure that his talented daughter gets to attend university in Britain. Before she goes Eliza just has to pass her final exams, which shouldn’t be a problem. But things take a turn for the worse when she is attacked on her way to school. While she isn’t badly hurt, her father, fearing she may not be able to send the exam results in time, takes certain measures to ensure she does, forgetting that he is violating the principles he instilled in his daughter. The director leaves aside the circumstances of the assault and the assailant; for him the chief character is Romeo, prepared to make the compromises he deplores in others, since he can’t bear the thought that Eliza might not get the chance for a better life. The sense of his own failure, which is meant to be offset by his daughter’s success, mirrors the situation in contemporary Romania. This modern morality play from one of Europe’s leading contemporary filmmakers was acknowledged by the Cannes jury, who honoured Mungiu with the Best Director Award.

Eva Zaoralová (2012)

About the director

Cristian Mungiu (b. 1968, Iaşi, Romania) studied English literature and film direction. Since finishing film studies, during which he gained experience as an assistant director on foreign shoots in Romania, he has presented his work at some of the world’s most prestigious festivals. His first feature West (2002) premiered at Cannes. In 2003 he founded the production company, Mobra Films. He contributed the episode “Turkey Girl” to the collection of film stories Lost and Found – Six Glances of a Generation (KVIFF 2005). After being awarded the Palme d’Or, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) also screened at Karlovy Vary. His two most recent films triumphed in competition at Cannes as well: In 2012 his Beyond the Hills (KVIFF 2012) won Best Screenplay and Best Actress for both leads, and this year the jury honoured Mungiu with the Best Director Award for Graduation.

Contacts

Aerofilms
Milady Horákové 383/79, 170 00, Praha 7
Czech Republic
Tel: +420 224 947 566
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.aerofilms.cz

Wild Bunch
65 rue de Dunkerque, 75009, Paris
France
Tel: +33 143 132 164
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.wildbunch.biz

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About the film

Color, DCP

Section:	Horizons

Director:	Cristian Mungiu
Screenplay:	Cristian Mungiu
Dir. of Photography:	Tudor Vladimir Panduru
Editor:	Mircea Olteanu
Art Director:	Simona Padureţu
Producer:	Cristian Mungiu
Production:	Mobra Films, Why Not Productions
Coproduction:	Les Film du Fleuve, France 3 Cinéma
Cast:	Adrian Titieni, Maria Drăguş, Lia Bugnar, Mălina Manovici, Vlad Ivanov
Sales:	Wild Bunch
Distributor:	Aerofilms

Guests

Ivo Andrle

Distributor