At the NY Romanian Film Festival the opening night film was "The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu". 3 hrs. All archive footage, without narrator, that was shot to serve as propaganda for the government, if it can be called that.. Riveting. Intelligent: so well constructed. Long, it felt like we had to suffer for the long years of his dictatorship.
Most heart wrenching moment: an old committee member - he must have learned he was suffering from a terminal disease which freed him of any desire to stay alive - challenges Ceausescu's changes to the Romanian constitution. The hundreds of members of the Congress are dumb with stupefaction for a short moment. Suspense. An opportunity for the whole Congress to rise and oppose Ceausescu. Sheep, they choose safety: they start heckling and booing the heroic old man.
Most delightful moment: the government's glitterati dancing in the huge palace dancehall to Sonny Curtis "I fought the law and the law won".
Interesting to see the quality of the images evolving, from a pristine black and white film to muddier color film to even muddier first video images. The government was documenting all events with a huge amount of media coverage.
Some of our Romanian friends expressed after the screening that they were surprised to discover Ceaucescu had a sense of humour, through some of the private scenes in the film.
Sad that his trial was as much as monkey trial as any in the Eastern block.
No conclusion. One more conclusionless entry.
Here's the link to the Romanian Film Festival: check it out if you're not - and all the more if you are - familiar with the Romanian Cinema New Wave.
www.icrny.org
Contributed by - - Arabella Hutter
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