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The Romanian New Wave (Romanian: Noul val românesc) is a genre of realist and often minimalist films made in Romania since the mid-aughts, starting with two award-winning shorts by two Romanian directors, namely Cristi Puiu's Cigarettes and Coffee, which won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival, and Cătălin Mitulescu's Trafic, which won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival later that same year.

Themes

Aesthetically, Romanian New Wave films share an austere, realist and often minimalist approach. Furthermore, black humour tends to feature prominently. While several of them are set in the late 1980s, near the end of Nicolae Ceaușescu's totalitarian rule over communist Romania, exploring themes of freedom and resilience (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Paper Will Be Blue, The Way I Spent the End of the World, Tales from the Golden Age), others, however (The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu, California Dreamin', Tuesday, After Christmas), unfold in modern-day Romania, and delve into the ways the transition to democracy and free-market capitalism has shaped Romanian society after the fall of communism in late 1989.

Award-winning films and directors

Romanian New Wave films and directors have won a significant number of important international movie awards at prestigious FIAPF-accredited film festivals. Below are a few notable examples:

Director	Title	Year		Awards
Radu Mihăileanu	Train of Life Trenul vieţii	1998		Won the David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film at the 1998 David di Donatello Awards, and the Anicaflash Prize and the FIPRESCI Prize at 55th Venice International Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu	A Trip to the City Călătorie la oraș	2003		Won the Second Cinefondation Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu	Cigarettes and Coffee Un cartuș de Kent și un pachet de cafea	2004		Won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival
Cătălin Mitulescu	Trafic	2004		Won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu	The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu Moartea Domnului Lăzărescu	2005		Won the Un Certain Regard at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival The first feature film to bring the emerging movement into the international spotlight.
Cătălin Mitulescu	The Way I Spent the End of the World Cum mi-am petrecut sfârșitul lumii	2006		Won the Best Actress Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu	12:08 East of Bucharest A fost sau n-a fost?	2006		Won the Caméra d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu	4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days 4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile	2007		Won the Palme d'Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Nemescu	California Dreamin'	2007		Won the Un Certain Regard at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Adrian Sitaru	Hooked Pescuit sportiv	2008		Won in the New Voices/New Vision section at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival
Bogdan Mustață	A Good Day for a Swim O zi bună de plajă	2008		Won the Short Film Golden Bear at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival
Marian Crișan	Megatron	2008		Won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
Radu Jude	The Happiest Girl in the World Cea mai fericită fată din lume	2009		Won the CICAE Forum Award at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Mihăileanu	Le Concert Concertul	2009		Won the Southwest Audience Award for Best Narrative feature at the Nashville Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu	Police, Adjective Polițist, Adjectiv	2009		Won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival
Florin Șerban	If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle Eu când vreau să fluier, fluier	2010		Won the Jury Grand Prix Silver Bear at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival
Cristi Puiu	Aurora	2010		Won the East of the West Award at the 2010 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Marian Crișan	Morgen	2010		Won the Special Jury Prize at the 2010 Locarno International Film Festival
Bogdan George Apetri	Outbound Periferic	2010		Won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2010 Warsaw International Film Festival
Radu Muntean	Tuesday, After Christmas Marți, după Crăciun	2010		Won the Best Actress Award at the 2010 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Adrian Sitaru	Best Intentions Din dragoste cu cele mai bune intenții	2011		Won the Leopard for Best Direction at the 2011 Locarno International Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu	Beyond the Hills După dealuri	2012		Won the Golden Ástor at the 2012 Mar del Plata International Film Festival Won both the Best Screenplay and the Best Actress Award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
Călin Peter Netzer	Child's Pose Poziția copilului	2013		Won the Golden Bear at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival
Tudor Cristian Jurgiu	In the Fishbowl În acvariu	2013		Won the Third Cinefondation Award at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
Radu Jude	Aferim!	2015		Won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival
Corneliu Porumboiu	The Treasure Comoara	2015		Won the Un Certain Talent in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival
Florin Șerban	Box	2015		Won the FIPRESCI Award at the 2015 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Bogdan Mirică	Dogs Câini	2016		Won the FIPRESCI Award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Cristian Mungiu	Graduation Bacalaureat	2016		Won the Best Director Award at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Cristi Puiu	Sieranevada	2016		Won both the Gold Hugo and the Silver Hugo at the 2016 Chicago International Film Festival
Radu Jude	Scarred Hearts Inimi cicatrizate	2016		Won the Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Locarno International Film Festival Won the Best Director Award at the 2016 Mar del Plata International Film Festival
Constantin Popescu	Pororoca	2017		Won the Silver Seashell for Best Actor at the 2017 San Sebastián International Film Festival
Călin Peter Netzer	Ana, mon amour	2017		Won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival
Adina Pintilie	Touch Me Not Nu mă atinge-mă	2018		Won the Golden Bear at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Jude	I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians Îmi este indiferent dacă în istorie vom intra ca barbari	2018		Won the Crystal Globe at the 2018 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Cristi Puiu	Malmkrog	2020		Won the Best Director Award in the Encounters section at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival
Radu Jude	Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn Babardeală cu bucluc sau porno balamuc	2021		Won the Golden Bear at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival
Bogdan Mureșanu	The New Year That Never Came Anul Nou care n-a fost	2024		Won the Orizzonti Award at the 81st Venice International Film Festival

Legend:

Other notable works

References

1. "Berlin International Film Festival 2004 Awards". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
2. "Berlinale: Jahresarchive 2004: Preistraeger". Berlinale.de. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
3. "Cannes Film Festival 2004 Awards". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
4. "Festival de Cannes: Trafic". Festival-Cannes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.
5. "Festival de Cannes: Catalin Mitulescu". Festival-Cannes.com. Retrieved 2019-03-04.

Further reading

• Realism and ideology in post-2000 Romanian cinema, by Andrei Gorzo for the British Film Institute, June 6, 2016.
• Romania continues an unlikely cinematic domination at Cannes, with a pair of rival directors, by Steven Zeitchik for Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2016.
• 15 Essential Films for an Introduction to the Romanian New Wave, by Andrew Ricci for Taste of Cinema, October 11, 2014.
• Romania's overlooked New Wave, by Larry Rohter for The New York Times, December 18, 2013.
• The Romanian New Wave, in Bonjour Tristesse, November 1, 2010.
• Cannes 2010: Those Romanians are at it again, by Steven Zeitchik for Los Angeles Times, May 13, 2010.
• Romania's New Wave is riding high, by Ronald Bergman for The Guardian, March 26, 2008.
• On the New Romanian Cinema, by Marina Kaceanov for A Danish Journal of Film Studies No. 25, March 25, 2008.
• On The Romanian New Wave, by Ion Martea for Culture Wars, March 18, 2008.
• New Wave on the Black Sea, by A.O. Scott for The New York Times, January 20, 2008.
• Eastern Promise, in British Film Institute's Sight & Sound October 2007 issue.
• Romanian New Wave, International Spotlight "Romania at LAFF 2007", by Vera Mijojlic for Cinema Without Borders, June 18, 2007.

• Works about the Romanian revolution
• Cinema of Romania
• Movements in cinema
• New Wave in cinema
• 2000s in Romanian cinema