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Product Description
12:08pm on the 22 December 1989 was the exact time of Ceausescu's fall from power in Romania. Sixteen years on, a provincial TV talk show decides to commemorate the event by asking local heroes to reminisce about their own contributions to the revolution. But securing suitable guests proves an unexpected challenge and the producer is left with two less than ideal participants - a drink addled history teacher and a retired and lonely sometime-Santa Claus grateful for the company. In the farcical show that follows, the men's fanciful boasts of rebellious glory are hilariously disputed by phone-ins from viewers who recall an altogether different version of events. With entertainingly wry humour, Corneliu Promboiu's debut feature sharply satirises the short memories and inconsistencies of postrevolutionary Romania.
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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: Romanian ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN, SPECIAL FEATURES: Biographies, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: At the beginning of "The 18th Brumaire of Louis Napoleon," Karl Marx famously observes that history repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce. He forgot to add that the commemoration of history can raise farce to a whole new level of absurdity. This, at any rate, is among the insights offered by the Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu's acutely funny first feature, "12:08 East of Bucharest." "Was there, or was there not, a revolution in our town?" This question (summed up in the movie's Romanian title, "A Fost sau n-a fost?") is asked by Mr. Jderescu (Teo Corban), a television talk-show host who has hastily assembled a panel of nobodies to look back, 16 years later, at the events of Dec. 22, 1989. Their town, Vaslui, where Mr. Porumboiu grew up, is depicted, not without affection, as a drab, rundown place where it is hard to imagine very much happening at all. Mr. Porumboiu's film is, at first glance, as rumpled and unassuming as its weary, fatalistic inhabitants. Though it is modest, almost anecdotal, in scale, "12:08 East of Bucharest" is also characterized by a precise and sneaky formal wit. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Cannes Film Festival, European Film Awards, ...12:08 East of Bucharest ( A fost sau n-a fost? )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The original title of this film can be translated as Was There or Wasn't There? which is the name of the fictional TV programme in the film. Even today Romanians puzzle over this question. Was there or wasn't there a revolution in 1989, Romania? And you watch this film and you keep waiting for an answer, and waiting...and then you realise what matters is that the real/fake revolution got the ball rolling. People can now freely ask: was there or wasn't there a revolution?
12:08 East Of Bucharest is a delight to watch. Finely scripted, the dialogue is never anything less than sharp, to the point and amusing. As a viewer, I found myself going along with the three main characters (the sad old man desperate to be heard, the TV host lost in a meaningless world, the professor drowning his regrets) and feeling like they're people I've met somewhere along the way, people I could relate to. So incredible is the acting (as pointed out, by respected reviewers, the timing of the actors is immaculate) I never once doubted the scenes that I was presented with or the ideas. And what better compliment is there than that? Don't let the title put you off. Don't let the lack of publicity put you off. If you're a fan of European cinema, great cinema or original comedy you must watch 12:08 East Of Bucharest.
Bogdan Tiganov - author of The Wooden Tongue Speaks- Romanians: Contradictions & Realities
12:08 East Of Bucharest is a delight to watch. Finely scripted, the dialogue is never anything less than sharp, to the point and amusing. As a viewer, I found myself going along with the three main characters (the sad old man desperate to be heard, the TV host lost in a meaningless world, the professor drowning his regrets) and feeling like they're people I've met somewhere along the way, people I could relate to. So incredible is the acting (as pointed out, by respected reviewers, the timing of the actors is immaculate) I never once doubted the scenes that I was presented with or the ideas. And what better compliment is there than that? Don't let the title put you off. Don't let the lack of publicity put you off. If you're a fan of European cinema, great cinema or original comedy you must watch 12:08 East Of Bucharest.
Bogdan Tiganov - author of The Wooden Tongue Speaks- Romanians: Contradictions & Realities
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
There's a quality about this film that stays with you long after it's seen; the kind of film you find yourself saying, "Do you remember that bit when....?" The characters are well drawn, well acted and have a certain charm. The plot (such that it is) revolves around a TV interview with two guests who purport to have been present at the start of the revolution but their testimonies start to unravel (or do they?) as people phone in and ask difficult questions.
A subtlety and gentle humour runs through this short(ish) film that is utterly captivating. It could only have been made in Europe! Be aware that there are subtitles but these don't get in the way at all.
A subtlety and gentle humour runs through this short(ish) film that is utterly captivating. It could only have been made in Europe! Be aware that there are subtitles but these don't get in the way at all.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Poignant and very funny
A delightful blend of sadness and humour. The characters have depth, the dialogue is intelligent and funny. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. P. I. Browne
Roumanian Comedy
This movie is shot fairly traditionally and the main interest is in the scenario and dialogue. The plot is fairly simple, with a televised debate on the last day of the Caucescu... Read more
Published on 15 Oct 2009 by Un francais en angleterre
I agree - a delightful film!
I found this film wry, subtle, clever and warmly funny. The only fault I had with it is that it is far too short. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2008 by Juno
Like watching paint dry
I found this low budget Romanian film to be particuarly tedious and totally unfunny.The bulk of this rather short film is situated in a small town TV studio where several... Read more
Published on 16 Jun 2008 by L. Davidson
the Revolution that wasn't
It is 16 years after the Rounanian revolution. In a small town east of Bucharest a down at heel television company decides to mount a programme recalling the revolution in their... Read more
Published on 20 Mar 2008 by P. C. Reynell
A moderate film
16 years have passed from the 1989 Revolution that took place in Romania. The fall of the Causesku regime have long been forgotten. Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2008 by Ogun Eratalay
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