Coffee and Cigarettes de Cristi Puiu

No dia em que se anuncia o Indie Lisboa 2008, com destaque para o novo cinema romeno, aproveito para trazer uma curta-metragem de Cristi Puiu, "Coffee and Cigarettes".



"Coffee and Cigarettes" is a short film by young Romanian director Cristi Puiu. An old man meets his son at a fancy city café in what we assume is Bucharest. He is bringing coffee and cigarettes, a token for corruption. The difficulties of new times, leftovers from the old times.

I have seen the same disillusioned stare at Europe before, by Romanian cartoonists and other artists coming from old Eastern Bloc countries. There is a pervading feeling of disappointment; much was expected from the riches of the EU, from the eternal “Eldorado” of the West but, as re-unification happens, some groups remain critical of what they see as loss of identity, a price to pay for the facilitations of market economy. On the other side of the golden land of consumerism, work benefits disappear, culture is no longer subsidised, the welfare state is no longer viable while chronic problems, such as corruption – echoed in this short film – still thrive, as if nothing changed at all.

Another theme, more universal and less specific to Eastern bloc countries, is that of old age. Growing old today, whether in Romania or in any other part of the western world, is a hard and a lonely walk. I wonder what it will be like for us, generations of divorce, when our time comes and there is nobody to take care of, nobody to stay there the night, loneliness is only going to get worse.

I did enjoy the acting very much. Such a simple story, two people talking at a coffee table, and so much to take from what they say and the way they say it. A great short film, I cannot wait to see this Director's work in Lisboa next month.
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"Quando ao Novo Cinema Romeno, Miguel Valverde explicou que a opção surgiu por «este ser um fenómeno emergente na Roménia e ao nível internacional», nomeadamente com a recente conquista da Palma de Ouro no Festival de Cannes pelo filme 4 meses, 3 semanas e 2 dias, do realizador romeno Cristian Mungiu.

Na programação do festival estarão 28 filmes de cineastas romenos, nomeadamente, de Cristi Puiu, Cristian Mungiu, Corneliu Porumboiu, Tomas Ciulei, Cristian Nemescu, Hanno Hoffer, Adina Pintilie e Paul Negoescu." (do SOL)

E quanto a portugueses, estou curiosa com a curta de Rui Xavier, recentemente premiado em Berlim, com "Superfície". Outro destaque do Festival, "Terra Sonâmbula", de Teresa Prata, aqui muito bem revisto por Jugu Abraham.

O Indie no YouTube.