Cristian Mungiu's film "Beyond the Hills" awarded twice at Cannes international movie festival

2012-05-28 12:01:30

The 65th edition of Cannes International movie festival that awarded last night its winners conveyed  joy towards Romanian public by the two prizes won by Cristian Mungiu’s film (photo), “Beyond the Hills”, the best screenplay and the best actress in leading role, awarded to Cosmina Stratan  and Cristina Flutur. The great prize, Palme d'Or, went to “Amour”, directed by Michael Haneke, the same director which on the Cannes trophy for “White ribbon”, three years ago.  The prizes won by Cristian Mungiu's film "Beyond the Hills" at the Cannes film festival Sunday are "a confirmation" for the Romanian cinema and actors, two figures of the Romanian new wave told AFP. "These prizes confirm the quality of Cristian Mungiu as a director", Corneliu Porumboiu, one of the most famous Romanian directors told AFP in Bucharest.
"The film is a good portrait of contemporary Romania", he added.
Mungiu had won the Palme d'Or in Cannes in 2007 for the chilling abortion drama "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days". This year, he scooped the prize for best screenplay while his two main actresses shared the best actress prize.
Romanian writer and former BBC journalist, Tatiana Niculescu-Bran whose books inspired Mungiu's screenplay, told AFP she was "impressed and happy", that a film that kept the spirit of her investigation on a deadly exorcim case "got prizes in Cannes".
"Beyond the Hills" is based on a true story that unleashed a media frenzy in 2005 when a young woman, Irina Cornici, died after an exorcism session to rid her of supposed demons in the remote Tanacu monastery of eastern Romania. But the film follows first and foremost the tragic fate of two girls who grew up in the notorious orphanages set up by Romanian dictator Ceausescu.