12:08 East of Bucharest

Since the fall of the Ceausescu regime, filmmakers have taken the role as cultural critics to view the recent past with new eyes and ears. The majority in their 20s and 30s, these directors have been hailed as “A New Wave” by Western critics. This series of contemporary Romanian cinema asks the audience whether one can see these films as a collective, uniform movement. An undisputed theme running through these films is that most draw their inspiration from the Communist regime that dominated Romania from 1967-1989, a time frame that spans most of their childhoods. Films such as 12:08 East of Bucharest and The Death of Mr. Lazarescu explore the absurdity of the government system and the ways citizens were forced to work around the rules to survive. Many of the films employ humor and other mechanisms for adapting to an increasingly dark and oppressive culture. This film series has been organized by Tamara Falicov, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at KU. It is presented in conjunction with visiting Romanian artist Dan Perjovschi's installation in the Spencer Museum of Art's Central Court. "12:08 East of Bucharest" Introduction by Professor Tamara Falicov. It's the 22nd of December. Sixteen years have passed since the revolution, and in a small town Christmas is about to come. Piscoci, an old retired man is preparing for another Christmas alone. Manescu, the history teacher, tries to keep up with his debts. Jderescu, the owner of a local television post, seems not to be so interested in the upcoming holidays. For him, the time to face history has come. Along with Manescu and Piscoci, he is trying to answer for himself a question which for 16 years has not had an answer: "Was it or wasn't it a revolution in their town?" (89 minutes).