THE DEATH OF MISTER LAZARESCU

Synopsis

Dante Lazerescu (Ion Fiscuteanu) feels unwell and calls for an ambulance. As he waits for it to arrive, his neighbors try to help him and then the paramedic (Luminta Gheorghiu) and her driver begin an exhausting night of trying to find a hospital that can operate on him. This is not a happy subject, nor perhaps an ideal choice for the unadventurous in terms of film language, but Puiu here delivers an extraordinary example of cinematic naturalism, pared down to the barest essentials to trace powerfully Lazarescu's dehumanizing journey to his end. It screened at Cannes this year in "Un Certain Regard", was described by <I>Variety</I>magazine as "unexpectedly mesmerizing" and has some wonderfully sardonic running jokes - definitely a film for those seeking something different and challenging.

Genre

Cast & Credits

• Scriptwriter:  Cristi Puiu, Razvan Radulescu
• Cinematographer:  Oleg Mutu
• Cast (in alphabetical order):  Doru Boguta, Ion Fiscuteanu, Luminta Gheorghiu