Nunta muta (2008)

In a small isolated village, in 1953, a wedding is interrupted by the news about the death of Stalin. Because any public celebration is forbidden, they decide to turn the happy event into a silent wedding.

Director:

Horatiu Malaele

Writers:

Adrian Lustig, Horatiu Malaele

Stars:

Meda Andreea Victor, Alexandru Potocean, Valentin Teodosiu

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meda Andreea Victor	...	Mara
Alexandru Potocean	...	Iancu
Valentin Teodosiu	...	Grigore Aschie
Alexandru Bindea	...	Gogonea
Ioana Anastasia Anton	...	Smaranda
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Fira
Dan Condurache	...	Mardare
Serban Pavlu	...	Coriolan
Victor Rebengiuc	...	Grandpa
Tamara Buciuceanu-Botez	...	Grandma
Tudorel Filimon	...	Haralambie
George Ivascu	...	Communist Agitator
George Mihaita	...	Gogonea Jr.
Doru Ana	...	Cârnu
Mihai Constantin	...	Godfather

Storyline

The enigmatic mayor of a deserted village somewhere in Romania commissions a small film crew specialised in unexplained paranormal phenomena to make a brief documentary on his village, just before the upcoming elections. Pretty soon, their hopes will be fulfilled, as the crew witness strange sightings of women dressed in black lurking in the ruins, and eerie apparitions of a creepy woman in white that send shivers down the spine. What grievous event deserted this once-peaceful and colourful village; moreover, did it have something to do with Stalin's death? But, above all, is the mayor hiding something?

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Plot Keywords:

wedding | village | rural setting | sex | paranormal phenomena | 

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Taglines:

Si Întunericul A Venit De La Rasarit... (And Darkness Came From The East...)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [France] Castel Film [Romania]

Country:

Romania Luxembourg France

Language:

Romanian

Release Date:

21 November 2008 (Romania)

Also Known As:

Silent Wedding

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Budget:

€1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Castel Film Studio, Agat Films & Cie, Samsa Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At about 1:19, the following is written: "Sa Întâmplat În România În Anului 1953." It literally means: "It Happened In Romania Of 1953."

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Quotes

Paranormal Reporter: Ladies and gentlemen. As usual, we find ourselves in a strange place. There was a village here before it was swept off by the communists. This factory was built in its place. But it's not the factory that interests us. We want to uncover the story behind the disappearance of this village.

User Reviews

One of the best movies I have ever seen

This is maybe the best movie I have seen. It made me get an IMDb account to rate it 10 stars. I don't care about technical judgments about this movie. It's a Romanian emotional roller-coaster which pictures our recent history in a tragical and comical frame. It's one of the few movies I have ever watched at the cinema where at the end of which lots of people applauded. Romanians are recognizing themselves in the story and they find coherence in their identity and this makes the movie a masterpiece and a great service to the people of this country.

One more thing that I appreciate in this movie is a reparation done within the history of the subjective experience. People from the village were at best ignoring communists and poking fun of them if they were not hating them. Nobody was happy to give away their land and village men knew what communism can bring, since they saw it with their own eyes when they fought on the Eastern front.

Most people hated communism and they tried to live a normal life in silence, just like it happens in the movie. Humor was maybe the best survival resource.

I live in Romania and I know from personal experience and thorough study what Russians did bring under the name of communism. I don't try to convince anyone that the so called communism was criminal and implemented locally with the help of the weakest links (like in the movie), low educated people with low morals, since there is enough literature today for anyone that has any doubt. Of course, as somebody mentions here, Romanians too did their horrible crimes on the Eastern front, but this does not mean that what the people like the ones in the movie endured, did any kind of humane justice. The people that fought on the Eastern front are a good source, since they were regular soldiers, not vicious criminals and even if they were vicious criminals, they could anyway still have seen the "benefits" that "communism" has brought to Russia.

I understand why some people consider it propagandistic, but in my view this is a good artistical work upon the subjective experience and life of ordinary Romanians in 1953.