Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Cecilia Ștefănescu, Tudor Giurgiu
Fotografia / Photography: Alex Sterian
Montaggio / Editing: Réka Lemhényi
Suono / Sound: Andre Rigaut, Tamaś Székely
Scenografia / Art Director: Vali Ighigheanu
Costumi / Costume Designer: Viorica Petrovici
Interpreti / Cast: Alex Calangiu, Cătălin Herlo, Ionuţ Caras, Iulian Postelnicu, Alexandru Papadopol, Leonid Doni, Andi Vasluianu, Cuzin Toma, Mirela Oprișor
Produzione / Produced by: Libra Films
Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Mythberg Films
Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Romanian Film Centre, National Film Institute Hungary
Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: REASON8 Films
In the chaotic days of the December 1989 revolution that overthrew the Communist regime, the Transylvanian city of Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault on a Police unit that quickly escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, policemen, civilian protesters and representatives of the secret police. In a desperate attempt to escape the siege, Police captain Viorel is captured by the army and thrown into an empty swimming pool along with hundreds of prisoners accused of being terrorists. Libertate premiered at the latest Transilvania Film Festival and then it was selected in many international festivals including Sarajevo, Cottbus and Thessaloniki.
“The so-called ‘1989 Revolution’ is, most likely, the biggest incompletely consumed event that our society has been through in recent history. This is one of the reasons for wanting to accurately depict the total confusion of ordinary people during those days. The truth was willingly disguised, whitewashing was cultivated to become state of the art. My generation grew up with this psychosis of the terrorists; supposedly they were Arabs, then Russian spies, then Securitate officers and so on. The media convinced the population that these ‘terrorists’ really existed and had become the enemy … We know now, 30 years later, that these ‘terrorists’ were fictitious … They had to be invented, they were needed to explain the lack of coordination of the army and the decisions taken against the interest of the people.” (T. Giurgiu)
Tudor Giurgiu
Film director, writer and producer, Tudor Giurgiu was born in 1972 in Cluj, Romania. In 1995 he graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Film (UNATC) in Bucharest. In 1994 Giurgiu founded the production company Libra Films. He was the President of Romanian National Television from 2005 to 2007. Member of the European Film Academy, Giurgiu is the founder and president of the Transilvania IFF. He has successfully directed documentaries, short films, music videos and five feature films. The Trieste FF has presented many of his works over the years.
Selected filmography
1992 Fetele Morgana cm / sf 1993 Vecini cm / sf 2001 Popcorn Story cm / sf 2006 Legături bolnăvicioase (Love Sick) 2007 Me sem baxtalo? doc. 2008 Nunti muzici si casete video doc. 2011 Superman, Spiderman sau Batman (Superman, Spiderman or Batman) cm / sf; Premi / Awards: EFA – Miglior cortometraggio europeo / Best European Short 2012 Despre oameni și melci (Of Snails and Men); Premi / Awards: Warsaw IFF – Premio speciale della giuria / Special Jury Award; Un alt Crăciun (Another Christmas) cm / sf 2015 De ce eu? (Why Me?) 2019 Parking 2023 Libertate (Freedom)
