OTTO BARBARUL / OTTO THE BARBARIAN
Sunday, June 19, 1:00 pm
Miracle Theatre
535 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003
Director: Ruxandra Ghițescu, 2020, subtitles, 110 minutes
Followed by a Q&A with director Ruxandra Ghițescu, actress Ioana Flora and film critic Mihai Fulger
Otto, a 17-year-old punk, becomes involved in the social services investigation of his girlfriend’s Laura death. He is caught in a vicious circle created by his parents, his mute grandpa and Laura’s mother. Laura is still part of his life through the video recordings that the boy edits constantly, trying to make sense of the events. Throughout this process, Otto must take his part of responsibility for what happened.
The first feature film written and directed by visual artist and filmmaker Ruxandra Ghițescu, after several short films which attracted attention in the international festival circuit. Starting in 2006, she worked in the Romanian film industry as a video assist operator, script supervisor/continuity person, and screenwriter. The main character, the punk rocker Otto, was inspired by a portrait article Ruxandra Ghițescu read in a magazine. As in real life, Adrian Titieni and Marc Titieni are father and son on the screen.
Selections, nominations & awards:
- Work in Progress Award – Les Films de Cannes à Bucarest 2019;
- Best Film – „Ceau, Cinema!” FF Timișoara 2021;
- Romanian Days Award for Best Feature Film – Transilvania IFF 2021;
- Sarajevo FF 2020 (competition; world premiere);
- CinEast - Central and Eastern European FF 2021 (competition);
- Cottbus FF (U18 Youth Film competition);
- Goa IFF of India (Best Debut competition);
- Best Supporting Actress award (Ioana Flora) and other 12 nominations (Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor – Iulian Postelnicu, Best Supporting Actress – Ioana Bugarin, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Costumes, Best Make-up and Hairstyling, Best First Film and Best Newcomer) – Gopo Awards 2022