Unforgettable Summer
An Unforgettable Summer, Franco-Romanian co-production, 1994
Director: Lucian Pintilie
Bibliography:
Annette Insdorf, "Film: A Romanian Director Tells a Tale of Ethnic
Madness," The New York Times, section 2, November 6, 1994
Caryn James, "Film Review: Right vs. Realities in Romania,"
The New York Times, section C, November 11, 1994
The screenplay is written from a short story entitled "The Lettuce"
by Petre Dumitriu.
The plot takes place in Southern Dobrudja in 1924. Romania had annexed
this area in 1913. Large numbers of minorities-Tatars, Turks, and Bulgarians-inhabited
the region as well as Romanians, and borders were still insecure. Pintilie
uses the film to portray Romanian rule at the time from the point of view
of the rulers, the minorities, and a kind of "Western" observer.
Main Characters:
Petru Dumitriu, officer in the Romanian army
Marie-Therese, Dumitriu's wife
Dumitriu's superior officer
the Dumitrius' children
Questions for Discussion
- What is the nationality of Marie-Therese and how does this play into
the film in several ways?
- If you were to judge by this film, how was Romania ruled in the inter-war
period? Can one say that there was a democratic government in inter-war
Romania? Was there a "meritocracy" in inter-war Romania?
- What is the relationship between the reality depicted here and the
Minorities Protection Treaty whose text you read under Topic 5?
Was the Treaty necessary? How could the Romanian government circumvent
the Treaty?
- How do you think this film was received in Romania in 1994?
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