Romanian director Tudor Giurgiu’s latest film, Libertate/Freedom, received awards at festivals in France and Germany this past weekend. 

In France, the Romanian production won the Prix de la Critique at the Arras Film Festival, which ended on Sunday, November 12. The jury was chaired by Perrine Quennesson, one of the most active film journalists in France, and also included Thomas Baurez (Première, FRANCE 24), Christophe Caron (La Voix du Nord), Boris Szames (SO FILM, Gone Hollywood), and Caroline Veunac (Télérama).

Meanwhile, in Germany, Libertate received the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award at the 33rd Cottbus Film Festival. Italian journalist Giuseppe Sedia, German journalist Katrin Hillgruber and Romanian historian Angelo Mitchievici were part of the jury.

The film, inspired by true events, tells a lesser-known story that took place in Sibiu during the 1989 Revolution. Amid the chaos and panic generated by the protests against the regime, a police station in Sibiu becomes the scene of a violent assault that escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, police officers, civilian protesters and representatives of the secret police. Following a desperate attempt to escape the siege, several men are captured by the Army and accused of being terrorists. 

This year, the film also won the Most Popular Romanian Film Award at TIFF, the CICAE Award in Sarajevo, the Ecumenical Jury Award at Cinefest Miskolc, and the Best Costume and Set Design Award (designed by Viorica Petrovici and Vali Ighigheanu, respectively) at the Waterloo Historical Film Festival.

In Romania, Libertate has already been watched by over 35,000 spectators. In the following period, director Tudor Giurgiu and some of the actors will be present at several special screenings in the country, mostly in cities and towns without cinemas: Rădăuți (November 20), Siret (November 20), Alexandria (November 21), Cugir ( November 23), Mediaș (November 24), Sebeș (November 25), Aiud (November 25), and Baru, Petroșani and Lupeni (November 26).

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Transilvania Film)