RFF: Unidentified

UNIDENTIFIED (Neidentificat)

Director: Bogdan George Apetri, 2020, subtitles, 123’
Followed by a Q&A with director Bogdan George Apetri and actor Bogdan Farcaș

A small city in north Romania. Despite growing debts and an entangled personal life, Florin Iespas, a police detective, is determined to solve a hard case no one seems to care about. Ordered to put down the file, the cop continues his off-the-record investigations, soon turning up a strong lead for two hotel fires that resulted in several deaths. The suspect is Bănel, a security guard of Roma descent, but he denies everything. Faced with the refusal of the Police Chief to support his inquiry, the mistrust of his colleagues, and his own inner demons, the cop is forced to come up with a convoluted plan and take extraordinary measures in order to bring it to its inevitable conclusion. Under the appearance of a sharp, tightly woven detective movie, the film is a story that speaks on issues in the police system, power abuse, sexism, masculinity and prejudice.

One of the largest events of its kind in North America, The Romanian Film Festival of Washington, D.C. (RFF) kicks off at The Miracle Theatre on June 3rd, 2022 under the motto: “Reinventing Realism — New Cinema from Romania”. Bigger and bolder than the previous two editions, RFF 2022 showcases the creative diversity of a cinema that has become a force on the international arthouse circuit.

Curated by Romanian film critic Mihai Fulger, the program, running for three consecutive weekends, features 12 of the most original and thought-provoking productions of the pandemic years which take the viewer through a veritable deep-dive into the Eastern European psyche, offering a better understanding of current dynamics dramatically unfolding in the Old World. No less than 13 Romanian directors, actors, producers and film critics will cross the Atlantic to introduce their films and meet with the American cinephiles.

Dedicated to the 25th anniversary since the launch of the Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century between Romania and the United States of America, RFF 2022 is organized by the Embassy of Romania to the United States, Romanian Cultural Institute in New York, The Miracle Theatre in Washington, DC and with the generous support of the Transylvania Bank (Banca Transilvania) from Romania.

For the complete list of films, visit: romanianfilmfestivaldc.com

Free entry