Faleze de nisip
Encyclopedia
Sand Cliffs is a Romania
n motion picture drama released in 1983 and banned four days after its première by the regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu
. The film, adapted from the novel Zile de Nisip ("Days of sand") by Bujor Nedelcovici
, was directed by Dan Piţa
, with dialogue and script by Bujor Nedelcovici and Dan Piţa, cinematography by Vlad Păunescu and a sound track composed by Adrian Enescu. Cast included Victor Rebengiuc
, Marin Moraru, Gheorghe Visu and Carmen Galin. Faleze de Nisip was screened in 1991 at the Berlin Film Festival, in 1994 at Los Angeles
, and was one of the three Romanian films to be shown in 2007 at the European Film Festival in Lima
, Peru
.
. The plot confronts an influential surgeon and a carpenter accused to have stolen the doctor's personal belongings from the beach. The neurotic doctor involves himself in the inquiry, ultimately directing the interrogation. The burglary victim, Theodor Hristea, a surgeon at the peak of his career and social life, self-confident and well connected (played by Victor Rebengiuc, a major Romanian actor), his girlfriend, Cristina (played by Carmen Galin) and their common friend, Stefan (played by Marin Moraru) - find themselves on holiday near the summer resort of Mamaia
. The doctor has a detective passion and accuses – just on account of a physical resemblance with the real thief - a young carpenter ("The Kid", played by Gheorghe Visu) who happens to come at the same beach the day following the burglary. The police is summoned, a long inquiry follows, declarations are taken, and The Kid is sent to trial. The doctor plays an active part in the investigation. Although the doctor's girlfriend and his friend doubt the identity of the accused, the surgeon insists in being right and succeeds in sending the innocent young man to prison.
The accused, totally irrelevant on the social scale, is fired due to his unexplained absences from work during the long dragging period of the investigation that failed to produce any proof, as well as his several months in prison. And still, up to a certain point, the young carpenter proves to be, psychologically, the strongest. He gets back to life, gets married, continues to work, although more introverted than before, circumscribed to his sad destiny. Obsessed by his need to be always right, the doctor goes to meet the young man again and make him confess the theft that he in fact has never committed. Infuriated, the young man starts shouting to be left alone, and more as a self defence stabs the neurotic doctor in the stomach with the tool he happened to be working with at that moment. The film ends with a scene showing both men running on the beach: The Kid to escape from being caught, and the doctor, badly wounded, to persuade the young man to accept a theft he has never committed.
in 1983 at Mangalia
, upon advice from people in his entourage responsible with the ideology of culture, and possibly even from people in the artistic field, Ceauşescu exploded into a "proletarian rage" against Faleze de Nisip. He stressed that the film was breaking with the socialist ideology. He accused the film for not faithfully portraying "the new communist man". He mentioned that this sort of films was the wrong way to use art in favour of socialism. Faleze de Nisip, already banned from the market, was erased from the filmography of its own director, Dan Pita. Only at the end of 1990 – 9 years after its release - the film was shown again in public.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n motion picture drama released in 1983 and banned four days after its première by the regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
. The film, adapted from the novel Zile de Nisip ("Days of sand") by Bujor Nedelcovici
Bujor Nedelcovici
Bujor Nedelcovici is a novelist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and photographer who lives in Paris, France....
, was directed by Dan Piţa
Dan Pita
-Career:Piţa has directed several award-winning films since 1970, including the 1985 hit Pas în doi, which won an Honourable Mention at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival...
, with dialogue and script by Bujor Nedelcovici and Dan Piţa, cinematography by Vlad Păunescu and a sound track composed by Adrian Enescu. Cast included Victor Rebengiuc
Victor Rebengiuc
Victor Rebengiuc is an award-winning Romanian film and stage actor, also known as a civil society activist. Since 1957, he has been a member of the Bulandra Theater company, acting in more than 200 roles on that stage alone...
, Marin Moraru, Gheorghe Visu and Carmen Galin. Faleze de Nisip was screened in 1991 at the Berlin Film Festival, in 1994 at Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and was one of the three Romanian films to be shown in 2007 at the European Film Festival in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
.
Plot
The action takes place during the summer holiday at the Black SeaBlack Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. The plot confronts an influential surgeon and a carpenter accused to have stolen the doctor's personal belongings from the beach. The neurotic doctor involves himself in the inquiry, ultimately directing the interrogation. The burglary victim, Theodor Hristea, a surgeon at the peak of his career and social life, self-confident and well connected (played by Victor Rebengiuc, a major Romanian actor), his girlfriend, Cristina (played by Carmen Galin) and their common friend, Stefan (played by Marin Moraru) - find themselves on holiday near the summer resort of Mamaia
Mamaia
Mamaia is a resort on the Romanian Black Sea shore, considered to be Romania's most popular resort. It is situated immediately north-east of Constanţa...
. The doctor has a detective passion and accuses – just on account of a physical resemblance with the real thief - a young carpenter ("The Kid", played by Gheorghe Visu) who happens to come at the same beach the day following the burglary. The police is summoned, a long inquiry follows, declarations are taken, and The Kid is sent to trial. The doctor plays an active part in the investigation. Although the doctor's girlfriend and his friend doubt the identity of the accused, the surgeon insists in being right and succeeds in sending the innocent young man to prison.
The accused, totally irrelevant on the social scale, is fired due to his unexplained absences from work during the long dragging period of the investigation that failed to produce any proof, as well as his several months in prison. And still, up to a certain point, the young carpenter proves to be, psychologically, the strongest. He gets back to life, gets married, continues to work, although more introverted than before, circumscribed to his sad destiny. Obsessed by his need to be always right, the doctor goes to meet the young man again and make him confess the theft that he in fact has never committed. Infuriated, the young man starts shouting to be left alone, and more as a self defence stabs the neurotic doctor in the stomach with the tool he happened to be working with at that moment. The film ends with a scene showing both men running on the beach: The Kid to escape from being caught, and the doctor, badly wounded, to persuade the young man to accept a theft he has never committed.
Political reactions
In a Plenary Session of the Romanian Communist PartyRomanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
in 1983 at Mangalia
Mangalia
Mangalia , is a city and a port on the coast of the Black Sea in the south-east of Constanţa County, Romania.The municipality of Mangalia also administers several summer time seaside resorts: Cap Aurora, Jupiter, Neptun, Olimp, Saturn, Venus.-History:...
, upon advice from people in his entourage responsible with the ideology of culture, and possibly even from people in the artistic field, Ceauşescu exploded into a "proletarian rage" against Faleze de Nisip. He stressed that the film was breaking with the socialist ideology. He accused the film for not faithfully portraying "the new communist man". He mentioned that this sort of films was the wrong way to use art in favour of socialism. Faleze de Nisip, already banned from the market, was erased from the filmography of its own director, Dan Pita. Only at the end of 1990 – 9 years after its release - the film was shown again in public.
External links
- Doinel Tronaru, "Faleze de nisip", at LiterNet (May 29, 2008, originally published in România Liberă, January 2004, retrieved June 30, 2009.
- Dani Năneştean,“Faleze de nisip” la Casa Municipală de Cultură, Clujeanul on-line, May 19, 2008, retrieved on June 30, 2009.
- Marian Rădulescu, Cetăţeanul Hristea - Faleze de nisip, September 2007, retrieved June 30, 2009.
- Stefan Oprea, "Faleze de nisip" in Convorbiri Literare - on-line, retrieved June 30, 2009.