Victor Rebengiuc, Mariana Mihut, Gheorghe Dinica, Tora Vasilescu, Petre Gheorghiu, Florin Zamfirescu, Mircea Diaconu, Stefan Banica

Synopsis:

Based on a theatrical text by Romanian writer Ion Luca Caragiale (1852-1912), this cruel portrait of Romania was censored for a decade. With his film camera, Pintilie enters a small town that is preparing for Carnival festivities, creating a shocking picture of nasty characters worrying over trite problems, gossip and small scandals. Betrayals, misunderstandings and costumes succeed each other until the tragic epilogue that surprises the characters at dawn.

“In 1970, following the première of ‘Reenactment', I declared that I wished to devote the rest of my life to the Romanian literature - to putting it into images. Now, 20 years later, I look in retrospect. All my screenplays, all my projects to pay homage to the Romanian literature have crumbled. Each year is a landmark, a cross, a candle - a buried film. A macabre travelling…

Please imagine that these films do exist. Now put them all together, reel after reel and set them on fire. Look coolly at this pyre of possible masterpieces, at this vital, joyous carnival fire. Do not ask: Who's answerable?, because Nobody is answerable! The essence of the carnival principle consists of the abolition of any responsibility. And we are living in a state of continuous carnival.

So, how could ‘Carnival Scenes' not to be welcome - my only film spared by the Holocaust?…” (Lucian Pintilie, 30 March 1990)

Comrade Eugen Barbu believes the film we are working on to be a misinterpretation of Caragiale, and a vulgar one at that, yet at the same time he confesses, calmly and without any hesitation whatsoever, that he has never seen it. In order to clarify a doubt, let me ask you this: does Comrade Eugen Barbu perhaps enjoy a privilege that our country's laws have not yet conceded to anyone – that is, to place value judgements and make serious ideological and artistic incriminations just for the sake of doing so? Will this privilege ever be so obvious as to be able to be confessed to publicly? We really don't think so.” (Lucian Pintilie, text previously unpublished in Romania due to censorship, broadcast by Radio Free Europe - published in ‘Bricabrac', Humanitas, Bucharest , 2003)

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