R.M.N., director Cristian Mungiu’s latest feature film, has been selected for the Official Competition of the Cannes Film Festival, taking place from May 17th – 28th.
Synopsis: A few days before Christmas, Matthias returns from working in Germany to his native Transylvanian village eager to see his ex-lover Csilla and preoccupied about his old father, Otto. He wishes to implicate himself more in the education of his son, Rudi, left for too long in the care of his mother, Ana, and to rid him of the unresolved fears that have gripped him. When a few new workers are hired at the small factory that Csilla manages, the peace of the community is disturbed, underlying fears grip the adults, and frustrations, conflicts and passions erupt through the thin sliver of apparent understanding and calm. A story about the deep springs of human behavior in the face of startling realities, about relationships and how we all relate to an unsettling future.
The film stars actors Marin Grigore and Judith State with other roles being played either by professional actors such as Macrina Bârlădeanu, Orsolya Moldován, András Hatházi and Deák Zoltán, or by non-professionals.
The cinematography is signed by Tudor Vladimir Panduru (Graduation, Malmkrog), set design by Simona Pădurețu (Graduation, The Father Who Moves Mountains) and editing by Mircea Olteanu (Beyond the Hills, Tales from the Golden Age).
The film is produced by Mobra Films and co-produced by Why Not Productions, Wild Bunch International, France 3 Cinéma and Le Pacte in France, Les Films du Fleuve (Belgium), Filmgate Films and Film i Väst (Sweden), with the support of Canal+, France Télévisions, Ciné+, and is financed by the Romanian National Film Centre and supported by Eurimages.
The budget of the film was about 2.8 million Euro and the credit allocated by CNC Romania was 3 million lei.
Shooting took place between November 2021 and January 2022, mainly in the village of Rimetea in Alba county, but also in other towns in Transylvania.
This is director Cristian Mungiu’s sixth appearance at Cannes and his fifth in the Official Selection.
In 2007, his first film presented in the Official Selection, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, was awarded the Palme d’Or for Best Film in competition. Beyond the Hills was awarded Best Screenplay in 2012 and Best Female performance, and Graduation was awarded Best Director in 2016.