Carturan / Cărturan
Romania, Sweden 2019
Directed by Liviu Săndulescu, drama, 90 min, eng subtitles, 16+
Written by Bogdan Adrian Toma, Liviu Săndulescu
With Teodor Corban, Dana Dogaru, Vlad Popescu, Cristina Flutur, Iulia Lumânare, Adrian Titieni
With little time to live, Carturan, a 60-year-old man, battles to settle his complex life affairs.
As the only carer for his grandson, the dying Carturan tries to find him a home while he prepares his own funeral in the Davidești village, Argeș. His own impending death fades into the background: trying to tie up all the loose ends is uppermost for him, and without making judgment. Issues such as corruption, emigration, childcare facilities, the center-periphery divide, minority issues, and state-church-society relations pop up among family values, bridges between generations, and the value of tradition. The film is a tranquil silent reflection on the transience of life.
Long shots, idyllic scenery, a tour of ceilings, walls and obstacles of all types pale in front of Carturan's quest to tame death by an odd ceremony to leave everything in order and make peace with the world and all the limitations of humankind.