'You are Ceausescu to me' documentary - best film at Ji.hlava festival

The "You are Ceausescu to me" documentary, directed by Sebastian Mihailescu won the Best Central and East European Documentary Film and Best Cinematography awards in the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (Ji.hlava IDFF), carried out October 26 - 31 in the Czech city of Jihlava, the producers inform in a press release sent to AGERPRES.

The jury awarded the Best Central and East European Documentary Film distinction to director Sebastian Mihailescu for the playful manner in which he recreates Romania's history through the reenactment method, at the same time analysing those interpreting it, in a narration based on self-reflection.

The film was presented in the Opus Bonum international competition section, within the 25th Ji.hlava IDFF. The Opus Bonum section included a selection of 16 films representing international productions of contemporary documentary film.

The Best Cinematography award went to image director Barbu Balasoiu.

The documentary made by Sebastian Mihailescu was projected in a worldwide premiere in the DocLisboa Festival international competition (October 21 - 31), where it received the New Talent Award for debut film.

"You are Ceausescu to me" is an experimental film where young people aged between 15 and 22, from different environments, participate in auditions for the role of Nicolae Ceausescu as a young man, in the mid 1930's, trying to find the motivation behind his actions.

The teenagers try to pose as in the archive photographs, turning into fiction a series of official documents and acting one over the others. They relate to Nicolae Ceausescu as a fiction character, without preconceived ideas, appropriating his character depending on their passions, through commercial cinematography clichés.

Professional and non-professional actors are part of the cast: Denis Duma, Dan Hudici, Ionut Amador Motoi, Mario Sandrino Radulescu, Mihai Topalov, Cristiana-Alexandra Gheorghe, Cristina Parancea, Alin Ilie Grigore, Zhang Florin-Zhiyuan.

The film producers are Claudiu Mitcu, Ioachim Stroe and Robert Fita. The documentary is produced by Wearebasca, with the support of the National Centre of Cinematography, in collaboration with the Romanian Television Corporation.