12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST

Was the “main” revolution that culminated in the Ceaușescus’ helicopter flight from Bucharest at 12:08 on 22 December 1989 backed up by “subsidiary” revolts in the provinces? That is the question Piscoci, a lonely pensioner, and Manescu, a schoolteacher who drinks, are invited to discuss in a broadcast aired by Iderescu’s one-man TV station. It soon emerges that the historical truth can no longer be established, but the conflicting versions of the past are less depressing than the fact that none of them even matter – the important events happened elsewhere. As the smalltown heroes let down their guard in front of the camera, however, the more interesting their characters become in this humorous debut feature blending melancholy with irony. Visiting goEast: Roland Rust, Director of FilmFestival Cottbus.