Underplayed Gems

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007)

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days poster
Original title
4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile
Directed by
Cristian Mungiu
Genre
drama film
Country
Romania
Runtime
1h 53m
Rated
16
Rating
7.5 of 10 from 830 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

Two university students in 1980s communist Romania try to arrange an illegal abortion. The film follows their tense struggles and the strain on their friendship as they face dangerous obstacles.

tensebleakslow-burngrittyclaustrophobicemotionalunflinchingnaturalistic

What happens

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Romanian: 4 luni, 3 săptămâni și 2 zile) is a 2007 Romanian art film written and directed by Cristian Mungiu and starring Anamaria Marinca, Laura Vasiliu, and Vlad Ivanov. The film is set in Communist Romania in the final years of the Nicolae Ceaușescu era. It tells the story of two students, roommates in a university dormitory, who try to procure an illegal abortion. Inspired by an anecdote from the period and the general social historic context, it depicts the loyalty of the two friends and the struggles they face. Mungiu and cinematographer Oleg Mutu shot it in Bucharest and other Romanian locations in 2006. After making its world premiere at Cannes, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days made its Romanian debut on 1 June 2007, at the Transilvania International Film Festival. It opened to critical acclaim, and was noted for its minimalism and intense themes. The film won three awards at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, including the Palme d'Or. It went on to win numerous honours, including Best Film at the European Film Awards and Romania's national Gopo Awards. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days became the subject of some controversy over censorship, the abortion debate, and its exclusion from the 80th Academy Awards, but in 2016 it was ranked No. 15 on the BBC's list of 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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