9. The Latest European New Wave: Cinematic Realism and Everyday Aesthetics in Romanian Cinema

This chapter provides an overview of the Romanian New Wave cinema, using as its case study The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu (Cristi Puiu 2005), a film ranked fifth in The New York Times’ ‘Best Film of the 21st Century’ list. The analysis of this particular film is contextualized in the overall history of Romanian national cinema and showcases its relevance in international film culture. The overall purpose of Pop’s chapter is to identify the aesthetic, narrative and cinematographic attributes that brought recognition to the Romanian style of moviemaking. In order to understand the international acclaim of the Romania cinema in the last two decades, the author considers its place within European New Wave filmmaking practices and describes its relationship to the tradition of European cinematic realism.