Interview: Radu Muntean, Mirela Oprisor and Mimi Branescu

[Editor’s Note: Lorber Films is releasing Tuesday, After Christmas at the Film Forum today — this interview originally took place back in October of 2010. Additionally, here is footage from the world premiere night in Cannes back in May of 2010.]

It was on a Tuesday night I had the pleasure of attending a reception hosted by the Romanian Cultural Institute of New York to honor directors Cristi Puiu and Radu Muntean, actors Mirela Oprisor, Mimi Branescu, producers Bobby Paunescu and Dragos Vilcu, and DPs Tudor Lucaciu and Viorel Sergovici. The event was a celebration of the three selected films at the NYFF: doc film The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceauşescu and the pair of narratives, Aurora and Tuesday, After Christmas.

It was great to meet and talk with all of these filmmakers because they are truly at the forefront of one of the most exciting movements in international cinema, still relevant and vibrant since Cristi Puiu’s Stuff and Dough and Cristian Mungiu’s Occident landed in the Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight editions of 2001 and 2002.

Late last week, I had the even greater pleasure of interviewing the team behind the Un Certain Regard selected Tuesday, After Christmas with director Radu Muntean and actors (in addition to husband and wife) Mirela Oprisor and Mimi Branescu. It was flattering to see that they had actually already read my review from earlier this week, so we got to discuss it. I hope you enjoy the interview, I certainly enjoyed discussing the film with these folks.