Cristi Puiu for Sarajevo Times: It Was An Honor To Participate at SFF

By: Nevena Šarenac

Famous Romanian Director Cristie Puiu told portal ‘Sarajevo Times’ that it was an honor to participate at the 19^th Sarajevo Film Festival, and said that Sarajevo feels like home.

‘’People usually say that at SFF everything is nice, which is true. However, it is difficult to explain all of my impressions of this festival in one sentence. I have the feeling that I am a bit spoiled her and I really like at home’’, said Puiu.

The biggest film festival in the region is a very important event for him, a meeting place for filmmakers and film enthusiasts, and an opportunity to speak about art.

‘’Participation at SFF is a very nice gift’’, concluded Puiu. His participation at this year’s film festival is a sort of return to Sarajevo, after he presided over the jury of the competition program for the feature film at the 16^th Sarajevo Film Festival.

At this year’s festival, the program ‘Tribute to..’ was dedicated to director Puiu.

Within this program, reserved for filmmakers whose uncompromising and creative views broke many taboos in film, as well as in society in general, and attracted the attention of audiences and critics alike, it presented a retrospective of this extraordinary filmmaker.

From 19-23 August, the public had the opportunity to enjoy in the following film screenings: Stuff and Dough (2001), The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005), Aurora (2010), Trois Exercises D’Interpretation (2012), Coffee and Cigarettes (2004) and Before Breakfast (1995).

“I enjoyed being here. I took the opportunity to answer questions on my movies, and even to remember those that I made a long time ago’’, said Puiu.

In 2001, Puiu filmed the low-budged movie ‘Stuff and Dough’, which was awarded at many international film festivals, and critics believed that this film started a new wave of Romanian cinematography.

For his short film ‘Coffee and Cigarettes’, he received the Golden Bear at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival.

His second feature film, “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu” was awarded at the international film festival in Cannes and at many others.