I’m an Old Communist Hag

Q&A with director Stere Gulea and actress Ana Ularu at both screenings.

Emilia’s quiet, provincial life is disrupted when her daughter unexpectedly returns from Canada, bringing her American fiancé along with her. Their happy reunion quickly becomes complicated, with the generation gap widened by cultural disparities. Moreover, the 60-year-old Emilia, who is famous in the neighborhood for her communist nostalgia, is asked to participate in the production of a documentary chronicling festivities organized by the Communist regime. This bittersweet drama features yet another subtle performance by legendary Romanian actress Luminița Gheorghiu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Child’s Pose).

Director in Focus: Stere Gulea
Possessing a view of the world that’s both “severe and objective” (according to his colleague Lucian Pintilie), Stere Gulea is one of the most important Romanian directors, with a career spanning more than 40 years. Well known for his literary adaptations (including Fox: Hunter, based on Herta Müller’s Even Back Then, the Fox Was the Hunter), Gulea also wrote and directed State of Things, one of the most powerful accounts of the Romanian Revolution. Making Waves pays tribute to him by screening his most recent film, I’m an Old Communist Hag, and one of the masterpieces of Romanian cinema, The Journey (Moromeții).