Stuff and Dough (Marfa și Banii)

The “stuff” in this debut feature by The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu and Sieranevada director Cristi Puiu—one of the first examples of the post-Ceauşescu Romanian filmmaking renaissance—is a satchel full of black-market prescription drugs. The “dough” is 2,000 lei promised to small-town teen Ovidiu (Alexandru Papadopol) if he agrees to hand-carry the package to Bucharest on behalf of a local gangster (Răzvan Vasilescu). He does, inviting his slacker friend Vali (Dragoş Bucur) along for the ride, who in turn invites his apathetic girlfriend Bety (Ioana Flora). This unlikely trio then takes to the highway, and the hilariously deadpan road movie that results is a reminder that Puiu, who originally sought to become a painter, has cited a viewing of Jim Jarmusch’s Down by Law as a key event in his decision to pursue filmmaking.

Screenplay: Cristi Puiu, Răzvan Rădulescu

Cinematography: Silviu Stavilă

Cast: Dragoş Bucur, Alexandru Papadopol, Ioana Flora, Răzvan Vasilescu

Production: SC Rofilm SA

Festivals: Cannes 2001 – Directors’ Fortnight, Thessaloniki 2001 – Best Actor (Alexandru Papadopol) 

Romanian with English subtitles