SIERANEVADA
Romania, 2016, 173 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Cristi Puiu.
Sierranevada is a very long film, taxing for many audiences as it focuses on a family gathering, but well worthwhile for those interested in human nature, family conflicts, especially in the context of Romania in the second decade of the 21st century.
The film was written and directed by one of Romania’s celebrated directors, Cristi Puiu, who made the impressive film, The Death of Mr Lazarescu. it was screened in competition in the festival of Cannes, 2016.
The film opens with a long episode, almost wordless, a car blocking a delivery truck, people walking along the footpath, conversations, decisions, the moving of the car. This gives the audience a long time to get used to the film and its style which, apart from a later episode with the central character, Lary, a doctor who now sells medical goods, goes to find his wife to bring her to the gathering, remains for almost 3 hours within the house, moving from room to room.
There has been a death in the family, and Lary, along with his brothers and many other relations are gathering in the family home for memories of the father, the mother and her grief but still strong enough to organise everyone, his brothers, wives and some children all taking part in the gathering.
The first part of the film is focused on everybody waiting for the priest to arrive, not participating in the food which is being cooked, but generally people talking, interacting, memories. Eventually the priest does arrive, apologetic, yet welcoming the family, bringing an assistant and then performing memorial rituals in which the family participates, followed by some food and drink.
The rest of the film anticipates the meal but this is waylaid by all kinds of conversations and some emotional crises.
The young wife working in the kitchen is aggravated by a visitor who was a Communist official in the previous regime and who still, very loudly, proclaims her communist ideals with people trying to control her. This creates an atmosphere where the audience can understand the bitter memories of the past, the arrogance of those in control at that time, the difficulties in transition.
There is a variety of personalities amongst those who have assembled. One of the sons is full of conspiracy theories, especially concerning the United States and 9/11 and the consequences. One of the rituals is to take the clothes of the deceased and for one of the young man to wear them – but he is in and there is whole deal of fussing to alter the clothes so that he can eventually wear them.
There is an interlude where one of the women allows a drug-addicted young woman to be brought into the house in a state of collapse, her being put on a bed with visitors looking in every now and then and her being in a highly dangerous state of health – some of the men are doctors, including Larry, but he has given up practice and is involved in medical sales.
Another crisis occurs when one of the aunts, consoling the widow, has her husband, roughly dressed, arriving and taking over, attacks on him, revelations about his affairs and relationships, and his wife sometimes in a state of collapse.
Eventually, a number of people leave, those who remain settle down and are about to proceed to the meal.
For outsiders, this is an opportunity to look at Romania, Romanians in the city, the perspective of the 21st-century in the light of the Communist era, socialist principles and their consequences, the absence of religion and its return, the range of work, jobs and professions, husbands, wives and children. It deals with the past, moral and social issues – both a portrait and a glimpse of Romania.
