RYNA

Romania/Switzerland, 2005, 93 minutes, Colour.
Dorothea Petre, Valentin Pepescu, Mathieu Roze.
Directed by Ruxandra Zedine.

Ryna was directed by Ruxandra Zedine who studied in Switzerland, in New York as well as in Prague. She directed a number of short films and this film, made in her late twenties, is her directorial feature debut.

The film is set in a remote area of Romania, a small town on the Danube River which relies on industry from the fish in the river – but is in danger of contamination. Ryna is sixteen years old, her father runs a service station. Because he had wanted a son, he has brought her up like a boy – making her look like a boy, forbidding her girls’ clothes, forbidding her her own life.

In the house is her grandfather who takes a benign interest in her and on whom she relies.

When a survey team comes from France to examine the implications for health on the inhabitants of the town, she befriends the French statistician. She acts as a translator and also gives him information about her own life.

Her father is suspicious. This precipitates a crisis for her – which means a confrontation between the authorities, a corrupt official with whom the father is doing financial deals, and the father himself. Ryna is able, at last, to emerge from the restrictions of her life and plan a life for the future. In that sense, while the film is very drab in its setting as are the lives of the people in this part of the country, there is some kind of hope at the end, some breaking free.

Dorothea Petre is very good as the young Ryna – the centre of the film as well as the strength of audience identification with the characters and situations.

1. A Romanian slice of life? Portrait of a young girl? The tragic implications?

2. The portrait of the town, the drab look, the drab way of life, post-socialist Romania? The Danube, the delta and the sea? The world of fishing? The world of the garage? The town itself, the jollity of the fair? The musical score?

3. The portrait of Ryna: age sixteen, her father wanting a boy, treating her as a boy, overalls and short hair? Yet her wanting to be feminine, looking in the mirror, the earrings, piercing her ear, the dresses, the doctor’s wife offering her the dresses? Her suffering from haemophilia? The constant work in the garage? Her relationship with her father, his dominance, drunkenness, severity, strictness in not allowing her out? Her mother, patient, looking after the house? Her grandfather, his age, wisdom, help? Her enjoying outings with him? The haircut and the boys with binoculars? Her loving to take photos, in the fields, the cow? The racket in damaging the cars and fixing them? Going to the Frenchman on her bike? Driving the car? His request for the photos? Her complying, the measurements and his experiment? The mayor, her refusing his advances? Her picking up her father and driving him home after his drinking? The routine at home? Wanting to go to the fair, putting on the dresses, dancing with the Frenchman? Her being raped by the mayor? The aftermath? Her father’s reaction, her grandfather’s sensitivity? Her mother’s letter? Her not telling who raped her? On the road to Bucharest – but leaving her camera behind to start a new life?

4. The portrait of the father, his work, overbearing with his wife, wanting a boy, his treatment of Ryna? Cutting her hair? Not allowing her out? His attitude towards the grandfather, spurning him? The racket of damaging the cars – going the rounds with Ryna? Twelve cars to fix? His demands, his anger with his wife? Her leaving? His fishing, having to fend for himself? Drinking every night, playing the guitar and singing, Ryna driving him home, sleeping dead drunk? Not remembering whether he hit her or not? The issue of the licence, his anger, the new garage? The deal with the mayor, giving him the car? Driving home and the episode of the rape? His being abandoned by Ryna?

5. The picture of the grandfather, old, memories of the past, at meals, going to sleep, wise and kind?

6. The Frenchman, the car breakdown, his experiment, with the children, the measurements, the photos? At the fair, dancing with Ryna? The accusation against him? His assistant and his crass attitudes?

7. The doctor, his care for Ryna and her haemophilia, the question of the rape, calling the police? His wife and the kindness with the dresses?

8. The mayor, drinking with the father, his lust, with the family at the fair, the deal about the licence, the drive, the rape, his coming to the hospital, his being afraid?

9. The postman, his infatuation with Ryna, their time together, the mayor and his catching them, Ryna and her taunting him by taking the car and making him run? The postman and his telling the father about her being at the fair, his knowing who raped her, her kicking him?

10. A grim portrait of life and a country town? The Romanian flavour of the film?