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Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009)

Portretul luptătorului la tinereţe (2009)

166 min. - Drama History - N 15 - 18.11.2010

Synopsis: When the Soviet Army marched into Romania in 1944, a part of the Romanian population went "into the mountains" - a diverse assortment of nationalists and fascists, liberals, apolitical farmers and members of the middle-class, who were affected by the Communists' expropriations. Over a thousand armed resistance groups took refuge in the inaccessible forests of the Carpathian Mountains where they waited in vain for the support of the Western Allies. One of them was led by Ion Gavrila-Ogoranu, who managed to remain undetected until 1976 when he was arrested. This film depicts the daily existence of this group. It tells the story of a struggle that became an end in itself, as the enemy was constantly in pursuit and arrest meant torture and often liquidation. Hungry and emotionally withdrawn, the group of young men got entangled in a partisan war that could not be won, lost in the landscape of the South Carpathians, accompanied by a vigilant secret police, the Securitate.

Director: Constantin Popescu

Writer: Constantin Popescu

Stars: Constantin Diţă, Bogdan Dumitrache, Ionuţ Caras


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  • Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009)
  • Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009)
  • Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009)
  • Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009)

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Casting:

Constantin Diţă Ion Gavrilă Ogoranu „Moşu”
Bogdan Dumitrache Laurian Haşu „Leu”
Ionuț Caras Gheorghe Haşu „Ghiţă”
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Produced By

Filmex Film România
Centrul Național al Cinematografiei (CNC)
HBO România

Production info

Buget 800.000 euro (aproximativ).

Distributors

Voodoo Films

Festivals, Awards

  1. 2010 - Bratislava - Best Director
    2010 - B-EST - Best Cinematography. Audience Award
    2011 - Gopo - Best actor in a supporting role (Bogdan Dumitrache). Best cinematography

Storyline

Right after War World II Romania fell under communist dictatorship. The country became a huge prison. Terror was its new rule. In those times, in the mountains of Romania - but not only there - groups of people opposed the communist regime by armed resistance. The movie shows the dramatic story of these people, who found themselves caught up in this incredible venture, worthy of respect over time. They became a symbol of the Resistance against communist rule.
When the Soviet Army marched into Romania in 1944, a part of the Romanian population went "into the mountains" - a diverse assortment of nationalists and fascists, liberals, apolitical farmers and members of the middle-class, who were affected by the Communists' expropriations. Over a thousand armed resistance groups took refuge in the inaccessible forests of the Carpathian Mountains where they waited in vain for the support of the Western Allies. One of them was led by Ion Gavrila-Ogoranu, who managed to remain undetected until 1976 when he was arrested. This film depicts the daily existence of this group. It tells the story of a struggle that became an end in itself, as the enemy was constantly in pursuit and arrest meant torture and often liquidation. Hungry and emotionally withdrawn, the group of young men got entangled in a partisan war that could not be won, lost in the landscape of the South Carpathians, accompanied by a vigilant secret police, the Securitate.

Trivia

  • Portretul luptătorului la tinerețe trebuia să fie prima parte a trilogiei „Aproape liniște” pe care regizorul Constantin Popescu avea de gând să o realizeze. Celelalte două pelicule din trilogie urmând să se refere la Elisabeta Rizea, respectiv la frații Petre și Toma Arnăuțoiu din Muscel. Filmul Elisabeta Rizea a fost realizat în 2013 de Mihai Constantinescu.

Portrait of the Fighter as a Young Man (2009) - Photo