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12:08 East of Bucharest poster

12:08 East of Bucharest

"Whose revolution was it anyway?"

2006 1h 29m RO
👍
6.9
SOLID
★6.9TMDB · 128
ComedyDrama
Synopsis
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It's the 22nd of December. Sixteen years have passed since the revolution, and in a small town Christmas is about to come. Piscoci, an old retired man is preparing for another Christmas alone. Manescu, the history teacher, tries to keep up with his debts. Jderescu, the owner of a local television post, seems not to be so interested in the upcoming holidays. For him, the time to face history has come. Along with Manescu and Piscoci, he is trying to answer for himself a question which for 16 years has not had an answer: "Was it or wasn't it a revolution in their town?"

“Whose revolution was it anyway?”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Credits

Behind the camera

Director
Corneliu Porumboiu
Writers
Corneliu Porumboiu
Languages
Romanian
Countries
Romania

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8
RUNTIME

Did you know

89 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01
2 / 8
MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
ERA

Did you know

Released 20 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, shot by Marius Panduru. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rotaria. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roxana Szel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
CAST

Did you know

Mircea Andreescu and Teodor Corban and Ion Sapdaru carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Whose revolution was it anyway?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Corneliu Porumboiu directs. Marius Panduru behind the camera. Rotaria scores. Roxana Szel cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Romania. Dialogue in Romanian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

  • 189 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
  • 2Shot for just $0.2M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
  • 3Released 20 years ago.
  • 4Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, shot by Marius Panduru. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
  • 5Original score by Rotaria. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
  • 6Editor Roxana Szel shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
  • 7Mircea Andreescu and Teodor Corban and Ion Sapdaru carry the top of the cast.
  • 8Marketing tagline: "Whose revolution was it anyway?".
  • 9IMDB entry: tt0809407 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
  • 10Released under 22 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography
Marius Panduru
Original score
Rotaria
Editing
Roxana Szel
Production design
Daniel Răduță
Costume design
Monica Răduță
Makeup / hair
Cristina Ilie
Runtime
89 min · 1h 29m
Status
Released
Budget
$223,000
Original language
RO

Also by

Corneliu Porumboiu

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Production companies

Who made it

  • 42

    42 Km Film

    RO

Key crew

  • Location ManagerMarcela Ursu
  • Post Production CoordinatorMarcela Ursu
  • Executive ProducerDaniel Burlac
  • ProducerCorneliu Porumboiu
  • EditorRoxana Szel
  • Production DesignDaniel Răduță
  • Costume DesignMonica Răduță
  • Makeup ArtistCristina Ilie
  • Assistant DirectorAlexandru Vitzentzatos
  • Sound EditorAlex Dragomir

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

  • romanian new wave

Release history · US

When it landed

  • Premiere2006-09-01· Telluride Film Festival

Also known as

International titles

  • 1208 East of BucharestUS
  • A Fost Sau N-a FostRO
  • 12h08 à l'est de BucarestFR
  • Bucarest 12:08AR
  • 12:08 Leste de BucaresteBR
  • A Leste de BucaresteBR
  • 12:08 East of BucharestCA
  • 12:08 - Jenseits von BukarestDE
  • 12:08 øst for BukarestDK
  • Bukarestista itäänFI
  • Itan i den itan?GR
  • 12:08 Istocno od BukurestaHR
  • ForradalmárokHU
  • Volt-e vagy sem?HU
  • A est di BucarestIT

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