The New Year that Never Came

On 20th December 1989, Romania stands on the brink of revolution. The streets are alive with demonstrations, students mock the regime through art, and New Year’s shows glorify Ceauşescu. Yet, in the discomfort of their unheated homes, families grapple with personal conflicts and the omnipresent Secret Police. Six seemingly disconnected lives intersect in unexpected ways. As tensions reach boiling point, an explosive moment unites them, culminating in the dramatic fall of Ceauşescu and the communist regime. In the stirring words of the director, “this film offers a symphonic view of a historical event that has perhaps been portrayed too often in our films through only one lens.” A cinematic achievement that manifests the unique power of the medium to glorify the power of the here-andnow and togetherness, revealing the “single moment in time that connects everyone to a shared consciousness.”

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Direction: Bogdan Mureșanu

Script: Bogdan Mureșanu

Cinematography: Boroka Biro, Tudor Platon

Editing: Vanja Kovačević, Mircea Lăcătuș

Sound: Sebastian Zsemlye

Actors: Adrian Văncică, Nicoleta Hâncu, Emilia Dobrin, Iulian Postelnicu, Mihai Călin, Andrei Miercure, Luca Toma, Ioana Flora, Vlad Ionuț Popescu, Marian Râlea, Angel Popescu, Radu Gabriel, Ion Sapdaru, Gabriel Spahiu, Manuela Hărăbor, Vasile Muraru, Mircea Lăcătuș, Ada Galeș

Production: Kinotopia

Producers: Bogdan Mureșanu

Co-production: Romanian National Television, All Inclusive Films, Chainsaw Europe, Nomad Solo

Co-producers: Viorel Chesaru, Ada Solomon, Vanja Kovačević

Costumes: Dana Anghel

Format: DCP

Color: Color

Production Country: Romania, Serbia

Production Year: 2024

Duration: 138'

Contact: Cercamon

Awards/Distinctions: Orizzonti Award for Best Film, FIPRESCI Award – Venice IFF 2024