06/07/2011

Romanian film-maker Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cristian Mungiu
interview: Oleg Mutu
film profile]) has accepted to take over the Presidency of Honor of the association Europa Distribution. At the General Assembly, held in Paris on July 5, the members of Europa Distribution also elected Annemie Degryse from Lumière (Belgium) and Jakub Duszynski from Gutek Film (Poland) as Europa Distribution co-presidents for the next three years, replacing Régine Vial (Les Films du Losange, France) and Antonio Medici (Bim Distribuzione, Italy) who headed the association for the last 5 years.

Commenting on his new position, Mungiu said: "At the beginning of my career as a film-maker my concern was primarily to make the film. What was to happen after the film was ready was less important. Now, I have become more concerned about the life of the film after it is finished. (…) I have nothing against cinema as entertainment as long as we understand the need for diversity. (…) We have to defend it - unless we all make a sustained effort to keep it alive, it could perish. Personal cinema, auteur cinema, might soon have to be declared an endangered species. Europa Distribution reunites many of the European distributors that still believe in diversity, in auteur films and in risk-taking. I hope they will preserve this course of action in the future and that they will keep encouraging the existence of independent cinema. We, film people, need to support them and I am glad and proud to be among the filmmakers that will be close to the cause of independent cinema. They are our pledge that the films we make will have the life we wish for.”