Cinema
Se caută un paznic
Gheorghe Vodă · 1967
Synopsis
God and Saint Peter come down to earth to find a keeper for the gates of paradise. The film follows the adventures of Ivan Turbincă, called to this post, between paradise and hell, among saints, angels, devils and Death; in paradise itself, the devil Michiduță slips in disguised, and a young angel is tempted with the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Ion Creangă's tale becomes a satirical parable.
Context
The film, shot in 1967 in the Chernivtsi region, in northern Bukovina, adapts the tale Ivan Turbincă in a dramatic version by Vlad Ioviță; the music is by Eugen Doga, the cinematography by Pavel Bălan, and Mihai Volontir takes his first film role in it. Well received by critics, it worried the authorities, who wanted it to be more plainly anti-religious; a decision of September 1970 banned it for “erroneous interpretation” of the tale, according to Violeta Tipa.
Who it is for
A film of about seventy minutes; knowing Creangă's tale helps in appreciating its satire.
Prizes and reception
Special jury prize for best comedy and prize for best screenplay at the regional festival in Riga, in 1968.