Alter ego

Alter ego 1977

1

A clay figure sees its face reflected in the water of a river.

1977

Genesis

Genesis 1975

1

A modern parable about the man who learns to build walls and houses.

1975

Cafeneaua viitorului

Cafeneaua viitorului 1999

1

Cafeneaua viitorului preserves an ephemeral episode in the history of the internet, today a phenomenon difficult to dissociate from everyday experience, then a novelty that barely captured the attention of a diverse audience.

1999

Doamne Fă Din Leu Dolar

Doamne Fă Din Leu Dolar 1970

1

The film confronts the reality of cultural displacement and the search for identity, framed by my family’s own longing for the Romanian culture, absent in American surroundings. There Are No Fir Trees Here is a story about the spaces we inhabit and the yearning for a place that feels like home.

1970

The Hottest Day

The Hottest Day 1974

1

This film consists of almost twenty minutes coverage of a political rally, filmed by more than ten Sahia cameramen, during the celebration of the thirtieth anniversary of 23 August 1944, ‘the first day of the socialist era’. The Hottest Day is part of a rich author filmography, which includes around one hundred titles, such as A Life Dedicated to the Happiness of the People (1978); Homage (1983); The Party, The Homeland, The People (1986); Heroic Times in Legendary Lands (1987). When the Sahia documentaries obediently followed their political commission, their length could surpass the usual ten to twenty minutes, even reaching feature length. The Hottest Day was one of the shortest film in this category that we could find in the archives.

1974

Film Festival for the Villages

Film Festival for the Villages 1960

1

Created with a political-educational purpose and, at the end of the ‘70s, incorporated into the Cîntarea României (Song to Romania) Festival, the Film Festival for the Villages was one of the longest running cultural-political events in Socialist Romania. This film, conceived as a marketing device / trailer for an upcoming festival, is an example of Sahia ephemera. Seen today, it gives us a chance to carry out an ad-hoc archaeology of the film festival as an institution. The film served to increase the festival’s visibility around the country, to announce the dates of the event, and to build expectations among audiences for a certain time of year—in this case, 12 December 1959-31 March 1960.

1960

Lectii de Viață

Lectii de Viață 1970

1

Ohio riddler faces the emperor of Romania in the ultimate clash to see who will be sleeping with Ceaușescu

1970

The Secret

The Secret 1975

1

Sahia also picked up commercial work from time to time. In this case, literally; a movie stuntman sells personal injury insurance to onlookers. Included as an extra on the Sahia Vintage DVDs.

1975

I Am Also Part of the Three Turns

I Am Also Part of the Three Turns 1970

1

A small town in Buzau province is affected by a destructive flood during the time of an aggressive nationalistic program of urbanization in Communist Romania.

1970