Film Comment:
ahoj666
03.01.2010
Yes, but so was Romanian radio. It was important to have a different perspective.
Cold Waves
COLD WAVES by Alexandru Solomon is a documentary film that investigates the influence of «Radio Free Europe» on the political situation in Romania during the era of authoritarian ruler Nicolae Ceaucescu. This radio station was based in Munich from 1951 to 1995 and was financed by the United States government. Its goal was to provide people inside the communist block an alternative to the state-regimented media, while also fulfilling PR duties for the «free capitalist world» and the US in particular. The film describes «Radio Free Europe» as «daily intellectual food» that allowed Romanians to find out what was really happening in their country, as well as what was going on abroad.
This film is only available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Credits
Original Title: Cold Waves
Language:
English-Romanian original version with English subtitles
Country of Origin: Romania/Luxembourg
Year : 2007
Duration: 108 Min.
Color
Director: Alexandru Solomon
Camera: Andrei Butică
Editing: Cătălin F. Cristutiu
Sound: Cristian Tarnovetchi
Sound Mix: Yann Wirthor
Music: Sorin Romanescu/Trust Productions
Starring/Featuring: Monica Lovinescu, Ioana Măgură Bernard, Mary Georgescu, Şerban Orescu, Nestor Ratesh, Emil Hurezeanu, Neculai-Constantin Munteanu, Andrei Voiculescu, Vasile Paraschiv, Ion Vianu, doina Cornea, Ana Hompot, Ilie Merce, Dan Zamfirescu, Cornel Burticã, Ion Joldu, Richard Cummings, Detlev Mehlis, Ilich Ramirez-Sanchez, Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, Bernard Poulet, Josy Dubié
Production: Hi Film Productions, Geppert Productions, Televiziunea Romånă, YLE FST, Ada Solomon, Elvira Geppert, David Grumbach, Alexandru Solomon
Festivals: 2008: Visions du Réel, Nyon (CH); London International Documentary Festival (UK); 2007: IDFA Amsterdam (NL); DOK Leipzig - International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film; Astra Film Fest, Sibiu (RO); Alpe Adria Trieste (I); Göteborg Film Festival (SE)
Awards: 2008: Gobos (RO)
supported by: Media Programme of the European Community, Nipkow Programm, Euro Entertainment, GMP, Zenith Media, Centrul National al Cinematografiei, Film Fund Luxembourg; Jan Vrijman Fund, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, International Broadcasting Bureau Lampertheim, Fabrica AMPLO Ploieşti, Camera Deputatilor, Realitatea TV, CNSAS
Archive footage: TVR, Telepool, Footage Farm, RTBF Belgian TV, OTV, Guliver Getty Images, AFP, Sipa Press, Kklaus-Dieter Matschke, Archiva de Istorie Orală a Societătii de Radiodifuziune, Open Society Archives, RFE/RL
Please register or log in at the upper right hand corner to purchase and view film.
About the Film
COLD WAVES presents interviews among former Romanian employees of «Radio Free Europe» (RFE) who are seeing each other for the first time in many years. Their meeting is very emotional.
One particular example of «Radio Free Europe» and its significance for the Romanian population was during the earthquake of the 4th of March, 1977. The radio station offered «real news» that wasn't filtered or distorted by Ceaucescu's propaganda. «Radio Free Europe» was the only station in the country that immediately announced that an earthquake had struck. A whole day went by until the Romanian government finally admitted that the natural catastrophe took place.
«This radio crosses borders without a passport.»
Many Romanians listened to this radio station and «Radio Free Europe» played an opposition role against the Romanian regime. The Romanian government was in fact very angry about the influence of «Radio Free Europe» whose topics and reports were regularly monitored by the US government. A central statement in the documentary is: «This radio crosses borders without a passport». The restriction of issued passports was a way for the communist regime in Romania to control its borders. It was very hard for Ceaucescu to accept that news could cross the borders of his country in such an uncontrolled manner. He accused RFE of undermining his authority and popularity and declared war on RFE. Securitate, the Romanian secret police, targeted the station. Several journalists were attacked, and numerous letters sent to the radio station by Romanian listeners were intercepted by the regime. In 1981, there was an explosion in the «Radio Free Europe» building. Afterwards, several journalists working at RFE developed various forms of cancer. This leads one to believe that they might be the victims of radiation poisoning.
The revolution
which took place in Romania in 1989 was transmitted live on TV. Thus the radio station's influence was suddenly surpassed by the power of television. After the fall of the communist block, «Radio Free Europe» lost its legitimacy in Romania and the Romanian section closed in 1995.
Invite another member to watch for free on the Virtual Couch!
