A production "Aparte Film" - Jihlava International Documentary Film

Presents
A production "Aparte Film"
An animated documentary by Anca Damian
35 mm, DCP and HD
•2011 – 73 min•
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
SYNOPSIS
The animated documentary feature-length “Crulic – The Path to
Beyond” tells the life’s story of Crulic, the 33 years old
Romanian who died in a Polish prison while making hunger
strike. The acclaimed Romanian actor, Vlad Ivanov, narrates
Crulic’s ironic voice over from beyond the grave. A strong
visual style, the result of beautiful hand drawn, collage, stopmotion and cut-cut animation techniques, blend to create a
striking, surprisingly integrated and memorable film.
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
The “Crulic” Case
On the 11th of July 2007, a wallet belonging to an important
Polish Judge, containing some credit cards, is stolen: on
the same day, there are two withdrawals from the cards:
total value, about 500 Euro. Crulic had previously been
accused of another theft. On the 10th of September, he is
accused of having stolen from the Judge on the 11th of
July. Crulic is brought to the Krakow Detention Center
Custody prison. He decided to start a hunger strike from
the day he was arrested, asking for: a meeting with somebody from the Romanian Consulate, a change of the
attorney. In exchange, the Consul writes an answer to Crulic, in which he advises him to put his trust in Polish
justice. Crulic claimed he was in Italy at the day of the theft, and not only the bus ticket, but also the record
containing the passengers’ names, confirms his innocence. At the beginning of December, his detention was
lengthened by 3 months. In the first days of 2008, the man's condition was already very bad. Finally, on the 11th
of January the prison doctors, decided to force-feed him via a probe. A needle perforated Crulic's pleura. That led
to complications. Finally, the Court agreed to release the man so that he could be treated in a civilian hospital.
The ambulance took Crulic to the Interior Ministry Hospital: he had muscular and tissue atrophy, and suffered
from pneumothorax. He died after 16 hours. Press investigation started in both countries. The repercussions of
the investigation have concluded with the resignation of the Minister of the Foreign Affairs, while in Poland, 3
doctors were officially accused of Crulic's death.
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
Director’s Statement
Claudiu Crulic’s story has always fascinated me, especially his death: he could see his
body leaving this world with each passing day, while his soul was still there.
The idea of doing an animation allowed me to represent this abyss. Animation gives you
a lot of freedom, so I took advantage of its tools. It sort of justified itself, really: how else
would you make a dead person narrate his own story?
I believe in complex feelings. “Laughing and crying” is a much stronger emotion than
crying alone. Besides, if the film would have stuck to the drama, it would have become
unbearable to watch. Claudiu Crulic came from Dorohoi, in Moldavia, and Moldavians
have this adorable self-ironic rhetoric, which probably comes from their wisdom. How
else could Claudiu narrate such a tragic story if not by being detached and ironical?
Going in a hunger strike to prove your innocence is pretty extreme - and rare nowadays. I met people who thought it was just his own fault – ‘why on earth didn’t he
eat and choose to live?’ This man wanted to be heard and his only weapon was his own
body. I see this as an act of rare heroism.
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
Anca Damian
She studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts where she obtained a
diploma in Cinematography and a Doctor's Degree in Arts, Cinema and
Media.
Anca worked as director of photography at two long feature films
(FORGOTTEN BY GOD – 1991, THE WAY OF DOGS – 1992) and at a lot
of shorts and documentaries, and almost all of them got national prizes for
the Direction of Photography.
After that she worked as a director, screenwriter and producer for several
of award winning documentaries.
In 2008 she made her first long feature film as a director, screenwriter and
co-producer. INTALNIRI INCRUCISATE- CROSSING DATES (2008), a
Romanian-Finish co-production, was selected at Pusan, Chicago, Goteborg,
Pune International Film Festivals, Festival of East European Cinema
(Cottbus) India International Film Festival (Goa), Rome Independent Film
Festival.
“A VERY UNSETTLED SUMMER” is the next feature film that she will produce and direct. Maria Dinulescu ,
Jamie Sives, Kim Bodnia are confirmed in the cast and Film I Väst and Illusion Films are Swedish coproducers already committed to the project.
Crossing Dates (2008): Director, scriptwriter and co-producer
Selected at Pusan International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Cottbus International Film
Festival, Goa International Film Festival, Pune International Film Festival, Goteborg International Film Festival,
Rome Independent Film Festival.
Screened in Romanian Film Week in Wien, Montreal, Madison, Paris, Budapest, New Delhi
Director, scriptwriter and producer of documentaries and experimental films such as:
(selection)
Muzeul de la sosea/The Museum by the Avenue (2006)
Awarded by the Romanian Filmmakers’Union
Selected al the International Festival of Film on Art Montreal (Canada)
Exercitu de libertate/Liberty Exercise (2003)
Awarded by the Romanian Filmmakers’ Union
Selected at the International Festival of Film on Art Montreal (Canada) and at Art Film Festival (Teplice)
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
Porto Franco 2000”(2001)
Prize for the Best Photography at Dakino International Film Festival (Bucharest)
Selected at FILMVIDEO Montecatini Short Film Festival (Italia),
Imposibilul paradis/ The Unattainable Paradise (2001)
Essay Prize at 7Arts Festival (Calarasi)
Selected at the International Festival of Film on Art Montreal (Canada)
Co-director (with Laurenţiu Damian) of several documentaries and art-films:
(selection)
E atat de liniste in jur / It is so still around us (1999)
Prize for the Best Documentary of the Romanian Filmmaker’s Union
Licitatie cu suflete / Soul Auction (1997)
Best Documentary Prize at the Romanian Filmmakers’ Union
Eminescu – Truda intru cuvant / Eminescu, Endeavor for the Word” (1993)
Awared by the Romanian Filmmakers’ Union (1993)
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com
CREDITS
CRULIC – drumul spre dincolo
CRULIC -The Path to Beyond
CRULIC - le chemin vers l'au-delà
A Production Aparte Film
Co-produced by Fundacja im. Ferdynanda Magellana and Romanian Ministry of Culture and the
Romanian Heritage/ Editura Video, Krakow Festival Office
co-financed by
Romanian National Centre of Cinema
Polish Film Institute
Krakow Regional Film Fund
With the support of:
HBO Romania
Romanian National Television
Soros Foundation Romania
Producer: Anca Damian
Co-producer: Arkadiusz Wojnarowski
Voices: Vlad Ivanov , Jamie Sives
Scriptwriter: Anca Damian
Director: Anca Damian
Artwork and animation: Dan Panaitescu, Raluca Popa, Dragos Stefan, Roxana Bentu, Tuliu Oltean
Sound Design: Piotr Witkowski, Sebastian Włodarczyk
Music: Piotr Ziubek
WIDE Management
40, rue Sainte-Anne – 75002 Paris
T. 331 53 95 04 64 – F. 331 53 95 04 65
Email. infos@widemanagement.com