Bless You, Prison

Bless You, Prison / Binecuvintata fii, inchisoare

Romania (2002)

About The Film
This film takes its title from a poem by Solzhenitzyn: "Blessed be thy name, prison!" he declares, because only in the moral purity of unjust imprisonment could his soul find its voice. Nicoleta Valery Grossu was arrested in 1949 on the false charge of espionage, and spent four years in a nightmarish work camp for women. Her struggle to keep her humanity and dignity gradually inspires other prisoners, who like Nicoleta have rediscovered their religious faith. Her testimony: "You can betray. You can die. Or you can find God."

Filmography 1999 — The Famous Paparazzo 1996 — Auroch's Head 1993 — Architecture and Power 1993 — Look Forward in Anger 1991 — Somewhere in the East 1990 — A Clod of Clay 1988 — Flames Over Treasures 1986 — The Forest Woman 1983 — Back From the Hell 1981 — The Painter 1979 — A Man in a Shag Overcoat 1978 — This Above All Freedom Film Festival Poster by Wiktor Sadowski © American Cinema Foundation The Holloway File Database of Russian and Ex-Soviet Union directors

Director's Filmography
Nicolae Margineanu was born September 25, 1938 in Cluj, Romania. He graduated from the Cameraman Section of the Theatre and Film Institute in Bucharest. He was director of photography on nine films and director on 12 features. His feature directorial debut THIS ABOVE ALL (1978) won Best Direction at the Romanian National Film Festival, SOMEWHERE IN THE EAST (Undeva în Est, 1991) was included in the Berlinale, and 1999's THE FAMOUS PAPARAZZO ("Faimosul paparazzo," 1999) has been seen worldwide.

90 min. color 35mm
(screening on video)
Romanian with English subtitles

Director: Nicolae Margineanu
Screenplay: Nicolae Margineanu, Catalin Cocris, Tudor Voican, based on the novel "Bless You, Prison" by Nicole Valery-Grossu
Director of photography: Doru Mitran
Music: Petru Margineanu
Sound: Dana Bunescu
Editor: Melania Oproiu
Production: Ager Film SRL -Romania with support of the National Center of Cinematography
Executive Producer:Ioan Iuga Lozinestir
Cast: Maria Ploae, Dorina Lazar, Ecaterina Nazarie, Victoria Cocias, Maria Rotaru, Iulia Lazar, Romanita Ionescu
Contact: Alina Salcudeanu, National Film Centre
4-6 Dem. 1. Dobrescu Street
701192 Bucharest, Romania
Telephone/Fax: 4021 3100672
Email: cncin@pcnet.ro