Artificial Paradises
“Postcards with Wild Flowers" (1975, dir. Andrei Blaier) is the only film made during the Romanian socialist era that directly addresses the subject of abortion.
“Postcards with Wild Flowers" (1975, dir. Andrei Blaier) is the only film made during the Romanian socialist era that directly addresses the subject of abortion. Abortion was banned in Romania between 1966 and 1989 by Decree 770. Limiting women's access to the procedure (except in special cases) and the widespread lack of contraceptive measures were the results of the state's policy to increase the birth rate and created thousands of victims among women who resorted to clandestine methods. The abyssal drama of tonight's premiere is counterbalanced (or perhaps complemented) by Blaier’s intimate directing style, while the tragic nature of both the subject and the authorial tone makes for a memorable experience.
Laura (Carmen Galin) travels from Bucharest to Giurgiu for an arranged abortion. The small town is celebrating, as a wedding is taking place. However, Irina (Elena Albu), a close friend of the bride and daughter of the woman who arranges the abortion (Eliza Petrăchescu), does not attend the party. Instead, she goes to the train station to meet the young woman. Following Irina is her boyfriend, Victor (Dan Nuțu), worried about her absence.
Laura and Irina quickly become friends. Laura is naïve and dreamy, while Irina is deeply unsettled. The married man who got Laura pregnant has arranged everything. Laura’s optimism regarding the procedure, as well as her illusions regarding her relationship with the man, triggers an existential crisis in Irina. She senses that none of Laura’s dreams will come true.
Meanwhile, at the wedding, the midwife-godmother (Draga Olteanu Matei) parades her carefully coiffed hair among the guests. The vulnerability and uncertainty of the two young women contrast sharply with the wedding’s excitement and promise of a bright future. Among Draga Olteanu Matei’s many “madame” type roles, “Postcards with Wild Flowers” offers perhaps the most humanized portrayal of this character archetype. In comparison, her similar role in “Bucharest Identity Card” (1984, dir. Virgil Calotescu), which I recently wrote about here, feels like a mere caricature. There’s also a noteworthy connection between these two films and “4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days” (2007, dir. Cristian Mungiu), the Palme d’Or winner at Cannes in 2007.
The partially performed abortion by the midwife and her assistant takes place in Irina’s presence, making her increasingly uneasy. Shortly after, their growing bond is subjected to a harrowing test. The two are left alone, Laura’s condition worsens. The situation becomes inescapable. Laura dies. The havoc of the wedding is briefly interrupted by Irina’s arrival but soon resumes its frenzied course. The optimism embodied by Laura at the beginning — akin to the staged serenity of a postcard — wilts in the hidden corners of the provincial town. The artificial paradise dissolves into an image that could be summarized in a police report.
The narrative of “Postcards with Wild Flowers” pivots around Laura’s death, which is placed at the film’s very midpoint. The first half focuses on Irina’s premonitory anxiety amid a day of jubilation. The second half continues to follow Irina, now a moral and self-punishing figure, in contrast to those around her — some unaware, others desperately trying to conceal the truth.
The wedding running parallel to Laura’s death functions like the masking of a gunshot under the noise of fireworks. The suspense intensifies as the two storylines intertwine, mainly through the presence of Victor, Irina’s boyfriend. Once Laura dies, her body becomes the tangible matter of tragedy and the imminent threat of consequences looming over the culprits. However, the investigative thread, which grows increasingly heavy toward the end, never fully materializes. A slice of life from a small community, intersected by an outsider passing through, concludes on a dissonant note.
(Emil Vasilache, cinepub.ro)
This week's premiere: “Postcards with Wild flowers” by Andrei Blaier, Thursday, march 13th, at 9:00 p.m EEST, on CINEPUB.RO
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