The Death of Mr. Lazarescu(Moartea domnului Lăzărescu)

Puiu’s unflinching, darkly comic portrayal of a bureaucratic nightmare through medical purgatory provocatively intertwines the personal and the political, made all the more believable through his own suffering from severe hypochondria. Living alone with his cats and alcohol, the elderly Lăzărescu experiences headaches and calls an ambulance. So begins his epic odyssey from hospital to hospital, where he is harangued, mocked, and ignored as his life slowly drains away. Shot in close to real time, Puiu transforms a modest human drama into a powerful critique of institutional apathy with palpable tension and a morbid sense of absurdity.

Cannes Film Festival: Un Certain Regard Award