Ovidiu, a high-school teacher looking for an extra buck, finds an unexpected way to earn easy money.Ovidiu, a high-school teacher looking for an extra buck, finds an unexpected way to earn easy money.Ovidiu, a high-school teacher looking for an extra buck, finds an unexpected way to earn easy money.
- Awards
- 4 wins total
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
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Featured reviews
I've spent a lot of time in Romania over the last few years, and have wanted to tell people I know here in the UK about what it's really like over there - Filantropica gives me a chance to make what I say come to life. The portrayal of the rich, useless 'students', in particular, was so close to reality I just couldn't stop laughing.
....and the dogs at the beginning and the end are just, well, perfect!
'Filantropica' presents a point of view which may be unknown or hard to catch for many non-Romanian viewers. The Romanian literature and theater has a great satiric tradition, and the founder of absurd comedy theater Eugene Ionesco was of Romanian origin. This is where the villain characters in 'Filantropica' like the one of the master combinator played by Gheorghe DInica come from, although the figure of the little professor of literature dreaming to overcome his miserable condition (through money? through love?) played by Mircea Diaconu is as universal as a Benigni or Woody Allen would have created it.
Some comments consider 'Filantropica' as the best film of the Romanian cinema. I believe that this is an exaggeration, there are certain flaws especially the extended and un-justified use of off-screen voice in the first part of the movie. 'Moartea Domnului Lazarescu' of Cristi Puiu, another movie inspired by the reality of the same period is a better film, with somehow a more optimistic message. Yet this is an important film about this complex period in the history of Romania.
Did you know
- TriviaNae Caranfil, the director, does a cameo in most of his films. In Filantropica he appears in the Karaoke scene.
- Quotes
Robert Dobrovicescu: Hey teach, I heard some talk about booting me out. What's up?
Ovidiu Gorea: You must've done something.
Robert Dobrovicescu: But you stick up for me! You're my buddy, right?
Ovidiu Gorea: What can I do, if you keep looking for trouble?
Robert Dobrovicescu: Let me spell it out for you. If they boot me out and you're on their side, you won't be my buddy anymore. Then I come see you... and slice you like salami. Fair? Sounds fair to me.
Ovidiu Gorea: I'll think about it.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Closer to the Moon (2014)
- How long is Philanthropy?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $20,795
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1