Cristian Mungiu’s Cinematographer Tudor Vladimir Panduru Breaks Down Long Takes on ‘Fjord,’ ‘R.M.N.’ at Jakarta World Cinema Masterclass — SkimNews
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Tudor Panduru said at the Jakarta World Cinema masterclass that “Graduation,” only his second film as cinematographer, made him internationally known; he had trained under Oleg Mutu and was introduced to Cristian Mungiu while still a trainee.
- Cristian Mungiu favors plan-sequences with one scene per shot and no cuts, leading Panduru to shoot 20, 30 and sometimes 40 takes; Panduru said the right take requires trust and synchronicity among everyone on set.
- R.M.N. staged a town-hall sequence as a 20-minute take with more than 100 people, filmed at night despite appearing to be daytime; Panduru used focus pulling to reframe and edit optically while keeping the crowd in focus.
- Benh Zeitlin and Panduru agreed that Mungiu’s cinema prizes “directness and truthfulness” over “hypocrisy and dishonesty,” while Panduru described Romanian cinema as rooted in social issues.
- The President’s Cake, directed by Hasan Hadi, adopted a visual language distinct from Mungiu’s work, using long shots with a sailing boat and the natural landscape to motivate running jib arms and wheels that Panduru later reused on “Fjord.”
- Fjord’s family gathering appeared to be shot at magic hour, but Panduru said he blocked natural light from outside to buy more time for the performances.
- Renate Reinsve searched on the ground and jumped into the sea during a “Fjord” long take; Panduru followed into the freezing water, struggling to synchronize with her mid-jump while grips supported him inside and outside the sea.
Why it matters: For audiences of Mungiu’s work, the payoff of the 20-to-40-take process is a continuous emotional trajectory preserved without a cut. For performers and crews, the cost is visible: more than 100 people must remain in focus in “R.M.N.,” and grips support Panduru in freezing water for “Fjord.”
Ask SkimNews
