The Second Game ( Al doilea joc ) ( The 2nd Game ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL: Reg.0 Import - France ] by Adrian Porumboiu

France released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada: LANGUAGES: Romanian ( Dolby Digital Stereo ), English ( Subtitles ), French ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Booklet, Cast/Crew Interview(s), Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: The Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu brings history close to home in this ingenious conceptual documentary. The film's images are a grainy video rebroadcast of a 1988 soccer game in Bucharest between two teams affiliated, respectively, with the Army and the secret police-a game for which Porumboiu's father, Adrian, was the referee. In lieu of the broadcast's original live sports commentary, Porumboiu fills the soundtrack with his own real-time discussion with his father, who, at the time of the match, was receiving death threats. Their talks reveal the former referee's insights into the political conflicts hidden behind the on-field struggle, his psychological probe of the players' personalities, and his own state of mind and plan of action while he deployed his power in the interest of a well-ordered microcosm. The resulting clash of sound and image gives the game the amplitude and the depth of a fictional work, and offers allegorical implications for a society that was on the verge of drastic change. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: Berlin International Film Festival, ...The Second Game ( Al doilea joc ) ( The 2nd Game )