TREASURE, The

"Aptly named and drolly executed, leading to a transcendently funny, endearing and unexpected finale, The Treasure confirms Corneliu Porumboiu as the joker in the Romanian New Wave pack." – Indiewire

After a day's work, 33-year-old Costi typically spends his evenings at home, reading Robin Hood stories to his six-year-old son. One evening his neighbour Adrian visits, spinning a wild tale about buried treasure in his grandparents' garden. Steeped in debt, Adrian is seeking to borrow money for a metal detector. Sceptical at first, Costi is convinced when Adrian agrees to go halves on any treasure they find.

So begins Romanian new wave master Corneliu Porumboiu's (When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism, MIFF 2014; 12:08 East of Bucharest, MIFF 2008) whimsical black comedy, born out of an unfinished documentary and weaving elements of local history into a characteristically social realist critique with a distinct brand of humour. Winner of the Un Certain Talent Prize at Cannes, the result is a bizarre and ultimately joyous thriller that straddles reality and pure fairytale.

"Crossbreeds Romanian cinema with a loopy, Jarmusch-ian sensibility and works into it all a heart of literal gold." – The Playlist