Deep in the heart of Romania, in the Mureş County, Gerard Depardieu is undertaking a rare enterprise: the remake of one of the gems of Romanian film-making, “The Death of Ipu”, based on a short story by Titus Popovici. The plot takes us to the days of the German retreat from Romania, in late 1944, as Romanian and Soviet troops were pushing West. A German soldier is killed by partisans in a Romanian village and the German commander announces reprisals against the civilians. The village mayor, priest, policeman, teacher and notary have their wives arrange a feast for the village “under-dog”, a man named Ipu, in an against-the-clock attempt to persuade him to take the blame for the entire village.
The original film is a bitter-sweet comedy with an unexpected twist at the equally “sad and happy end” and it featured cult names of Romania’s cinema, such as Amza Pellea, Ion Besoiu, Gheorghe Dinică and Octavian Cotescu. In the new version, Gerard Depardieu will be starring with Romanian actors Gheorghe Visu, Dorel Vişan and with Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel. The new film will also be renamed “Ipu – Convicted to Live”.
Camera Crews: Romania, Moldova, UK and Lebanon 
Leave a comment