Director Nanau calls his 'colectiv' documentary story about incompetent authorities trampling people's lives

Alexander Nanau, the director of "colectiv" (Collective), a documentary shortlisted in two categories of the 93rd Academy Awards, says the nomination is the result of the work of a team that has made a film that can compete with the world's best. In a statement to AGERPRES on Wednesday, the director emphasises that because his documentary has been shortlisted means that its story "goes further." "What is most delightful is that this story goes on and, in the end, it is a story about the government, some incompetent authorities, who through lies and manipulation have trampled on people's lives, and it is very important that as many people as possible see it so that they can help others realise when they are being manipulated and their lives are endangered by the authorities," Nanau said. To him, the nomination "is the result of the work of a team that has made a film of this quality, which can compete with the best films in the world and [the result of a work] for months of a team from four continents working on this campaign." Regarding the impact on the public, the director pointed out that "there are some themes that are valid for everyone, all over the world." "Basically, a very important one is that we realise, through this story that has happened to us but it is repeated all over the world, how important an independent press is and that without an independent press we practically have no access to the truth, because people in power all the time will be tempted to invent a parallel reality and hide their intentions and abuse their power," he said. The director also spoke about the change in Romanian society, after the fire at the Colectiv club in Bucharest in late October 2015. "In Romania, it is obvious that the Romanian society, since Colectiv, since the end of 2015, has changed quite a bit. We want a change that is more and more visible, but politics, as we have witnessed in Piatra Neamt, as we have witnessed at Matei Bals, that is the result of incompetent and corrupt people sworn into office for decades at state institutions or hospitals, sweeping incompetence and misery under the carpet and the result is very simple - people die," said Nanau. However, the director says the Romanian society will change, "because people are beginning to understand that the competence of those who hold public positions is without a doubt something that can no longer be negotiated." Nanau added that "Collective" will open in Turkey, Italy and Latin American countries. "Fortunately, the film, despite the ongoing pandemic, is currently running not only in Romania and America, but all over the world. In Mongolia it was very important to journalists, because the national Parliament there is trying to restrict the rights of journalists. It will also run in Turkey, Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand, and all Latin America. So the 'Collective' story is travelling all over the world and it is very much praised," the filmmaker pointed out. "Collective," a documentary directed by Alexander Nanau, has been shortlisted to advance in the Documentary Feature category and the International Feature Film category for the 93rd Academy Awards, according to the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)