Poor Ioanide

Ioanide, an apolitical and misunderstood artist who dreams of "things that are normal abroad but impossible here", led a difficult life as an architect under the old regime. After 1944, his situation improved thanks to the benevolence of an enlightened communist nicknamed Botticelli, whom he once hid from the police in the attic of his house. He receives commissions for large-scale cultural monuments, although he has "on file" the ballast of his children lost in the legionary adventure and continues to accept, in his entourage, a circle of sycophants from the former elite.

Directed by Dan Pița, Poor Ioanide leans on a strong ensemble — Gheorghe Dinică, Gheorghe Visu, Mircea Diaconu — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1980.