Lucian Georgescu

Extra muros: Theory from the Periphery

UNATC (Universitatea Națională de Artă Teatrală și Cinematografică), Romania

The discourse on screenwriting is predominantly rooted in the Anglo-American tradition, with English serving as the industry and academic lingua franca. When respect is paid to founding figures from Eastern Europe, these are primarily Russians. In the vast landscape of screenwriting, size, beyond language, holds significance, with recognition often eluding smaller cultures. The triumvirate of Eisenstein, Kuleshov, and Pudovkin stands prominently, yet contemporary missionaries of the craft are exclusively American, leaving lesser-known figures from marginal cultures in the shadows.

The case of the Hungarian Lajos Egri is an exception to the rule, as his impact would have been limited, if he had not crossed the Ocean. On the contrary, the works of the famous Czech František Daniel (known as “Frank”, in the U.S.), “Cesta za filmovým dramatem” (1956) or “Stručný přehled vývoje evropských dramatických teorií” (1957), remain, however, largely unknown internationally. The plight of the Romanian luminary Dumitru Carabăț, the author of “De la cuvânt la imagine – o teorie a adaptării” (1989) and “Spre o poetică a scenariului cinematografic” (1998), is even more profound, as he remained obscured behind the Wall. This paper aims to shed light on Dumitru Carabăț contributions to an original, but obscure to a wider audience, screenplay Poetics.
Professor Carabăț (1932-2020) is an unheralded luminary of the Romanian film school. As one of the founding fathers of this esteemed national academic institution, his teachings have left an indelible mark on his students, members of the NCR (New Romanian Cinema) movement, who have gone on to achieve international acclaim: Caranfil, Porumboiu, Netzer, Giurgiu, Muntean. However, the work of their teacher remains unknown, apart from his industry highlight, the Cannes screenwriting award – with Yves Jamiaque – of “Codin” (Henri Colpi, 1963).

Despite the significance of his works for both practitioners and researchers, a language barrier has hindered their accessibility. This presentation is a summary of his theory, and advocates for a comprehensive translation of his seminal works, to ensure that Carabăț’ contributions to screenwriting are duly appreciated internationally.

Professor of screenwriting at UNATC, began teaching in the early nineties, as an assistant to Professor Carabăț. Authored the national film school writing curricula, consistent with the legacy of his mentor. Research focus on the road movie narrative paradigms: “Pe drum cu Jim” (On the Road with Jim) on Jarmusch as a road movie auteur, and “Dialoguri despre scenariu” (Dialogues on Screenwriting). Some of his texts are internationally published: “The New Romanian Cinema at the Point of No Return”, in “East, West, and Centre: Reframing post-1989 European Cinema” (EUP) and “The Road Movies of the New Romanian Cinema” in “Studies in Eastern European Cinema” (Routledge). Other interests include the open-source concept applied to cinema distribution, and the impact of the streaming industry on film language. He is a guest editor of the Intellect JMDP special edition (2024), a member of the SRN Executive Council, UCIN, FIPRESCI and Creative Commons.