The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

“A black comedy with serious side effects.”

Mr. Lăzărescu (Ion Fiscuteanu), a lonely 63-year-old man, just wants someone to take away the headache and the cramps in his stomach, so he phones for an ambulance. Paramedic Mioara Avram (Luminița Gheorghiu) rides with him from one Bucharest hospital to the next while his condition worsens. Cristi Puiu films it in long, patient takes, with the handheld camera rarely leaving the cramped ambulance or the corridors.