The Death of Mr. Lazarescu on DVD Sept 12th

After multiple film festivals, scores of awards and accolades including the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix Un Certain Regard and a critically-lauded 2006 theatrical release, the most acclaimed comedy of the year, director Cristi Puiu’s The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, will find its final resting place on DVD on September 12th from Tartan Video.

After suffering terrible headaches and stomach cramps that he can no longer bare, Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu) calls for an ambulance, beginning one man’s poignant journey through Bucharest hospitals in search of proper medical care. His lone ally, medic Mioara (Luminta Gheorghiu), admirably fights for him with compassion and decency.  However, cursed with viciously ironic luck and fumes of alcohol on his breath, Mr. Lazarescu is treated with scorn, indifference and little else on his journey through the oblivion of the health care system.

An official selection of over 25 film festivals including Cannes, Toronto, and New York and the official Romanian selection for Best Foreign Film at the 2006 Academy Awards©, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu has been acclaimed the world over.  Along with the prestigious Grand Prix Un Certain Regard Award from Cannes, the film also won the Special Jury Prize at the Chicago Film Festival and the Fipresci Award at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival. 

The film has caused an eye-opening re-examination into the world of healthcare.  Hospitals and universities have begun showing the film to students in order to raise awareness to the questions and concerns surrounding emergency room care. Romanian, with English and Spanish subtitles, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is presented in anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS Surround Sound 5.1. Special DVD features TBD, but will include Original theatrical trailer; Trailers of Tartan Video’s upcoming releases.