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Andrei Ujică Unveiled His Armchair Before the Screening of His Documentary TWST: THINGS WE SAID TODAY

Alan Rodríguez

With a special premiere in Mexico and the unveiling of a commemorative armchair for Romanian director Andrei Ujică, the documentary TWST: Things We Said Today was presented as part of the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

Before the screening began, Daniela Michel, founder and director of FICM, highlighted the important relationship the festival has had with Romania, recalling Cristian Mungiu's visit in the same year he won the Palme d'Or for 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007). 

“Ujică is one of the most revered filmmakers in Europe; it's a pleasure to have him here because our connection with Romania is very important to us, it's a cinema we admire greatly,” added Daniela Michel.

TWST: Things We Said Today is a documentary that encapsulates New York City between August 13 and 15, 1965, framed by the Beatles' arrival in the city and their first concert at Shea Stadium.

"I was on my way to the movies the first time I heard ‘And I Love Her’ on my little radio, and I started crying. What happened at that moment was that I understood that I was entering a new era that felt right for us [...] A few years later, when I was in my senior year of high school, I was listening to the White Album and a literary voice began to dictate a part of what would later become the story you are about to see here," Andrei Ujică shared.

For the director, it was very important to begin with the effect that the Beatles had on his generation, and he decided to focus specifically on the first concert at Shea Stadium because it coincided with the same weekend when the Watts riots took place in Los Angeles and the World’s Fair was held in New York. This was vital for the film to be imbued with this historical baggage.

Andrei Ujică is part of the jury for the Mexican Feature Film Section of the 23rd FICM.