OBSERVATOR CULTURAL - Spiritul critic in actiune

Lead article
Carmen Musat discusses the symbolic importance of Doina Cornea as anti-Communist dissident.

Politics
Bedros Horasangian comments on the Social Democratic Party’s motion to change the Tariceanu Cabinet.
Ciprian Ciucu looks over the doings of Justice Minister Tudor Chiuariu.

Latest
Constantin Hostiuc looks at Eva a trait la Plescoi (Eva Lived in Plescoi), an exhibition at The Romanian Peasant’s Museum Club. Visitors will be pleased to know that Adrian Ilfoveanu contributes a statue made of redoubtable Plescoi sausages while his brother, Nicu Ilfoveanu offers photos of the women in Plescoi. The exhibition will be on view from 20 September.
Florina Pirjol presents the 39th Days of Calinescu Culture, which runs from 21 through 23 September in Onesti.

Book reviews
Bianca Burta-Cernat comments on Daniel Vighi’s Onoarea si onorariul. Eseu monografic (the Honor and the Honorarium: a Monographic Essay, Bucharest: Cartea Romaneasca, 2007), a cultural studies approach to writer Ioan Slavici’s Banat.
Florin Irimia discusses Margaret Atwood’s Povestirea cameristei (The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel, Bucharest: Leda, 2006, translated by Monica Botez), a dystopian novel that won The Governor General’s Award.
Ioana Paverman discusses Raymond Aron’s Opiul intelectualilor (The Opium of the Intellectuals, Bucharest: Curtea Veche, 2007), which deconstructs our traditional manner of judging the ideology of the left.

Polemics
Caius Dobrescu continues his polemic with Ciprian Siulea on the Tismaneanu Report (see also The Observer 386 and 387).

Supplement
The Observer profiles the poets who will attend The European Poetry Festival in Sibiu from October 3 through 6. These include: Bora Cosic (Croatia), Inger Christensen (Denmark), Urs Allemann (Switzerland), Caius Dobrescu (Romania), Bodo Hell (Austria), Michael Donhauser (Austria), Oswald Egger (Austria), Nora Iuga (Romania), Herta Muller (Germany), Mirela Ivanova (Bulgaria), Michele Metail (France), Ulf Stolterfoht (Germany), Raphael Urweider (Switzerland), Ales Steger (Slovenia), Matthew Sweeney (Ireland) and Otto Tolnai (Hungary / Serbia). Gabriel H. Decuble interiews Ernest Wichner in connection with the festival.
International
Dana Enulescu looks at Venice 64, Mostra Internazionale di Arte Cinematografica Lido di Venezia, running from 29 August through 8 September.
Cristian Cercel interviews Stefan Sienerth, director of the Institute for the German History and Culture in South-eastern Europe.

Arts

Theatre
Iulia Popovici discusses the activities of the Desant Theatre, which closed on 31 August. Created by the PERSONA Association for Creative Education in August 2005, the theatre supported interdisciplinary experimentation.

Film
Mihai Fulger offers an on the spot presentation of recent developments in Polish Cinematography

Visual arts
Maria-Magdalena Crisan takes a look at Silviu Oravitzan’s exhibition of paintings, Lux, Lumen, on view from September 3 at the Contemporary Art Gallery of the Brukenthal National Museum

Music
Anca Florea and Florian Baiculescu survey the 18th Enescu Festival, which ended on 23 September in Bucharest.

Latest in sport
Ovidiu Simonca comments on soccer coach Gheorghe (Gica) Hagi’s resignation from Steaua Bucharesti.