Eu, tu si Ovidiu (1977)

A series of letters passes between the “Drum Nou” metallurgical plant in Bucharest and the “Prometeu” plant in Constanța concerning the alleged waste of materials on Order 201, which is being carried out by the plant in the seaside city. Engineer Alexandru (Alecu) Răducanu (Florin Piersic), director of the Prometeu plant, rejects the objections raised, maintaining that Order 201 is being completed on schedule and in accordance with the standards in force. He travels to the rival plant to clarify his position. Meanwhile, the artistic troupe of Bucharest’s “Drum Nou” plant, winner of the “Cântarea României” Festival, performs a musical-satirical couplet on television denouncing waste at the rival plant. After watching this satirical broadcast, the general director of the Central Office sends inspector-technologist Bebe Ionescu (Dem Rădulescu) to Constanța to conduct an investigation. The newspaper’s editor-in-chief also sends journalist Toma Cernat (Sebastian Papaiani), Răducanu’s friend, to write an article about the situation at the Constanța plant. Toma and Alecu are supposed to take the train to Constanța together, but the engineer misses it and bumps into Ioana Teodorescu (Violeta Andrei), from the “Drum Nou” plant’s artistic troupe, who has also missed the train. Since the two have identical suitcases, their luggage gets mixed up, a mishap that will recur several times throughout the film. On the train, Toma travels with the troupe’s other three members. The girls get off at Costinești, but since Ioana has the accommodation assignments, they go on to Constanța to find somewhere to stay. Toma has nowhere to stay either, because the apartment is locked and Alecu has the key. Director Răducanu and Ioana travel to Constanța on another train, which also carries, among others, inspector Ionescu, an elderly lady (Nineta Gusti), a former prestidigitator who now works on puzzles (Geo Saizescu), and a fat man who knows all the answers to crossword puzzles (Aurel Giurumia). A romantic affair develops between Alecu and Ioana, each unsuccessfully trying to guess what the other does for a living. The two arrange to meet the next day in front of Ovid’s statue to resume the conversation they began on the train. Meanwhile, through Florea (Cosma Brașoveanu), head of production at “Prometeu,” the three girls from the artistic troupe and journalist Toma are put up in the plant’s club. The club’s manager, Misică (Jean Constantin), accommodates the journalist, the three girls, and the inspector from the Central Office there. Engineer Răducanu also takes Ioana there, without telling her that he is the plant’s director. Because space is limited, Misică moves them from room to room. That night, Elvira (Ileana Stana Ionescu), the inspector’s wife, arrives unexpectedly. The next day, Director Răducanu goes to the plant and hands Inspector Ionescu the files concerning Order 201. He shows the factory to journalist Toma, whose suitcase has once again been mixed up with Ioana’s. Alecu meets Ioana in front of Ovid’s statue, and they walk together along the seashore. That evening, Ioana realizes that Alecu is the director of the “Prometeu” plant and that he knew from the beginning who she was. Inspector Ionescu writes an informational report about Order 201, spending most of the time allotted for his investigation at the beach. He recommends that no measures be taken. Toma goes to Bucharest and submits two articles to the editorial office: one about love, truth, and principles, and an investigation titled “Critical Notes on a Criticism in Musical Notes.” The first article presents Răducanu’s ideas about love. The humorous musical show “How Lovely It Is by the Sea,” organized by the “Prometeu” plant, is scheduled for Sunday. However, on Saturday Director Răducanu is called to a two-day conference in Bucharest, where Director Georgescu (Octavian Cotescu) of the “Drum Nou” plant argues for the need to save metal. The next day, the article about love, truth, and principles appears in the newspaper “Viața Tineretului.” The director hurries back to Constanța by plane to attend the show. The show begins in the director’s absence, and Misică performs a hypnotism act. Inspector Ionescu volunteers to be hypnotized, and while in a trance says that he came to Constanța to sunbathe. The director arrives as the musical-satirical couplet begins and listens to the girls’ criticism of the management of the “Prometeu” plant. The following day, employees at the plant approach Alecu and begin asking him for advice about matters of the heart. Inspector Ionescu is dismissed by the Central Office for incompetence. Realizing that he loves Ioana, Alecu sets off in his vintage car (“Matilda”) to catch up with the girls before they leave for Bucharest. But Ioana gets off the minibus before it reaches the station. The two meet again at last and kiss on the seashore.