As the cartoonist Albert Poch once said, this place “seems to have a predestined name in order to be a launching ramp, a stage and a shelter for those who have dedicated themselves, who love and respect the art of laughing for a purpose”.
The festival would not have existed if there had not been such talented people in Gura Humorului, who dared to face the harsh times until December 1989 using the tip of a pen to scold injustice, stupidity, ignorance, disrespect or the evil that used to govern our existence, even if they had to risk their own freedom. Their names are George Gavrilean, Radu Bercea, Florin Sușinschi and Teo Bocăneț whose works were sought and hunted, commented and enjoyed with the same pleasure and joy as the works of Mihai Stanescu from Muntenia.
That was the beginning. Still, the idea was materialized and supported by the local and county resort institutions and since 2014, in collaboration with the neighboring village – Mănăstirea Humorului — which was assigned with the humoristic literature section.
Today, the two contest sections are satirical graphics and humoristic literature (epigram and poetry) but the Festival “Humour in…. Gura Humorului has, become a complex cultural event over time, in addition to the sections in the contest including humoristic performances by great comedy actors, personal exhibitions of famous cartoonists from around the world, documentary exhibitions of humoristic magazines from Europe, meetings with famous writers, humoristic book releases, humoristic photography exhibitions, practical demonstrations of humoristic portraiture (the so-called “satirical graphic art workshops ”), epigram recitals, screenings of film comedies and fairs of skilled craftsmen …
From an event of regional importance, the Festival has turned into a Festival of national importance and, since 2007, it has truly become an international Festival known and recognized worldwide. Seriously joking, we used to say that only some participants from Antarctica are missing.
But, as hope never dies….
