The following year, he was in the cast of "The Earth's Most Beloved Son", another adaptation from Marin Preda (from the book "Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni"). The second of Pintilie's films to star Rebengiuc was the Palme d'Or-nominated drama "Too Late", which discussed the failings of justice in post-communist Romania, where he played the role of Elephant Foot. In 1997, he was in Piţa's "The Man of the Day", which was based on a screenplay by Radu F. Alexandru, and, in 1999, starred alongside Hungarian and Romanian actors in Gábor Tompa's "Chinese Defense". Rebengiuc also starred as Grigore Cafanu in Pintilie's 1998 film "Last Stop Paradise" (awarded the Special Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival).