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Tag: Anim’est

Ciao, Italy! Animest 19

After having gathered 15 thousand viewers in front of the cinema screens at the previous edition, the International Animation Film Festival – Animest, returns to Bucharest, between October 4 and 13.

Italian animation is in the spotlight of this 19th edition of the festival, thus continuing a long tradition of annual retrospectives dedicated to countries that have set important milestones in cinematography over time. This year, the public will have the unique opportunity to explore the richness and diversity of Italian animation through an impressive selection of films, guests and special events, which bring to the fore both classics of the genre and renowned contemporary works. The “Ciao, Italy!” program, presented by the guest country of the current edition, is supported by the Italian Culture Institute in Bucharest and Animaphix, the International Animation Film Festival in Sicily.

Mihai Mitrică, the artistic director of Animest: “We chose Italy for this year because it has a rich tradition in animated films. It is true that in recent years the Italian industry has not had the scope it had a few decades ago, but the tradition of Italian cinema cannot be overlooked. We had been planning for some time to focus on Italian animation, but we only managed to do so at this edition and we thank our colleague and friend from Italy, Andrea Martignoni, for this extensive retrospective. The retrospective curated by Andrea Martignoni, a renowned film sound designer, includes classic and contemporary Italian animation, and the three feature films chosen are representative of what Italian animation is all about: “Allegro non tropo” (dir. Bruno Bozzetto, 1976), “L’arte della felicità” / “The Art of Happiness” (dir. Alessandro Rak, 2013), awarded at the Venice Film Festival, and “Invelle” / “Nowhere” (dir . Simone Massi), also awarded in Venice.”

Increasingly innovative and stylistically complex, the 12 short films included in the Romanian Competition at the 19th edition of Animest paint an overall urban picture of the local contemporary animation. The short films in this year’s selection are a mix of productions signed by students at the beginning of their journey in the field and films created by established animation artists. This year, 32 films entered the Romanian Animest Competition, a very large number that demonstrates the continuous development of this field, as a result of the constant support in the last 19 years.

Animest’s impact on the animation industry in Romania can be seen directly on the big screens in this year’s selection, full of courageous approaches and original stories that focus mostly on relationships and bonding – as a couple, in the family or in the community.

Mihai Mitrică, Animest director: “Every year we receive more and more Romanian animation projects, which makes us happy. Moreover, it is also about the quality of the films, which is getting better and better. This is also due to the fact that the animation school, both within the National University of Theater and Cinematography “Ion Luca Caragiale” in Bucharest, and within the film and theater faculties in Oradea, Cluj and Iași is starting to bear fruit, certainly thanks to the Animest festival. We only show the work of the animators and promote their films, the merit is of the animation schools and of course of the producers. Two of the directors returning to the Animest competition are Tudor Avrămuț and Serghei Chiviriga, who made a children’s film called TIBI. Andreia Dobrotă is also present with a film at Animest. She is a director who lives in the Netherlands and makes a film almost every year. This is an independent project, one of the many projects she is working on. I would also mention a Romania-France co-production, which is based on a Romanian story. It is a film by the French director Mélody Boulissière, whose subject is a love story during the Second World War, based on the photo collection of the well-known photographer Constantin Axinte from Slobozia.”

Alina Gheorghe also returns to the Romanian Animest Competition with a new training film, “Dirty Paradise”, a metaphor about rejecting one’s self and idealizing perfection. The 19th edition of the Animest Festival proposes a series of urban white nights dedicated to the most daring of animated film lovers. Atypical stories, intense experiences, nocturnal screenings and challenging experiments come together in a sophisticated cocktail of thematic events – new and established. Trippy Animation Night returns with an unusual and electrifying collection, Creepy Animation Night gives chills to even the bravest of spectators, Erotica – The Night of Erotic Animation stimulates the imagination outside the comfort zone, and Animusic Night will once again prove that quality parties also find a place in the cinema world. Moreover, this year, the special events are complemented by a new entry, devoted to young people – Fresh Frames, a selection of animated films mostly made by teenagers in the workshops supported by the Animation Incubator during the year. (EE, LS)

12 October 2024
Le Festival International du Film d’animation, ANIMEST

Le court métrage « Un crabe dans la piscine »,
réalisé par Alexandra Myotte et Jean-Sébastien Hamel, a remporté le Trophée
Animest lors de la 18e édition du Festival international du Film
d’animation. « C’est l’histoire émouvante de Zoé et son frère, Théo, qui
doivent se débrouiller tout-seuls. L’histoire nous emmène dans un monde
fantastique, à travers l’imaginaire des enfants », ont déclaré les membres
du jury qui ont désigné le film gagnant. Le lauréat du Trophée Animest 2023 se
voit automatiquement garantir une place sur la liste des candidats éligibles à
une nomination aux Oscars, décernée par l’Académie du Film Américaine.

Selon
Mihai Mitrică, le directeur du Festival international du Film d’animation
Animest, l’édition de cette année était spéciale :

« Cette année, plus de 40 courts
métrages ont participé à la compétition roumaine. Il y avait des courts
métrages de tout le pays, ce qui nous a fait très plaisir. Avant l’édition de
cette année, nous recevions principalement des films de la part des étudiants
de Bucarest, Cluj et Oradea, où il existe des départements d’animation au sein
des facultés de cinéma et des beaux-arts. En revanche, cette année, nous avons
également reçu des films de Iasi et de Galați, et nous sommes heureux de
commencer à recevoir des productions de plusieurs régions. La sélection finale
a eu environ 90 minutes, avec 12 courts métrages réalisés par des étudiants en
cinéma et qui ont beaucoup évolué. D’ailleurs, la qualité des films témoigne
également de l’évolution de l’école roumaine d’animation, de ces départements
d’animation créés il y a quelques années dans plusieurs universités. Il est
très important que ces départements se différencient des départements qui
étaient autrefois appelés génériquement Multimédia, où le son, le montage et l’animation
étaient étudiés ensemble. Désormais, les étudiants peuvent opter pour seule
l’animation en tant que spécialisation. Nous sommes très heureux de présenter
leurs films au festival. D’ailleurs, c’était aussi un de nos principaux objectifs
lorsque nous l’avons fondé en 2006, soit de promouvoir et d’aider les personnes
qui choisissent de réaliser des films d’animation. Et nous sommes vraiment
heureux que beaucoup de ceux qui envoient leurs films à Animest nous disent à
quel point le festival les a aidés, que c’est grâce à l’Animest, ils ont
commencé à faire des films, voulant voir leurs films projetés sur un grand
écran. »

Devenue déjà une tradition, la rétrospective que le
festival Animest consacre chaque année aux pays fortement présents sur la carte
internationale du cinéma d’animation a mis, cette année, le cinéma letton au
premier plan lors de sa 18e édition, avec pour invité – le studio de
cinéma Atom Art, venu présenter ses créations à Bucarest. Des noms
représentatifs du domaine étaient aussi présents aux projections et aux débats
organisés, offrant au public de tous âges une perspective unique sur le cinéma des
Pays Baltes, qui s’affirme de plus en plus dans le monde des films d’auteur.

Mihai Mitrică, directeur d’Animest nous explique :

« La Lettonie est un pays en plein essor si l’on parle de
l’industrie cinématographique en général. Qui plus est, l’animation qui y est
réalisée s’est beaucoup développée et a pris de l’ampleur ces dernières années.
L’une des raisons en est qu’ils réalisent beaucoup de films pour enfants et
qu’ils sont très demandés pour cela, et pas seulement par les télévisions des Pays
Baltes. Les pays ayant une tradition dans le cinéma d’animation, tels la France,
achètent des films en Lettonie. Lorsque nous leur avons proposé l’année
dernière d’être présents au festival, ils ont été ravis et nous avons donc
réalisé une rétrospective cohérente des films produits en Lettonie. »

Et ce n’est pas tout. Du
6 au 15 octobre, les courts métrages les plus récents et les plus beaux dédiés
aux enfants ont été présentés au sein de la Compétition Minimest, jugée par les
plus petits, alors que les matins de week-end, des histoires pour toute la
famille ont animé les salles de cinéma de Bucarest. Voilà pour la 18e édition
du festival international du film d’animation Animest, devenue déjà une
tradition en Roumanie. (trad. Andra Juganaru)

22 October 2023
“Amanece la noche más larga”, en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Animación Animest

El cortometraje español “Amanece la noche más larga”, con guión y dirección de Lorena Ares y Carlos Fernández de Vigo, participó en la 17ͣ edición del Festival Internacional de Cine de Animación Animest desarrollado del 7 al 16 de octubre en Bucarest. Se trata de un cortometraje de animación 2D tradicional, basado en un relato de Ángel de la Cruz, tres veces ganador del Goya.

El Instituto Cervantes de Bucarest y el festival de animación Animest acogieron la presentación mundial de este cortometraje a través de una exposición de Realidad Aumentada.

Lorena Ares y Carlos Fernández de Vigo han estado por segunda vez en Rumanía. He aquí lo que han contado sobre este cortometraje y su presencia en el festival celebrado en la capital de Rumanía.

RadioRomaniaInternational · “Amanece la noche más larga”, en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Animación Animest

29 October 2022
Animest International Animated Film Festival

An event devoted to animated film, Animest is the place where the most important international productions released in the last year have a first meeting with the Romanian public. This year’s edition, the 17th, took place in Bucharest between October 7 and 16, and included more than 340 films, among which animated films that won prizes at major international cinematographic events.

Here is Mihai Mitrică, the director of Animest, with details: It is a come-back edition, after 2 years of pandemic. But the Animest Festival did not stop even during the pandemic. We organised an online-only edition and a hybrid edition. Last year we screened films in one cinema hall, but this year we are screening films in more than 5 locations. Its not an accident, after these two years of pandemic, that we chose love as the theme of this edition. We have a lot of love stories in the program: animated and very colourful, of course. In this edition, the international feature film competition brings together exceptional stories that will convince even the most hard-to-impress viewers. Im talking about five films. One of the films is produced in Japan, another one is a Japan-France co-production, we also have, among others, a film from Portugal, which is called Nayola. Portugal is the guest country at this years festival, so we will have a lot of Portuguese films. In the international feature film competition, we also have a Lithuanian-American film, a beautiful love story. It is very interesting that two of the five films in the international competition have war as their topic, but the way war is presented or the way the subject is approached is very original. Although they are films about war, they have colour and humour. As a conclusion, I would say that that the pandemic seems to have worked in favour of love, so to speak. As we can see in the Animest festivals schedule this year, it seems that people had more time to think, to devote more time to their loved ones, and this is indeed reflected in the productions that we have received.

One of the 49 short films selected in the International Competition will go home with the 2022 Animest Trophy, which will automatically give it a place on the list of eligible candidates for an Academy Award nomination, granted by the American Film Academy. Among these films there are two Romanian productions: Suruaika, a film by Vlad Ilicevici and Radu C. Pop, in which a cat ends up having all the power, and Sasha (directed by Serghei Chiviriga), about a teenager who gets to discover the truth about his own sexual identity in a strange way.

Mihai Mitrică: “Romanian films are no exception, in terms of quality and diversity. And this year weve received more submissions than ever. This is another conclusion that I have reached, namely that these 2 years of pandemic left a mark on productions, whose number has increased. Another notable thing is that most of the Romanian works submitted and selected this year into the competition are longer. There are 9 or 12-minute films, but there are also 15-minute ones. As a rule, in previous years the average length of a Romanian production was 4 minutes, with just a handful of 9-minute films. This tells me that artists had more time to work on their films and found stories they could tell in 12 minutes or more. As regards quality, it has improved from one year to the next, with few exceptions.

Those interested in exploring new views in animation will appreciate the short films submitted in the Student Film Competition, and coming from the most prestigious animation schools in the world. Animest International Animated Film Festival is the only one in Romania devoted exclusively to animation. Founded in 2006, the festival screens hundreds of works from around the world in 6 competition categories, special programmes devoted to famous animation schools, to relevant festivals, to major names in the industry. Every October, Bucharest hosts film directors, producers, students, curators and journalists, who take part in Q&A sessions, film premieres, workshops and master-classes.

One of the most important missions of the festival is to revive and promote Romanian animation. The local competition section of the festival has grown since its launch in 2007. The new generation, who took part in the Animest workshops, are already animation professionals in the country or students in leading European universities. In recent years, Romanian animated films have been selected in and awarded at important international festivals. Animest organises screenings in various cities in Romania, curates film selections in international festivals, and Animest Chișinău has been a regular annual event since 2011. (LS&AMP)

15 October 2022
October 9, 2022 UPDATE

Holocaust. In a message conveyed on Sunday on the National Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and expresses its solidarity with its survivors. “Promoting diversity, respect for the others, the equality of each human being in relation to the others in terms of respect for fundamental rights and freedoms are essential principles for the development of a democratic society. The importance of combating and condemning as strongly as possible the narratives of denial and distortion of the Holocaust is more evident than ever, and the adoption, in May 2021, of the National Strategy for preventing and combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech is the latest expression of Romanias constant efforts to preserve the memory of the past, protect the survivors and combat intolerance and discrimination”, the MFA press release reads.

Aid. The public debate on the state aid scheme for investments in the modernization of the energy system has been launched in Romania. According to the line minister, Virgil Popescu, the funding is intended for the rehabilitation of heating systems, and the money can be accessed by town halls and county councils, but also by companies that transport and distribute thermal energy in a centralized system. The program aims to reduce energy consumption and losses along the network. Those who invest in the digitalization of the energy distribution systems or in reducing the impact on the environment can also benefit from state aid. After it is adopted, the financing scheme will be applicable until 2030.

Compensation. The Romanian Ministry of Agriculture will compensate 780,000 farmers whose crops were affected by the drought, the Agriculture Minister Petre Daea has announced. He explained that, in order to receive the money, farmers can submit their applications by November 15. The money will be given after the ascertainment process is completed. Farmers will receive an advance, which this year will be higher, 70%, and for the first time in Romania, animal farmers will receive the same advance, Petre Daea also said.

Ukraine. Several people were killed and several dozen wounded, in an attack with Russian missiles on the city of Zaporizhzhia, in the south-east of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced on Sunday. The Russians bombed blocks of flats and streets in a residential neighborhood. The city is located next to the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, now controlled by Russia. Kyiv and Moscow have blamed each other for the bombing of the compound run by Ukrainian personnel, which damaged buildings and raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear accident. The International Atomic Energy Agency has condemned the recent bombings near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which led to the disconnection of the plant from Ukraines electricity grid, according to the operator of the complex. Resuming the attacks is an “extremely irresponsible” gesture, said the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. The plant currently relies on diesel generators.

Festival. The 17th International Animation Film Festival Animest continues in Bucharest. More than 340 short and feature films are part of the program of the event, which will last until October 16. According to the organizers, this year the event includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses held by professionals invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a mans escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation of the story of Robinson Crusoe.

Pilgrimage. In Iasi, in the east of Romania, the pilgrimage dedicated to Saint Pious Parascheva, considered the protector of Moldova, is in full swing. It started on Saturday, and so far, tens of thousands of people have worshiped the Saints reliquary , which was taken out in the yard of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Moldova and Bukovina. Between October 8-16, approximately 300,000 believers from the country and abroad are expected in Iasi. On October 14, when the Orthodox Christians celebrate Saint Pious Parascheva, Iasi turns into one of the largest pilgrimage centers in the country. During this period, employees of the Ministry of the Interior ensure the conditions for the safe conduct of religious services and other activities organized in the public space.

Football. In the preliminaries of the 2024 European Championship, the Romanian national football squad will be in the same group with Switzerland, Israel, Kosovo, Belarus and Andorra. The draw was held in Frankfurt on Sunday, as Germany is the organizing country. The final tournament will be held between June 14 – July 14, 2024. Preliminary games will be played between March and November 2023, when 20 qualifying teams will be established. 3 other representative teams will earn their place in the final tournament following the Nations League play-offs, in March 2024. Because of Russias aggression against Ukraine, the Russian team was excluded from the competition. (MI)

9 October 2022
Nachrichten 09.10.2022

– Das Au‎ßenministerium würdigt heute in einer Botschaft zum Nationalen Tag des Gedenkens an die Opfer des Holocausts in Rumänien das Andenken an die Opfer des Zweiten Weltkriegs und bekundet seine Solidarität mit den Überlebenden des Holocausts. Die Förderung der Vielfalt, der Respekt vor dem Anderen, die Gleichheit jedes Menschen gegenüber anderen im Hinblick auf die Achtung der Grundrechte und -freiheiten sind wesentliche Grundsätze für die Entwicklung einer demokratischen Gesellschaft. Die Verabschiedung der Nationalen Strategie zur Verhinderung und Bekämpfung von Antisemitismus, Fremdenfeindlichkeit, Radikalisierung und Hassreden im Mai 2021 ist der jüngste Ausdruck der ständigen Bemühungen Rumäniens, die Erinnerung an die Vergangenheit zu bewahren, die Überlebenden zu schützen und Intoleranz und Diskriminierung zu bekämpfen“, hei‎ßt es in der Pressemitteilung des Au‎ßenministeriums.

– In der ostrumänischen Stadt Iaşi findet zurzeit die Wallfahrt zu den Reliquien der Heiligen Paraschiva, die als Schutzpatronin der Moldau gilt, statt. Die Wallfahrt begann am Sonnabend. Bisher verehrten Zehntausende von Menschen den Schrein mit den Reliquien der Heiligen, der im Hof der Kathedrale der Metropoliten der Moldau und der Bukowina aufgestellt wurde. Zwischen dem 8. und 16. Oktober werden rund 300.000 Gläubige aus dem In- und Ausland in Iaşi erwartet. Am 14. Oktober, wenn die orthodoxen Christen das Fest der Heiligen Paraschiva begehen, wird Iaşi zu einem der grö‎ßten Pilgerzentren des Landes. Während dieser Zeit sorgen die Mitarbeiter des Innenministeriums für Sicherheit bei Gottesdiensten und anderen Aktivitäten, die in öffentlichen Räumen stattfinden.

– Mehr als 340 Kurz- und Langfilme werden noch bis zum 16. Oktober an verschiedenen Orten in Bukarest im Rahmen des 17. internationalen Animationsfilmfestivals Animest gespielt. Nach Angaben der Organisatoren finden in diesem Jahr Vorführungen und Sonderveranstaltungen, Special Events und Meisterklassen statt, an denen eigens nach Bukarest eingeladenen Fachleuten der Branche erwartet werden. Auf der Liste der Filme des Festivals stehen auch Titel, die im vergangenen Jahr die Aufmerksamkeit der gesamten Branche auf sich zogen und sich in den Wettbewerben der gro‎ßen internationalen Filmveranstaltungen hervorhoben. So insbesondere der Film Flee“ des dänischen Regisseurs Jonas Poher Rasmussen, der drei Oscar-Nominierungen und zahlreiche Auszeichnungen erhielt und die Geschichte der Flucht eines Mannes aus Afghanistan nach Dänemark erzählt. Unter den rumänischen Spielfilmen befindet sich auch Anca Damians surreale Komödie Die Insel“, die auf einer Interpretation der Geschichte von Robinson Crusoe basiert.

— In Rumänien ist das Wetter nach wie vor heiter. Die Temperaturen liegen über den für diese Jahreszeit durchschnittlichen Werten. Nur im Norden und Nordwesten des Landes kühlt sich das Wetter leicht ab. Die Höchsttemperaturen am Sonntag lagen zwischen 15 und 25 Grad Celsius. Zur Mittagszeit herrschten in Bukarest 20 Grad Celsius.

9 October 2022
October 9, 2022

Holocaust. In a message conveyed today on the National Holocaust
Remembrance Day, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays tribute to the
memory of the victims of the Holocaust and expresses its solidarity with its
survivors. Promoting diversity, respect for the others, the equality of each
human being in relation to the others in terms of respect for fundamental
rights and freedoms are essential principles for the development of a democratic
society. The importance of combating and condemning as strongly as possible the
narratives of denial and distortion of the Holocaust is more evident than ever,
and the adoption, in May 2021, of the National Strategy for preventing and
combating anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech is the
latest expression of Romania’s constant efforts to preserve the memory of the
past, protect the survivors and combat intolerance and discrimination, the MFA
press release reads.

Aid. The public debate on the state aid scheme for investments
in the modernization of the energy system has been launched in Romania.
According to the line minister, Virgil Popescu, the funding is intended for the
rehabilitation of heating systems, and the money can be accessed by town halls
and county councils, but also by companies that transport and distribute
thermal energy in a centralized system. The program aims to reduce energy
consumption and losses along the network. Those who invest in the
digitalization of the energy distribution systems or in reducing the impact on
the environment can also benefit from state aid. After it is adopted, the
financing scheme will be applicable until 2030.

Ukraine. Several people were killed and several dozen wounded, in
an attack with Russian missiles on the city of Zaporizhzhia, in the south-east
of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced today.
The attack took place last night, with the Russians bombing blocks of flats and
streets in a residential neighborhood. The city is located next to the largest
nuclear power plant in Europe, now controlled by Russia. Kyiv and Moscow have
blamed each other for the bombing of the compound run by Ukrainian personnel,
which damaged buildings and raised fears of a catastrophic nuclear accident.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has condemned the recent bombings near
the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which led to the disconnection of the
plant from Ukraine’s electricity grid, according to the operator of the
complex. Resuming the attacks is an extremely irresponsible gesture, said the
director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. The
plant currently relies on diesel generators.

Opinion. Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu has voiced his opinon that Romanians
would defend their country if there was a war. The minister has stated that a
study on the quality of military human resources and the morale of the Romanian
troops is underway, the results of which will be made public in about two
months. Vasile Dîncu has also said that the study includes questions about the
working conditions of the military, about what they need. According to the minister,
they are also asked whether they are satisfied with the ranking system, the
commanders, and the way in which they can provide feedback.

Festival. 17th International Animation Film Festival Anim’est continues in Bucharest. More
than 340 short and feature films are part of the program of the event, which
will last until October 16. According to the organizers, this year the event
includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses
supported by professionals specially invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating
in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire
industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major
international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received
three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a
man’s escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films
presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a
surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation
of the story of Robinson Crusoe.

Football. The Romanian national football squad is to learn today, in
Frankfurt, its opponents in the preliminaries of the 2024 European Championship,
a competition hosted by Germany. The Tricolors were assigned to the third urn
at the draw. 7 groups of 5 teams and 3 groups of 6 will be created. The value
ballots were set based on the Nations League hierarchy. The matches from the
EURO 2024 preliminaries will be played between March and November 2023, when 20
qualifying teams will be established. 3
other representative teams will earn their place in the final tournament
following the Nations League play-offs, in March 2024. (MI)

9 October 2022
08.10.2022

Ukraine – Les autorités ukrainiennes annoncent la découverte de deux cimetières dans la ville de Liman, dans l’est, récemment libéré de sous le contrôle des occupants russes. Selon la BBC, le gouverneur de la région Pavlo Kirilenko, l’un des deux cimetières contient quelque 200 tombes, où des civils seraient enterrés. L’autre est un fossé commun contenant tant des civils que des militaires. L’Ukraine a accusé à maintes reprises la Russie d’avoir commis des crimes de guerre contre les civils des régions occupées. Plusieurs attaques aux missiles ont eu lieu aujourd’hui à Kharkiv. Samedi matin, le pont qui relie la péninsule de Crimée et la Russie a été endommagé par l’explosion d’un camion alors qu’un train constitué de wagons citerne chargés de carburants traversait le détroit. Les liens ferroviaire et routier à travers le pont ont été coupés. La destruction du pont est un nouveau coup dur à l’effort de guerre russe en Ukraine, puisqu’il perturbe une route cruciale d’approvisionnement. Moscou a annexé la Crimée illégalement en 2014, avant d’envahir durant la même année certaines régions de l’Ukraine.

Prague – Lors de sa visite à Prague, à l’occasion de la réunion informelle du Conseil européen, le président roumain Klaus Iohannis a réitéré la position de la Roumanie en faveur de l’indépendance, de la souveraineté et de l’intégrité territoriale de l’Ukraine. Il a par ailleurs assuré du soutien continu de Bucarest, y compris pour la préparation de l’hiver dans le contexte de tension accrue avec la Russie. Il a déclaré que des mesures « plus pertinentes » étaient nécessaires à l’échelle de l’UE, afin de réduire les prix des l’Energie et a souligné l’importance de diversifier les sources d’énergie. Le chef de l’Etat a réitéré l’idée de séparer les marchés du gaz et de l’électricité et a mentionné le besoin d’un paquet plus ample de mesures. A l’agenda du Conseil européen figurait entre autres la situation en Ukraine, l’évolution du secteur de l’énergie, la question des prix de l’énergie et de l’approvisionnement ainsi que la situation économique européenne.

Oslo – Trois champions russe, ukrainien et bélarusse de la lutte pour les libertés civiles ont décroché vendredi un Nobel de la paix assorti d’une critique du régime autoritaire et répressif de Vladimir Poutine, en pleine guerre en Ukraine. Le prestigieux prix a été conjointement attribué au militant bélarusse Ales Beliatski, en prison dans son pays, a l’ONG russe Memorial — frappée par un ordre de dissolution — et au Centre ukrainien pour les libertés civiles, qui s’emploie a documenter les crimes de guerre russes dans le conflit en cours. Ce prix intervient alors que l’Ukraine se confronte à une invasion russe et aux crimes de guerres qui auraient été commis par ses troupes. Le comité Nobel norvégien souhaite honorer trois champions remarquables des droits humains, de la démocratie et de la coexistence pacifique dans les trois pays voisins que sont le Belarus, la Russie et l’Ukraine, a déclaré sa présidente Berit Reiss-Andersen.

Fitch
– L’agence de notation Fitch Ratings a confirmé la notation souveraine de la
Roumanie à 3B minus avec une perspective négative, la dernière note de la
catégorie « recommandée aux investissements ». Cette note est
due l’appartenance à l’UE et aux flux des capitaux qui soutiennent les
investissements et à la stabilité macroéconomique. Y contribuent aussi le PIB
par tête d’habitant, les indicateurs relatifs à la gouvernance et au
développement humain, qui sont supérieurs à ceux d’autres Etats qui bénéficient
d’une note de la catégorie 3B. Pourtant, le déficit budgétaire et le déficit du
compte courant plus élevé par rapport à d’autres Etats, les performances
réduites de la consolidation budgétaire et la rigidité du budget, ainsi qu’une
position de débiteur extérieur net sont des faiblesses incontestables, selon Fitch.
L’agence s’attend aussi à une réduction du déficit fiscal de l’année 2022 à
6,4% du PIB suite à une performance solide dans le secteur des recettes. Selon
Fitch, l’économie devrait enregistrer une avancée de 6,2% en 2022, une des taux
de croissance les plus élevées de l’UE. Elle est menée par la constitution des
stocks, mais aussi par la consommation privée solide, malgré la guerre en
Ukraine.

Iasi – Coup d’envoi aujourd’hui à Iasi dans le nord-est de la Roumanie du pèlerinage organisé à l’occasion de la fête de la Saint Parascheva. Jusqu’au 16 octobre quelque 300 000 fidèles de Roumanie et d’étrangers sont attendus à la cathédrale métropolitaine d’Iasi. Autour de la fête de Sainte Parascheva, le 14 juillet la ville moldave devient le plus grand centre de pèlerinage du pays.

ANIMEST – Plus de 340 films et courts métrages figurent à l’affiche de la 17ème édition du Festival international de film d’animation, Anim’est, qui se déroule du 7 au 16 octobre à Bucarest. Selon les organisateurs, cette année à l’affiche du festival figurent des projections et des événements spéciaux, des fêtes et des master classes données par des professionnels de l’industrie invités spéciaux à Bucarest. Parmi les productions présentées, plusieurs se sont déjà remarquées dans des festivals et des compétitions internationales. C’est le cas, par exemple, de « Flee », du Danois, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Sur l’ensemble des films signés par des artistes roumains, notons « L’île », une comédie surréaliste inspirée par l’histoire de Robinson Crusoé.

Météo – Il fait généralement beau ce weekend en Roumanie. Le ciel est variable, couvert sur le sud et le sud-est, où des pluies sont possibles. Les températures tourneront autour des 20 degrés.

8 October 2022
October 8, 2022 UPDATE

European Council. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated, on Friday, in Prague, Romanias stand regarding the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the continuation of Bucharests constant support, on multiple levels, including in preparation for winter, in the context of the new escalations caused by the Russian Federation. The head of state participated in the informal meeting of the European Council in the Czech capital, where he expressed Romanias openness to the reconstruction process. In another move, regarding the high level of energy prices, a constant concern for Romania, Klaus Iohannis recalled the need to adopt measures to ensure the decoupling of the price of electricity from the price of natural gas. The main topics on the agenda of the European Council meeting concerned the situation in Ukraine, developments in the field of energy, from the point of view of the impact of high prices and efforts for ensuring supply security, as well as the economic situation at the European level. As for Ukraine, European leaders strongly rejected and unequivocally condemned Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions following fake referendums.

Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities have announced that two cemeteries were found in the city of Lyman (east), recently freed from the control of the Russian occupiers. Lyman, a town in the Donetsk region, was liberated from the control of the Russian forces a week ago. According to the BBC, the governor of the region, Pavlo Kirilenko, said that at one of the cemeteries there are about two hundred graves, where civilians are believed to be buried. The other is a mass grave, where both civilians and soldiers could be buried. Kirilenko stated that the authorities have started an investigation and soon the dead bodies will be exhumed. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of committing war crimes against civilians in the occupied areas. In another development, several rocket attacks on the city of Hharkiv were reported on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia was badly damaged after a truck was detonated alongside a train of fuel tank cars. The destruction of the bridge deals another serious blow to Russias war effort in Ukraine, disrupting a crucial supply route. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, ahead of this years Russian invasion.

Rating. Fitch Ratings Agency has confirmed Romanias sovereign rating at BBB minus with a negative outlook, this being the last note in the investment-grade category (recommended for investments). The rating is supported by the EU membership and the capital flows that support investment and macrostability, and the GDP per capita (GDP per capita value expressed in standard purchasing power parity), governance and human development indicators, which are above the values of other states benefiting from a BBB rating. However, these values are counterbalanced by a budget deficit and a current account deficit that are higher compared to the deficits of other countries, by low performances regarding budget consolidation and high budget rigidities, and a relatively high net external debt, Fitch says. The agency estimates a reduction of the fiscal deficit in 2022 to 6.4% of the GDP, following the solid performance on the revenue side. According to Fitch, the economy would register a 6.2% growth in 2022, one of the highest growth rates in the EU. This is driven by the build-up of stocks, but also by solid private consumption, despite the war in Ukraine.

Nobel. Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties are the laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for their defense of human rights and resistance against power abuses, the Nobel Committee announced on Friday from Norway. This award comes against the background of Ukraine fighting the Russian invasion, and there are many accusations that numerous war crimes have been committed. The Norwegian Nobel Committee explained, in its motivation, that the Peace Prize laureates have been promoting, for many years, the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy, the Committees announcement also reads.

Festival. More than 340 short and feature films are presented, until October 16, in several locations in Bucharest, at the 17th International Animation Film Festival Animest. According to the organizers, this year the event includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses supported by professionals specially invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a mans escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation of the story of Robinson Crusoe. (MI)

8 October 2022
Nachrichten 08.10.2022

– Die ukrainischen Behörden haben zwei Friedhöfe in der östlichen Stadt Liman entdeckt. Liman, eine Stadt in der Region Donezk, wurde vor einer Woche von der Kontrolle der russischen Streitkräfte befreit. Nach Angaben der BBC sagte der Gouverneur der Region, Pavlo Kirilenko, dass sich in einem der Friedhöfe etwa zweihundert Gräber befinden, in denen vermutlich Zivilisten begraben seien. Das andere ist ein Massengrab, in dem sowohl Zivilisten als auch Soldaten begraben sein können. Die Behörden leiteten eine Untersuchung ein. Die Ukraine beschuldigte Russland wiederholt der Kriegsverbrechen gegen die Zivilbevölkerung in den besetzten Gebieten. Andererseits gab der Bürgermeister der ukrainischen Stadt Charkow bekannt, dass heute Morgen mehrere Raketenangriffe stattgefunden haben. Charkow war zu Beginn des Krieges Ziel anhaltender Artillerieangriffe. Die jüngste ukrainische Gegenoffensive hat die russischen Streitkräfte aus der Reichweite der Artillerieangriffe verdrängt. Die ukrainische Armee hat bei ihrer jüngsten Gegenoffensive Ende September fast 2.500 Quadratkilometer des von den russischen Streitkräften kontrollierten Gebiets befreit, erklärte Präsident Volodymyr Selenskyj.

– Die Ratingagentur Fitch bestätigte das Rating für Rumänien auf BBB minus“ mit negativem Ausblick. Die EU-Mitgliedschaft und die Kapitalströme, die Investitionen und makroökonomische Stabilität sowie die Indikatoren für das Pro-Kopf-BIP untermauern das Rating. Dem stehen jedoch im Vergleich zu anderen Ländern höhere Haushalts- und Leistungsbilanzdefizite, eine schwache Haushaltskonsolidierung und hohe Haushaltsrigiditäten sowie eine relativ hohe Nettoauslandsverschuldung gegenüber, so die Fitch. Die Agentur geht davon aus, dass das Haushaltsdefizit im Jahr 2022 auf 6,4 % des BIP zurückgeht. Laut Fitch wird die Wirtschaft bis 2022 um 6,2 % wachsen, eine der höchsten Wachstumsraten in der EU.

– Präsident Klaus Iohannis bekräftigte am Freitag in Prag die Position Rumäniens zur Unabhängigkeit, territorialen Integrität und Souveränität der Ukraine. Rumänien wird seine ständige Unterstützung auf mehreren Ebenen fortsetzen, u. a. bei der Vorbereitung auf den Winter im Kontext der neuen Eskalationen, die von der Russischen Föderation ausgehen. Der Staatschef nahm an der informellen Tagung des Europäischen Rates in der tschechischen Hauptstadt teil. Angesichts der anhaltend hohen Energiepreise forderte Klaus Iohannis die Entkopplung der Strompreise von den Gaspreisen. Die wichtigsten Themen auf der Tagesordnung des Europäischen Rates waren die Lage in der Ukraine, die Entwicklungen im Energiebereich und die Bemühungen zur Gewährleistung der Versorgungssicherheit sowie die wirtschaftliche Lage in Europa. In Bezug auf die Ukraine lehnten die europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs die illegale Annexion der ukrainischen Regionen Donezk, Luhansk, Saporoschje und Cherson durch Russland nach der Abhaltung fingierten Referenden entschieden ab und verurteilten sie unmissverständlich.

– Die Generalinspektion der Grenzpolizei berichtet, dass am Freitag mehr als 8.000 ukrainische Staatsbürgerinnen und Bürger über die Grenzübergänge nach Rumänien eingereist sind. Vom 10. Februar 2022 (Vorkonfliktzeit) bis Freitag sind mehr als 2,5 Millionen ukrainische Staatsangehörige nach Rumänien eingereist. Die meisten von ihnen befanden sich auf der Durchreise.

– Mehr als 340 Kurz- und Langspielfilme werden bis zum 16. Oktober in Bukarest im Rahmen des 17. Internationalen Animationsfilmfestivals Animest gezeigt. Die Liste der Filme, die auf dem Festival gespielt werden, umfasst auch Titel, die im vergangenen Jahr in der gesamten Branche Aufmerksamkeit erregten und sich in den Wettbewerben der gro‎ßen internationalen Filmveranstaltungen hervorgetan haben.

8 October 2022
Festivalul Internațional de Film de Animație Animest

Eveniment dedicat filmului de animație, Animest este
locul în care cele mai importante producții internaționale lansate în ultimul
an au parte de o primă întâlnire cu publicul din România. Ediția din acest an,
a 17-a, se desfășoară la București între 7 și 16 octombrie, și are în program
peste 340 de titluri, printre acestea remarcându-se filme de animație care s-au
impus în competițiile marilor evenimente cinematografice internaționale.

Mihai
Mitrică, directorul Animest: Este
o ediție în plină forță, după 2 ani de pandemie. Dar Festivalul Animest nu s-a
oprit nici în pandemie. Am făcut o ediție exclusiv online și o ediție hibrid,
anul trecut am proiectat filme într-un singur cinematograf, dar la această
ediție proiectăm filme în peste 5 locații. Nu întâmplător, după acești doi ani
de pandemie, am hotărât ca tema acestei ediții să fie dragostea, așa că avem în
program foarte multe povești de dragoste, bineînțeles animate și foarte colorate.
Competiția internațională de lungmetraj reunește la această ediție povești
excepționale care îi conving chiar și pe cei mai greu de impresionat spectatori.

Este vorba de cinci filme. Unul dintre filme este produs în Japonia, un altul
este coproducție Japonia-Franța, avem, printre altele, și un film din
Portugalia, care se numește Nayola. Portugalia este de fapt și țara invitată la
această ediție a festivalului, astfel că vom avea o mulțime de filme
portugheze. În competiția internațională de lungmetraj mai avem și un film
lituaniano-american, tot o frumoasă poveste
de dragoste. Foarte interesant este că două dintre cele cinci filme din
competiția internațională au ca subiect războiul, însă modul în care este
prezentat războiul sau modul de abordare al subiectului este foarte original.
Cu toate că sunt filme despre război, au culoare și umor. Ca o
concluzie, aș spune că se pare că pandemia a lucrat în favoarea iubirii, ca să
spun așa. Din ce se vede în pe programul Animest de la această ediție, se pare
că lumea a avut mai mult timp să se gândească, să le aloce mai mult timp celor
dragi, iar asta se vede într-adevăr din producțiile pe care le-am primit.

Unul dintre cele 49 de scurtmetraje selecționate în
Competiția Internațională va pleca acasă cu Trofeul Animest 2022, care îi va
asigura automat un loc pe lista candidaților eligibili pentru o nominalizate la
Premiile Oscar, acordate de Academia Americană de Film. Printre acestea se
numără și două producții românești: Suruaika, un film de Vlad Ilicevici și Radu
C. Pop, în care o pisică ajunge să dețină toată puterea, și Sasha (regia
Serghei Chiviriga), despre un adolescent care ajunge să descopere într-un mod
ciudat adevărul despre propria identitate sexuală.

Mihai Mitrică, directorul Animest: Nici filmele românești nu fac excepție dacă vorbim de
calitate și diversitate. În plus, anul acesta am primit mai multe filme ca
oricând. Este o concluzie pe care o trag iarăși, probabil că acești doi ani de
pandemie și-au pus amprenta asupra producțiilor, care sunt mai numeroase. Un
lucru de remarcat este că majoritatea filmelor românești primite anul acesta și
selecționate au și o durată mai lungă. Există filme de 9 sau de 12 minute, dar
există și multe filme care au o durată de 15 minute. În general, dacă vorbim de
anii trecuți, durata medie a unui film românesc, era de 4 minute, foarte puține
filme aveau 9 minute. De aceea cred că
artiștii au avut mai mult timp să elaboreze filmele și au găsit povești pe care
să le spună în 12 minute sau chiar mai mult. În ceea ce privește calitatea, cu
mici excepții, de la an la an a fost mult mai ridicată

Cei curioși să exploreze noi viziuni din lumea filmului
de animație vor aprecia scurtmetrajele din Competiția de film studențesc, care
vin de la cele mai prestigioase școli de animație din lume. Festivalul Internațional de Film de Animație Animest este
singurul festival din România dedicat în exclusivitate filmului de animație.
Fondat în 2006, festivalul aduce pe marele ecran sute de filme din toată lumea,
în șase categorii de competiție, retrospective, programe dedicate unor școli de
animație faimoase, festivalurilor de gen, marilor nume ale industriei.

În
fiecare an, în octombrie, Bucureștiul găzduiește regizori de film, producători,
studenți, curatori și jurnaliști, care iau parte la discuții cu publicul, la
premiere, țin ateliere și master-class-uri, susțin concerte și prezintă
proiecte noi de filme de animație. Una dintre cele mai importante misiuni ale
festivalului este aceea de a resuscita și promova animația autohtonă.
Competiția locală din cadrul festivalului a crescut din 2007, când a fost
lansată. Noua generație care a participat la atelierele organizate de Animest
numără deja profesioniști în studiouri de animație din țară, dar și studenți la
marile universități europene. În ultimii ani, filmele de animație românești au
fost selectate și premiate la festivaluri importante. Festivalul organizează
proiecții de film în diverse orașe ale țării, curatoriază selecții de film la
festivaluri internaționale, iar Animest Chișinău este un eveniment anual
constant din 2011 încoace.

8 October 2022
08.10.2022

Pont – Une forte explosion a secoué samedi matin le pont de Kerch, qui relie la
Péninsule de Crimée à la Russie dans le détroit qui sépare la mer Noire et la
mer Azov. Après l’explosion, plusieurs wagons citerne ont explosé sur le pont
ferroviaire et deux segments du pont routier sont tombés dans la mer. Selon de
images de vidéosurveillance publiées en ligne ont, la source de l’explosion
semble être un camion blanc roulant sur le pont, de nuit, au côté de quelques
autres véhicules. L’Ukraine a ironisé et multiplié les blagues samedi après
l’explosion d’un véhicule piégé sur le pont de Crimée, infrastructure
stratégique et symbolique de cette péninsule annexée par Moscou, sans pour
autant aller jusqu’a revendiquer une responsabilité. La Russie a fustigé samedi
la réaction ukrainienne, signe selon elle de la nature terroriste
de l’Ukraine.

Ukraine
– Entre temps, les autorités ukrainiennes annoncent la découverte de deux
cimetières dans la ville de Liman, dans l’est, récemment libéré de sous le
contrôle russe. Selon la BBC, le gouvernement de la région Pavlo Kirilenko, a déclaré
que l’un des deux cimetières contient quelque 200 tombes, où des civils
seraient enterrés. L’autre est un fossé commun contenant tant des civils que
des militaires. L’Ukraine a accusé à
maintes reprises la Russie d’avoir commis des crimes de guerre contre les
civils des régions occupées. Par ailleurs, le maire de Kharkiv a annoncé que
plusieurs attaques aux missiles ont eu lieu ce matin dans cette ville de l’est
de l’Ukraine. L’armée ukrainienne a libéré près de 2 500 km carrés du
territoire contrôlé par les forces russes dans le cadre de sa offensive lancée
à la fin septembre, a affirmé le président Volodymyr Zelensky.

Prague
– Lors de sa visite à Prague, le président roumain Klaus Iohannis a réitéré la
position de la Roumanie en faveur de l’indépendance, de la souveraineté et de
l’intégrité territoriale de l’Ukraine. Il a par ailleurs assuré du soutien
continu de Bucarest, y compris pour la préparation de l’hiver dans le contexte
de tension accrue avec la Russie. Il a déclaré que des mesures « plus
pertinentes » étaient nécessaires à l’échelle de l’UE, afin de réduire les prix
des l’Energie et a souligné l’importance de diversifier les sources d’énergie.
Le chef de l’Etat a réitéré l’idée de séparer les marchés du gaz et de
l’électricité et a mentionné le besoin d’un paquet plus ample de mesures. A l’agenda
du Conseil européen figurait entre autres la situation en Ukraine, l’évolution
du secteur de l’énergie, la question des prix de l’énergie et de
l’approvisionnement ainsi que la situation économique européenne.

ANIMEST
– Plus de 340 films et courts métrages figurent à l’affiche de la 17ème édition
du Festival international de film d’animation, Anim’est, qui se déroule du 7 au
16 octobre à Bucarest. Selon les organisateurs, cette année à l’affiche du
festival figurent des projections et des événements spéciaux, des fêtes et des
master classes données par des professionnels de l’industrie invités spéciaux à
Bucarest. Parmi les productions
présentées, plusieurs se sont déjà remarquées dans des festivals et des
compétitions internationales. C’est le cas, par exemple, de « Flee », du
Danois, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Sur l’ensemble des films signés par des artistes
roumains, notons « L’île », une comédie surréaliste inspirée par l’histoire de
Robinson Crusoé.

Météo
– Il fait généralement beau en Roumanie. Le ciel est variable, couvert sur le
sud et le sud-est, où des pluies sont possibles. Les températures vont de 18 à
24 degrés. 20 degrés sous un superbe soleil à Bucarest.

Oslo – Trois champions russe, ukrainien et bélarusse de la lutte pour les libertés civiles ont décroché vendredi un Nobel de la paix assorti d’une critique du régime autoritaire et répressif de Vladimir Poutine, en pleine guerre en Ukraine. Le prestigieux prix a été conjointement attribué au militant bélarusse Ales Beliatski, en prison dans son pays, a l’ONG russe Memorial — frappée par un ordre de dissolution — et au Centre ukrainien pour les libertés civiles, qui s’emploie a documenter les crimes de guerre russes dans le conflit en cours. Ce prix intervient alors que l’Ukraine se confronte à une invasion russe et aux crimes de guerres qui auraient été commis par ses troupes. Le comité Nobel norvégien souhaite honorer trois champions remarquables des droits humains, de la démocratie et de la coexistence pacifique dans les trois pays voisins que sont le Bélarus, la Russie et l’Ukraine, a déclaré sa présidente Berit Reiss-Andersen.

8 October 2022
October 8, 2022

European Council. President Klaus Iohannis reiterated, on Friday, in Prague, Romanias stand regarding the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the continuation of Bucharests constant support, on multiple levels, including in preparation for winter, in the context of the new escalations caused by the Russian Federation. The head of state participated in the informal meeting of the European Council in the Czech capital, where he expressed Romanias openness to the reconstruction process. In another move, regarding the high level of energy prices, a constant concern for Romania, Klaus Iohannis recalled the need to adopt measures to ensure the decoupling of the price of electricity from the price of natural gas. The main topics on the agenda of the European Council meeting concerned the situation in Ukraine, developments in the field of energy, from the point of view of the impact of high prices and efforts for ensuring supply security, as well as the economic situation at the European level. As for Ukraine, European leaders strongly rejected and unequivocally condemned Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions following fake referendums.

Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities have announced that two cemeteries were found in the city of Lyman (east), recently freed from the control of the Russian occupiers. Lyman, a town in the Donetsk region, was liberated from the control of the Russian forces a week ago. According to the BBC, the governor of the region, Pavlo Kirilenko, said that at one of the cemeteries there are about two hundred graves, where civilians are believed to be buried. The other is a mass grave, where both civilians and soldiers could be buried. Kirilenko stated that the authorities have started an investigation and soon the dead bodies will be exhumed. Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of committing war crimes against civilians in the occupied areas. In another development, several rocket attacks have been reported today on the city of Kharkiv. Also today, the bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to mainland Russia was badly damaged after a truck was detonated alongside a train of fuel tank cars. The destruction of the bridge deals another serious blow to Russias war effort in Ukraine, disrupting a crucial supply route. Moscow illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, ahead of this years Russian invasion.

Rating. Fitch Ratings Agency has confirmed Romanias sovereign rating at BBB minus with a negative outlook, this being the last note in the investment-grade category (recommended for investments). The rating is supported by the EU membership and the capital flows that support investment and macrostability, and the GDP per capita (GDP per capita value expressed in standard purchasing power parity), governance and human development indicators, which are above the values of other states benefiting from a BBB rating. However, these values are counterbalanced by a budget deficit and a current account deficit that are higher compared to the deficits of other countries, by low performances regarding budget consolidation and high budget rigidities, and a relatively high net external debt, Fitch says. The agency estimates a reduction of the fiscal deficit in 2022 to 6.4% of the GDP, following the solid performance on the revenue side. According to Fitch, the economy would register a 6.2% growth in 2022, one of the highest growth rates in the EU. This is driven by the build-up of stocks, but also by solid private consumption, despite the war in Ukraine.

Nobel. Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatski, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties are the laureates of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for their defense of human rights and resistance against power abuses, the Nobel Committee announced on Friday from Norway. This award comes against the background of Ukraine fighting the Russian invasion, and there are many accusations that numerous war crimes have been committed. The Norwegian Nobel Committee explained, in its motivation, that the Peace Prize laureates have been promoting, for many years, the right to criticize power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human right abuses and the abuse of power. Together they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy, the Committees announcement also reads.

Festival. More than 340 short and feature films are presented, until October 16, in several locations in Bucharest, at the 17th International Animation Film Festival Animest. According to the organizers, this year the event includes lots of screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses supported by professionals specially invited to Bucharest. The list of films participating in the festival includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire industry over the last year, standing out in the competitions of major international film events. For example, the production Flee, directed by the Danish Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which received three Oscar nominations and numerous awards and which tells the story of a mans escape from Afghanistan to Denmark. There are also Romanian films presented at the festival, such as The Island, the latest feature film by Anca Damian, a surrealist comedy based on a reinterpretation of the story of Robinson Crusoe. (MI)

8 October 2022
October 7, 2022 UPDATE

Prague – President Klaus Iohannis reiterated, in Prague, Romanias position regarding the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the continuation of Bucharests constant support, on multiple levels, including in preparation for winter, in the context of the new escalations generated by the Russian Federation. Klaus Iohannis participated, on Friday, in the Czech capital, in the informal meeting of the European Council, in which context he expressed Romanias openness to the reconstruction process. On the other hand, in the context of maintaining the high level of energy prices, a constant concern for Romania, Klaus Iohannis recalled the need to adopt measures to ensure the decoupling of the price of electricity from the price of natural gas. The main topics on the agenda of the European Council meeting are related to the situation in Ukraine, on all of its dimensions, the developments in the field of energy, from the point of view of the impact of the high prices and the efforts for security of supply, as well as the economic situation at the European level. As for Ukraine, European leaders strongly rejected and unequivocally condemned Russias illegal annexation of Ukraines regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson following fake referendums.

Anim’est – Over 340 short and feature films will be presented, between October 7 and 16, at the 17th edition of the Animest International Animation Film Festival. According to the organizers, screenings and special events, parties and masterclasses supported by industry professionals especially invited to Bucharest will not be missing from this year’s festival. The list of films within the festival also includes titles that have attracted the attention of the entire industry in the last year, standing out in the competitions of major international film events. Such an example is the production Flee, directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Denmark), which received numerous awards. The list also includes Romanian films. The film Insula — The Island, a surrealist comedy based on the interpretation of the story of Robinson Crusoe and the latest feature film by Anca Damian, will also be presented.

Nobel — Belarusian activist Ales Bialiatsky, Russia’s human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties won the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to document human rights abuses, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday. This award comes as Ukraine battles the Russian invasion, which has drawn accusations that numerous war crimes have been committed. The Norwegian Nobel Committee explained, in its motivation, that the Peace Prize winners have been promoting, for many years, the right to criticize power and to protect the citizens’ fundamental rights. “They have made an outstanding effort to document war crimes, human rights abuses and the abuse of power.” The committee’s motivation also shows that, together, they demonstrate the importance of civil society for peace and democracy.

Patients – Five Ukrainian patients will be taken over from Poland by a Spartan aircraft belonging to the Romanian Air Force and transported to Ireland for treatment. The transport is monitored by a medical team made up of specialists from the Bucharest Clinical Emergency Hospital and from the Air Transport Base 90. Ukraine sent the request for air transport through the platform that facilitates communication between the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and the national authorities. (LS)

7 October 2022
07.10.2022

Prague – Le président roumain, Klaus Iohannis, participe aujourd’hui à la réunion informelle du Conseil européen à Prague après avoir participé jeudi à la première réunion de la Communauté politique européenne. Conformément à un communiqué de l’Administration présidentielle de Bucarest, le chef de l’Etat a souligné l’importance d’une approche commune avec les partenaires européens au sujet des changements profonds en termes sécuritaires qui ont lieu à présent, soit autant d’aspects qui nécessitent une réponse européenne unie et forte. Dans ce contexte, le chef de l’Etat a réitéré son appel à des sanctions fermes, coordonnées et solidaires face aux efforts constants de la Fédération de Russie de diviser le continent européen. Ce qui plus est, Klaus Iohannis a plaidé pour la consolidation des mécanismes de résilience afin de répondre aux menaces hybrides de la part de la Russie, soulignant que la réduction des dépendances, la sécurité cybernétique et la protection des infrastructures critiques devraient rester des priorités. Il a également réitéré le besoin de poursuivre l’appui à l’Ukraine et a souligné les démarches complexes entrepris par la Roumanie pour soutenir son voisin sur les plans politique, économique, financier, logistique et humanitaire.

Sanctions – L’Union européenne a adopté un nouveau paquet de sanctions contre la Russie suite à l’annexion illégale des régions ukrainiennes de Donetsk, Lougansk, Zaporojie et Kherson. Selon un communiqué du Conseil de l’UE, le 8e paquet adopté par le bloc communautaire pour répondre à l’invasion de la Russie en Ukraine inclut une série de mesures censées renforcer la pression exercée sur le gouvernement et sur l’économie russes, affaiblir les capacités militaires de la Russie et obliger le Kremlin à payer pour la récente escalade du conflit. Cette nouvelle série de sanctions introduit dans la législation de l’UE les bases pour l’institution d’un seuil pour le coût du transport du pétrole russe par voie maritime vers des Etats tiers et des restrictions supplémentaires au transport par voie maritime du pétrole et des produits pétroliers à des Etats tiers. L’Union européenne a publié aussi une liste des personnes faisant l’objet des nouvelles restrictions. S’y retrouvent 30 personnes physiques et sept entités juridiques. Ce qui plus est, l’UE a annoncé que les organisateurs des référendums déroulés dans les régions annexées par la Russie étaient également visés par les restrictions européennes. A noter aussi que les citoyens européens ne peuvent plus occuper des fonctions de direction dans une série de compagnies d’Etat russes.

Chisinau – L’Etat d’urgence institué en République de Moldova après l’invasion russe en Ukraine le 24 février a été prolongé de 60 jours. Selon la ministre de l’Intérieur, Ana Revenco, cette troisième prolongation est déterminée par les risques et les menaces à l’adresse de la sécurité nationale et à l’approvisionnement avec des ressources énergétiques durant l’hiver. La cheffe de l’exécutif moldave, Natalia Gavriliţa, a expliqué que pendant presqu’une année entière son gouvernement a été obligé à agir dans un contexte sans précédent et elle a critiqué la compagnie russe Gazprom pour ne pas avoir respecté ses obligations contractuelles suite à la réduction de 30% du volume du gaz délivré à la République de Moldova. Rappelons-le, mardi Gazprom a menacé Chisinau de couper toutes les livraisons de gaz, y de résilier entièrement le contrat si les arriérées ne sont pas payées avant ce 20 octobre.

Kiev – La centrale nucléaire de Zaporijjia (sud), la plus grande d’Europe, est évidemment ukrainienne, malgré son appropriation formelle par Moscou, a déclaré jeudi le patron de l’Agence internationale de l’énergie atomique (AIEA) Rafael Grossi, réaffirmant la possibilité « très claire » d’un accident nucléaire, selon l’AFP. « Pour nous, il est évident qu’elle appartient à (l’opérateur ukrainien) Energoatom puisque c’est une installation ukrainienne », a déclaré M. Grossi lors d’une conférence de presse à Kiev, après avoir été reçu par le président Volodymyr Zelensky et avant de se rendre a Moscou. La Russie s’est formellement appropriée mercredi de cette centrale qu’elle occupe militairement depuis début mars, selon un décret signé mercredi par son président Vladimir Poutine. La plus grande d’Europe, la centrale de Zaporojie fournit un tiers de la production d’électricité de l’Ukraine. La Russie souhaite la brancher au réseau électrique de la Crimée qu’elle a annexée en 2014. Depuis le mois d’août la centrale est visée régulièrement par des tirs dont Russes et Ukrainiens se renvoient mutuellement la responsabilité. Contrôlée par les troupes russes, la centrale est toujours opérée par un personnel ukrainien.

ANIMEST – Plus de 340 films figurent à l’affiche de la 17ème édition du Festival international de film d’animation, Anim’est, qui se déroule du 7 au 16 octobre à Bucarest. Parmi les productions présentées, plusieurs se sont déjà remarquées dans des festivals et des compétitions internationales. C’est le cas, par exemple, de « Flee », du Danois, Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Sur l’ensemble des films signés par des artistes roumains, notons « L’île », une comédie surréaliste inspirée par l’histoire de Robinson Crusoé.

Météo – Les températures tournent autour des moyennes pluriannuelles en Roumanie. Le ciel est variable, couvert sur l’est et le sud-est et sur la côte. Les maximas vont de 16 à 24 degrés. 20 degrés sous le soleil à Bucarest.

7 October 2022