Radio România Internațional

Tag: Berlin Film Festival

February 16, 2023

QUAKE – The first Romanian rescuers
deployed to Turkey in the wake of the February 6 quake have returned yesterday
with two Spartain aircraft. The team managed to save 4 Turkish citizens trapped
beneath debris, thus displaying compassion and restoring hope to those in
despair, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă said. In turn, Interior Minister Lucian
Bode said the actions of Romanian rescuers confirm that Romania can provide
support to every European citizen in critical need of help. 59 Romanian
rescuers are still deployed to Turkey in support of local authorities. Romania
also continues to send humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria addressing the
millions of people affected by the quake. The death toll continues to rise and
has exceeded 41 thousand. According to the UN, 9 million people in Syria and
2.2 million in Turkey need help. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă earlier today
announced the creation of an inter-ministry task force that will monitor
developments with a view to preparing the proper response to emergency
situations.

VISIT – Chamber of Deputies speaker
Marcel Ciolacu is as of today paying a two-day official visit to Rome, Italy.
The Romanian official will meet his Italian counterpart Lorenzo Fontana today,
as well as Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. Tomorrow, Marcel Ciolacu will meet
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi as well as representatives of
Romanian parishes in the Lazio Region.

MOLDOVA – Moldova’s Prime Minister
designate, Dorin Recean, is today expected to present before Parliament the
structure of his Cabinet and his governing program. Most ministers in the
Gavrilița Cabinet will preserve their portfolios, and only four ministers will
be replaced. The Recean Cabinet should have no trouble getting Parliament’s
investiture vote, given that the Action and Solidarity Party founded by the
pro-European president Maia Sandu enjoys majority in Parliament, our
correspondent in Chișinău notes. Moldovan officials explained the Cabinet swap
was necessary due to the deteriorating security context, which Dorin Recean was
the best suited person to handle, given his experience as Interior Minister and
national security presidential adviser. This is one further argument presented
by president Sandu earlier this week, when she announced the interception of a
Russian plan to overthrow the government in Moldova. Chișinău pundits believe there
might have been other reasons behind Natalia Gavrilița’s resignation, such as
the slow-moving reform of the judiciary.

TIMIȘOARA – Over 130 events will take
place over February 17-19 in Timișoara as the city prepares to officially
launch its program Timișoara – European Capital of Culture in 2023. Timișoara
mayor Dominic Fritz announced the opening event held in the Unification Square
in the center will start with a symbolic moment whereby the city will receive
the Melina Mercouri Award of the European Commission, traditionally bestowed to
every European capital of culture that successfully complied with their
candidacy obligations. We have a historic opportunity to shape public
perception and do away with prejudice. Let us use Timișoara’s European story to
create a new European destiny for Romania and rebrand the city on the map of
Europe, the Romanian official said. According to Dominic Fritz, the program
will comprise over 1,000 events to be held over the course of the entire year.

FILM – The 73rd edition of
the Berlin International Film Festival kicks off today in its traditional
format after two year of pandemic-related restrictions. Opening the event,
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to deliver a live message in
videoconference format. Some 400 features will be screened as part of the
festival, which will end on February 26. Competing for the Golden Bear and
Silver Bear awards are 19 features, 6 of which are directed by women. The
Romanian production Mammalia directed by Sebastian Mihăilescu is competing in
the Forum section. This year’s jury includes American actress Kristen Stewart
and Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, who won the Golden Bear in 2021 for his
comedy Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn as well as the Silver Bear award in
2015 with his historical feature Aferim!

FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions
CFR Cluj are today playing Lazio Rome away from home in the first leg of the
Europa Conference League round of 16 playoffs. CFR previously played Lazio in
the 2019-2020 season in the Europa League group phase, when it managed to win
against the Italian side at home. CFR is the only Romanian club left in
European inter-club competitions. (VP)

16 February 2023
February 28, 2021 UPDATE

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The vaccination campaign continues
in Romania, a total of 1.5 million doses of vaccine having been administered so
far. Over 900 thousand people have received the vaccines developed by Pfizer /
BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna. Another 2,800 new COVID-19 infections were
reported on Sunday by the Group for Strategic Communication, the total number
of infections exceeding 801 thousand. 90% of people infected with COVID-19 have
recovered, while some 20,350 people have died. 1,000 people are in intensive
care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The third wave of the pandemic
comes with the reintroduction of harsh restriction in several European states.
Meanwhile new vaccines are being greenlit across the globe, and doctors say
they are viable against the new strains of COVID as well. Schools in the
Republic of Moldova will close down for two weeks, although nursery schools
remain open. As of Monday, a lockdown will be in place in the Czech Republic.
People are not allowed to leave cities or villages, while schools and stores
selling non-essential products will be closed. In Italy, the Government will keep
anti-COVID measures in place until after Easter celebrations, with gyms, public
pools, entertainment areas and ski resorts staying closed. All bars and
restaurants will close at 6 PM. In Germany, most people seem to favor the idea
of a vaccination passport, if this will allow them to go to theatre, do sports
or travel abroad. In Hungary, the country’s president has taken the Chinese
Sinopharm vaccine. It is the only EU state to have accepted vaccines developed
by Russia and China. According to the latest worldometers.info update, at least
114 million infections have been confirmed worldwide since the start of the
pandemic, 2.5 million people have died while 89 million people have recovered.

BUDGET – The Romanian Parliament’s committees on
Saturday adopted the 2021 state and social security budget bills. The documents
passed in the form presented by the Government, and none of the 3,000
amendments were adopted. The opposition says this is an austerity budget,
providing for no increases in salaries, pensions and state allowances, while
the power claims the allocations will help overcome the health and economic
crisis caused by the pandemic. Labor Minister Raluca Turcan said the
social-security budget is higher than that of the past two years, and child
benefits will be increased in two stages. According to the calendar established
by the joint Permanent Bureaus, the joint sitting of the Chamber of Deputies
and the Senate on the state and social security budgets is scheduled for
Monday. The bill will get the final vote on Tuesday. The budget is based on a
deficit target of 7.16% of the GDP, and an economic growth rate of 4.31%.

POSEIDON 21 – Some 700 soldiers, 13 military ships, 9
aircraft, a pyrotechnic intervention vehicle and a remote-controlled underwater
robot will be deployed during the exercise ‘Poseidon 21’ organized by the
Romanian Naval Forces between February 26 and March 6. It is the first
multinational exercise in the Black Sea this year, and involves the
participation of forces and equipment from France, Greece, Romania, Spain, USA
and Turkey. Bulgaria had to cancel its participation due to last-minute COVID
infection cases reported among its sailing crews. The NATO maritime command has
authorized the participation of NATO permanent anti-mine naval forces. The
exercise will include training against underwater threats, involving
hydrographic mapping operations to identify and neutralize mines and IEDs,
combat sequences to suppress air strikes, as well as towing damaged ships,
at-sea resupplying and rescue maneuvers.

EUROSTAT – Romania was one the countries that
earmarked the least funds to social protection in 2019, according to a recent
EUROSTAT report. Romania’s social welfare budget stood at 11.9% of the GDP,
nearly 7% under the EU average. Other countries with comparatively low social
welfare allocations were Ireland, Malta and Bulgaria. At the opposite pole are
Finland, France, Denmark, Italy and Austria, with over a 20% budget share for
social welfare. According to the same report, Romania’s healthcare allocations
were also below the EU average of 7%, while its education spending was also
under the EU average of 4%.

MĂRŢIŞOR – Mărţisor, the celebration of the start of spring
on March 1, will be marked by the Romanian Cultural Institute abroad by means
of children’s workshops, screening documentaries, hosting debates featuring
ethnologists, sociologists and anthropologists and the publication of a series
of digital postcards signed by Romanian artists, comic books or the
presentation of March porcelain and ceramic amulets. The Institute’s branches
in Brussels, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, New York, Paris, Prague, Rome, Stockholm,
Tel Aviv, Warsaw and Venice will be promoting the Mărţisor celebration online. Cultural
practices associated with Mărţisor in 2017 were included on UNESCO’s list of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of a joint application
filed by Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania.

FILM – The Berlin Film Festival will
be held online starting Monday. There will be no red carpet or grandiose film
screenings this year, and even no jury president. The 71st edition
was divided in two phases, as screenings in front of the public were postponed
for June. For the first time in a major film festival, the Silver Bear prizes
for best acting will go gender neutral. Romanian film director Radu Jude, who
won the Golden Bear in 2015 with his film, Aferim!,
is returning to the competition with his latest feature, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, a Romania-Luxembourg-Croatia-the
Czech Republic coproduction, which will be premiered in the event. The film
deals with individual relations with society, and tells the story of a school
teacher who finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex
tape is leaked on the Internet. Adina Pintilie, the 2018 winner of the Golden
Bear award for best film for Touch Me Not,
will be part of the jury this year.

GAUDEAMUS – The spring edition of
the Gaudeamus book fair is being held on line over March 1-31. Organized by
Radio Romania, the book fair awaits its visitors on www.gaudeamus.ro. Some 70
publishers will take part in scores of events, while the latest releases and
many other surprises are the highlights of this year’s marathon edition.

(V.P.)

28 February 2021
February 28, 2021

COVID-19 IN ROMANIA – The vaccination campaign continues
in Romania, a total of 1.5 million doses of vaccine having been administered so
far. Over 900 thousand people have received the vaccines developed by Pfizer /
BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna. Another 2,800 new COVID-19 infections were
reported on Sunday by the Group for Strategic Communication, the total number
of infections exceeding 801 thousand. 90% of people infected with COVID-19 have
recovered, while some 20,350 people have died. 1,000 people are in intensive
care.

COVID-19 IN THE WORLD – The third wave of the pandemic
comes with the reintroduction of harsh restriction in several European states.
Meanwhile new vaccines are being greenlit across the globe, and doctors say
they are viable against the new strains of COVID as well. Schools in the
Republic of Moldova will close down for two weeks, although nursery schools
remain open. As of Monday, a lockdown will be in place in the Czech Republic.
People are not allowed to leave cities or villages, while schools and stores
selling non-essential products will be closed. In Italy, the Government will keep
anti-COVID measures in place until after Easter celebrations, with gyms, public
pools, entertainment areas and ski resorts staying closed. All bars and
restaurants will close at 6 PM. In Germany, most people seem to favor the idea
of a vaccination passport, if this will allow them to go to theatre, do sports
or travel abroad. In Hungary, the country’s president has taken the Chinese
Sinopharm vaccine. It is the only EU state to have accepted vaccines developed
by Russia and China. According to the latest worldometers.info update, at least
114 million infections have been confirmed worldwide since the start of the
pandemic, 2.5 million people have died while 89 million people have recovered.

BUDGET – The Romanian Parliament’s committees on
Saturday adopted the 2021 state and social security budget bills. The documents
passed in the form presented by the Government, and none of the 3,000
amendments were adopted. The opposition says this is an austerity budget,
providing for no increases in salaries, pensions and state allowances, while
the power claims the allocations will help overcome the health and economic
crisis caused by the pandemic. Labor Minister Raluca Turcan said the
social-security budget is higher than that of the past two years, and child
benefits will be increased in two stages. According to the calendar established
by the joint Permanent Bureaus, the joint sitting of the Chamber of Deputies
and the Senate on the state and social security budgets is scheduled for
Monday. The bill will get the final vote on Tuesday. The budget is based on a
deficit target of 7.16% of the GDP, and an economic growth rate of 4.31%.

POSEIDON 21 – Some 700 soldiers, 13 military ships, 9
aircraft, a pyrotechnic intervention vehicle and a remote-controlled underwater
robot will be deployed during the exercise ‘Poseidon 21’ organized by the
Romanian Naval Forces between February 26 and March 6. It is the first
multinational exercise in the Black Sea this year, and involves the
participation of forces and equipment from France, Greece, Romania, Spain, USA
and Turkey. Bulgaria had to cancel its participation due to last-minute COVID
infection cases reported among its sailing crews. The NATO maritime command has
authorized the participation of NATO permanent anti-mine naval forces. The
exercise will include training against underwater threats, involving
hydrographic mapping operations to identify and neutralize mines and IEDs,
combat sequences to suppress air strikes, as well as towing damaged ships,
at-sea resupplying and rescue maneuvers.

EUROSTAT – Romania was one the countries that
earmarked the least funds to social protection in 2019, according to a recent
EUROSTAT report. Romania’s social welfare budget stood at 11.9% of the GDP,
nearly 7% under the EU average. Other countries with comparatively low social
welfare allocations were Ireland, Malta and Bulgaria. At the opposite pole are
Finland, France, Denmark, Italy and Austria, with over a 20% budget share for
social welfare. According to the same report, Romania’s healthcare allocations
were also below the EU average of 7%, while its education spending was also
under the EU average of 4%.

MĂRŢIŞOR – Mărţisor, the celebration of the start of spring
on March 1, will be marked by the Romanian Cultural Institute abroad by means
of children’s workshops, screening documentaries, hosting debates featuring
ethnologists, sociologists and anthropologists and the publication of a series
of digital postcards signed by Romanian artists, comic books or the
presentation of March porcelain and ceramic amulets. The Institute’s branches
in Brussels, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, New York, Paris, Prague, Rome, Stockholm,
Tel Aviv, Warsaw and Venice will be promoting the Mărţisor celebration online. Cultural
practices associated with Mărţisor in 2017 were included on UNESCO’s list of
the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of a joint application
filed by Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova and Romania.

FILM – The Berlin Film Festival will
be held online starting Monday. There will be no red carpet or grandiose film
screenings this year, and even no jury president. The 71st edition
was divided in two phases, as screenings in front of the public were postponed
for June. For the first time in a major film festival, the Silver Bear prizes
for best acting will go gender neutral. Romanian film director Radu Jude, who
won the Golden Bear in 2015 with his film, Aferim!,
is returning to the competition with his latest feature, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, a Romania-Luxembourg-Croatia-the
Czech Republic coproduction, which will be premiered in the event. The film
deals with individual relations with society, and tells the story of a school
teacher who finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex
tape is leaked on the Internet. Adina Pintilie, the 2018 winner of the Golden
Bear award for best film for Touch Me Not,
will be part of the jury this year. (V.P.)

28 February 2021
February 22, 2020 UPDATE

EUROPEAN COUNCIL MEETING – President Klaus Iohannis on
Thursday and Friday attended the European Council meeting in Brussels, devoted
to negotiations over the upcoming multiannual financial agreement. Talks failed
amidst growing divergences between member states over the total value of duns
and their distribution to specific areas. Talks will resume at a subsequent
date with the goal of reaching political consensus as soon as possible. Klaus
Iohannis said the upcoming budget should allow for the implementation of
political objectives agreed upon at the Summit in Sibiu, calling for a balanced
approach. The Romanian official underlined the importance of the cohesion and
common agriculture policies, saying they are key to the development and
modernization of Europe. On the sidelines of the summit Klaus Iohannis attended
a series of meetings with member states supporting an ambitious Europe and with
member states that are net contributors to the EU budget.

CORONAVIRUS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry
has expressed its gratitude towards its Italian, German and Japanese for their
support and the good cooperation view a view to repatriating the six Romanian
citizens who were quarantined onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan
arrived. They arrived in Romania on Saturday from Germany by a Ministry of
Defense aircraft. They were previously transported from Tokyo to berlin with an
Italian aircraft under the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism. They will be
quarantined in Bucharest for 14 days. Prior to the disembarking they tested negative
for the COVID-19 virus. The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest announced the two
Romanians infected with the coronavirus onboard the cruise ship are receiving
treatment in a hospital in Japan, their overall condition being stable. Another
9 Romanians, members of the crew, decided to stay on board. The Foreign Ministry also reports that,
considering the rise in the number of COVID-19 infections in Italy, a task
force has been created at the Romanian Embassy in Rome that will remain in
permanent contact with the Italian Civil Protection and other authorities
involved. The Foreign Ministry has recommended all Romanian citizens to abide
by all local recommendations. The clinical number of infections is on the wane
in China, with 397 cases announced on Saturday by the National Health Board as
compared to some 900 on Friday. The death toll in China has reached 2345, with
the total number of infections standing at over 76,000 in continental China.

GREEN DEAL – Romania got 750 million Euro
from the Just Transition Fund to deal with the implementation of the European
Green Deal. The information was made public on Friday by the European Green
Deal Rapporteur, the Romanian Siegfried Muresan. He stated that the money will
be used for economic development in the mining regions and not on welfare
measures. He has given assurances that the miners in Jiu Valley and in Oltenia
will not lose their jobs when the deal is implemented, as they will be able to
work in the field of renewable energies and in industry. Romanian ranks third
among the EU countries in terms of green reforms in energy development, after
Poland and Germany. The Green Deal is aimed at turning Europe into the first
carbon-neutral continent by 2050.

TRAVEL FAIR – The spring edition of
Romania’s Travel Fair is underway in Bucharest until Sunday. The event has
brought together over 300 travel agencies offering holiday packages in Romania
and abroad including for the upcoming Easter holidays. Operators are pledging
significant price cuts, even down to 50%. The most sought-after destinations
are Turkey, Greece, Spain, Tunisia and Egypt but there are also exotic
destinations like Bali or Thailand.

BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL – The 70th edition
of the International Film Festival in Berlin is underway until March 1. Some
340 films will be screened, with 18 features competing for the Golden Bear.
Cristi Puiu’s latest feature, Malmkrog, is competing in the newly-created
Encounters section. The film is based on philosopher and writer Vladimir
Solovyov’s poem Three Meetings. Another Romanian director, Radu Jude, is
taking part in the Forum section with two films, Uppercase Print and The
Exit of the Trains. Radu Jude is also taking part with a project in the Sleep
Walkers Film Fair, which he describes as a pop comedy about sex, technology
and society.

RUGBY – Romania’s rugby team on Saturday won 24-7 at home to Spain
in the third round of Rugby Europe Championship. Despite the score, Spain
dominated the game, but Romania defended well and capitalized on its chances.
This is Romania’s first win in Rugby Europe Championship this year, after
losing 41-13 to Georgia and 22-11 to Portugal. Romania will next play Russia in
Krasnodar on March 7.

(translated
by V. Palcu)

22 February 2020
February 9, 2019

Budget — The vote in Romania’s Parliament on the draft budget law and the draft national insurance budget law for 2019 was scheduled for Friday, February 15, the Romanian Parliament’s Permanent Bureaus decided on Saturday. MPs are expected to submit amendments until Monday and debates on the budget bill in the Parliament plenum will start on Wednesday. The draft budget for 2019 was approved Friday by the governing coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats. Under the draft budget, more funds were allotted for healthcare education and investments. The budget is based on a 5.5% economic growth rate, a budget deficit of 2.5% and a GDP of more than 200 billion Euros. The bill also provides for the allocation of 2% of the GDP for defense, according to Romania’s commitments to NATO. Money was also provided for the increase by 15% of pensions starting in September this year. The opposition leveled criticism against the delayed approval of the budget bill as well as against its provisions which they deem unrealistic.

EU — The Romanian presidency of the Council of the EU announced it received a mandate from the ambassadors of the member states to start negotiations with the European Parliament on the revision of the Directive on natural gas. Considered one of the most sensitive and important legislative files on the European agenda, the modification of the Directive is based on the compromise reached by France and Germany with regard to regulations on gas conveyance which mainly targets the North Stream II gas pipeline project. The pipeline to link Russia and Germany is currently under construction and is aimed at transporting Russian gas to central European countries, bypassing Ukraine.

Berlin — The Romanian film ‘Monsters’ directed by Marius Olteanu is being screened today, for the first time, at the 69th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival. The film, the only Romanian feature film selected at this edition of the Berlin festival will compete with another 16 movies. ‘Monsters’ tells the story of one day in the life of a young married couple who, together, seem to be loved by the family, the society and friends but who are also judged and rejected when they are on their own because of their needs, convictions and choices. Last year the film Touch Me Not, the debut feature film of Adina Pintilie received the Golden Bear award in Berlin.

Rugby — Romania’s national rugby team is today playing on home ground, in Cluj, in the northwest, against Georgia its debut match of the 2019 Rugby Europe Championship. This is the 2nd most important competition after the famous Six Nations Championship. Romania’s team will next play in Botosani, in the northeast, on February 16 against Germany. On March 3 Madrid will play host to the match pitting Romania against Spain and on March 9 Botosani will venue the match between Romania and Russia. The Romanian team’s last match will be in Brussels, against Belgium, on March 17. Romania will miss, for the first time in the past 30 years, from the World Cup final tournament scheduled this year in Japan, after the International Federation sanctioned Romania for having used, in the previous edition of the championship, a recently naturalized player from Tonga after he had already played for his country.

Tennis — The Romanian tennis player Mihaela Buzarnescu (29 WTA) will play against the Czech Karolina Pliskova (5 WTA) in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, on Saturday, in the 2019 Fed Cup first round. The second match of the day will pit Simona Halep (3 WTA) against Katerina Siniakova (44 WTA). Sunday will see the matches pitting Halep against Pliskova and Buzarnescu against Siniakova. In the doubles, the pair Irina Begu/Monica Niculescu will take on the pair Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova. In the men’s competition, following Wednesday’s drawing of lots, Romania will be up against Zimbabwe in the first round of the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group II. (translation by L. Simion)

9 February 2019
February 18, 2018 UPDATE

Visit– Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and strengthening economic relations with the partner states.

Motion – On Monday, the Romanian Chamber of Deputies will debate the simple motion filed by the opposition National Liberal Party against the Labour Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu. The Liberals criticize the drop in salaries for several categories of employees, following the application of the unitary salary law and shifting the obligation to pay social security contributions from employers to employees. In response, the Labour Minister has stated that the simple no-confidence motion is an opportunity to present an activity report. The vote was scheduled for Wednesday.

Canada– As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Canadian Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, related to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.

Eco farming – Romania and Poland have registered a decrease in terms of bio farming, although the two countries are among the 10 countries in the region with the largest organic farming areas. The conclusion was presented in a study drawn up by the Swiss Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, on 23 countries in Eastern Europe. The report also highlights the fact that, in the region, the ecological sector has been developing at a lower pace than in other parts of the world, and it focuses more on exporting raw materials rather than on processing own-brand products.

Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.

18 February 2018
February 18, 2018

Visit – Romanias Prime Minister Viorica Dancila travels to Brussels next week for her first foreign visit. She will have talks with European leaders, including the European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, the European Council President Donald Tusk, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila has recently stated that her immediate plans include boosting foreign policy actions and economic relations with the partner states.

Visas – As of December 1st 2017, citizens of Romania no longer need a visa to travel to Canada. The decision has triggered a surge in asylum requests, which called for a meeting between the Federal Government and the Romanian diplomats posted in Ottawa, according to the Canadian site La Presse. According to the Immigration Ministry, since December 1st 2017, 232 Romanians have filed for asylum in Canada, as compared to 120 claims in 2016. According to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic and Program Policy for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Paul MacKinnon, it is not clear yet whether this is going to be a trend, or just a temporary circumstance, relating to the decision to lift visas for Romanians. The parties have agreed to maintain the programme, but, if asylum claims exceed a certain limit over a period of 12 months, then compulsory visas might be reintroduced, the Canadian official has stated. The changes brought to the Canadian immigration policy were associated with the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the EU last year.

Security Conference – The Munich Security Conference has come to an end. The forum brought together officials who talked about the role of the EU in terms of international security and its relations with the US and Russia. On Saturday, the last day of the event, the British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she did not want Brexit to be the end of the cooperation between Great Britain and the EU in fields such as defense and security, and suggested a security cooperation treaty to be concluded with the European partners, next year at the latest. In turn, the EC President Jean Claude Juncker gave assurances that Europeans were not at war with Great Britain and would not give up the security bridge connecting them for ages. The Defense Minister Mihai Fifor represented Romania at the conference. During the working lunch with his German counterpart Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, the Romanian official stressed the importance of bilateral and regional cooperation, especially with regard to military intelligence and defense industry.

Berlin Film Festival – Romanian productions are screened in almost every important section of the 68th edition of the Berlin Film Festival, which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilies feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with Childs Pose, the Romanian director Calin Peter Netzer is this year part of the jury. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzers Ana, mon amour. Ioana Uricarius Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboius documentary Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children and young people. Also, the Romanian actress and director Alina Grigore, screen writer Ioan Antoci and film critic Flavia Dima have been selected for the Berlinale Talents, a section devoted to young cinematographers.

Rugby – Romanias rugby team (The Oaks) is today playing against the Spanish Los Leones in Madrid, in a decisive match in terms of qualification for the 2019 World Cups European Group. Romanias record in the past 60 years has been impressive, with 33 victories, as compared to Spains only 2. The Oaks rank 15th in the World Rugby Rankings, and Leones 19th.

18 February 2018
17 February, 2018 UPDATE

Brussels trip. Romania’s prime minister
Viorica Dancila next week travels to Brussels for her first foreign visit. She
will have talks with European leaders, including the head of the European
Commission Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council Donald
Tusk, the speaker of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European
Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila said recently she was
planning to intensify foreign policy actions and the economic relations with
the partner states.

Munich Security Conference. Romania’s
defence minister Mihai Fifor on Friday and Saturday attended the Munich
Security Conference, a major forum for the discussion of security policy. On
Friday, Fifor had a series of bilateral talks where he presented Romania’s
priorities in the area of defence. According to a defence ministry press
release, Fifor met the US senator and Chairman
of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ron
Johnson for talks on the relations between Romania and the US, with emphasis on
cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. Minister Fifor used the
opportunity to highlight the good discussions he had with the US Defence
Secretary James Mattis at a recent NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. He
also assured the American partners that Romania is committed to its pledges as
a NATO member and to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. At a
meeting with the representatives of the Atlantic Council, retired general James
Jones and Alexander Vershbow, minister Fifor underlined the importance
of security in the Black Sea region for the agenda of the forthcoming NATO
summit in July in Brussels. Talks also focused on the importance of the
top-level meeting of the Three Seas Initiative to be hosted by Bucharest this
year.

Moldova-EU.
On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip
on Saturday met the EU Commissioner for European
Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The two
officials discussed Moldova’s progress in carrying out the required reforms,
including the requirements for receiving macro-financial assistance from the
EU. Progress was noted in respect of the reform of the judicial system, the
implementation of a new money laundering law and the passing of legislation to
regulate the activity of NGOs. Prime minister Filip said these examples confirm
the determination of the Moldovan authorities to continue on the path of
European integration. He also reiterated his country’s commitment to fulfil the
goals established at the Eastern Partnership summit in November last year. Commissioner
Hahn welcomed the progress made and the commitment of the Moldovan government
to the implementation of reforms at a fast pace and maintained the EU’s support
for its Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova.

Canada visa waiver. The visa waiver for the Romanian citizens
travelling to Canada was followed by a significant increase in asylum
applications for this country, which led to a meeting between the federal
government and Romanian diplomats in Ottawa, according to the Canadian website
Le Presse. Immigration officials say 232 Romanian citizens filed asylum
applications since December 1st 2017 compared with only 120
throughout 2016. Paul MacKinnon, an official with the
Department of Citizenship and Immigration, says it has not been established yet
if this is a trend that will persist or if its link to the visa waiver is
incidental. The two parties agreed to continue the visa waiver program for Romanian
citizens, but if asylum applications reach a certain level within a 12-month
period, it is possible that visas will again be introduced, the Canadian
official also said. The change in Canada’s policy on immigration was linked to
the completion of negotiations on a free trade agreement between Canada and the
European Union last year.

Sofia. The Romanian foreign minister Teodor
Melescanu attended an informal meeting of EU
foreign affairs ministers in the Gymnich format held in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
Melescanu welcomed the idea of a new conference on Syria in Brussels and said
the European Union must play a proactive role in the political process taking
place under the NATO aegis and later in the post-conflict reconstruction
process. He also said Romania was in favour of a continuation of the EU
enlargement process and that this was one of its priorities during its first
presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year.

Berlin
Festival. Romania has a strong presence this year in the 68th
edition of the Berlin Film Festival which got under way on the 15th
of February and comes to an end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina
Pintilie’s feature film debut, runs in the Competition section. A winner of the
Golden Bear in 2013 with Child’s Pose, the Romanian helmer Calin Peter Netzer
will this year be part of the jury. Touch Me Not, which will be shown for the first
time in Berlin, is a personal exploration that questions our preconceived ideas
about intimacy as a fundamental aspect of human existence. Ioana Uricariu’s
Lemonade has been selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic
vision and the courage to be different. Corneliu Porumboiu’s documentary
Infinite Football will be screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two
more Romanian productions are being shown in the Generation Kplus competition for children
and young people. Last year, Dana Bunescu won the Silver Bear for the editing
in Calin Peter Netzer’s Ana, mon amour.

17 February 2018
17 February, 2018

Brussels trip. Romania’s prime minister Viorica
Dancila next week travels to Brussels for her first foreign visit. She will
have talks with European leaders, including the head of the European Commission
Jean Claude Juncker, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, the
speaker of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani and the European Commissioner
for Regional Policy Corina Cretu. Dancila said recently she was planning to
intensify foreign policy actions and the economic relations with the partner
states.

Munich Security Conference. Romania’s
defence minister Mihai Fifor is attending the Munich Security Conference, a
major forum for the discussion of security policy. On Friday, Fifor had a
series of bilateral talks where he presented Romania’s priorities in the area
of defence. According to a defence ministry press release, Fifor met the US
senator and Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ron
Johnson for talks on the relations between Romania and the US, with emphasis on
cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. Minister Fifor used the
opportunity to highlight the good discussions he had with the US Defence
Secretary James Mattis at a recent NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels. He
also assured the American partners that Romania is committed to its pledges as
a NATO member and to the Strategic Partnership between the two countries. At a
meeting with the representatives of the Atlantic Council, retired general James
Jones and Alexander Vershbow, minister Fifor underlined the importance
of security in the Black Sea region for the agenda of the forthcoming NATO
summit in July in Brussels. Talks also focused on the importance of the
top-level meeting of the Three Seas Initiative to be hosted by Bucharest this
year.

Republic
of Moldova. On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the prime minister of the Republic of Moldova Pavel Filip
today met the EU Commissioner for European
Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn. The two
officials discussed Moldova’s progress in carrying out the required reforms,
including the requirements for receiving macro-financial assistance from the
EU. Progress was noted in respect of the reform of the judicial system, the
implementation of a new money laundering law and the passing of legislation to
regulate the activity of NGOs. Prime minister Filip said these examples confirm
the determination of the Moldovan authorities to continue on the path of
European integration. He also reiterated his country’s commitment to fulfil the
goals established at the Eastern Partnership summit in November last year.
Commissioner Hahn welcomed the progress made and the commitment of the Moldovan
government to the implementation of reforms at a fast pace and maintained the
EU’s support for its Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova.

Meeting. The Romanian foreign minister
Teodor Melescanu attended an informal meeting of
EU foreign affairs ministers in the Gymnich format held in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
Melescanu welcomed the idea of a new conference on Syria in Brussels and said
the European Union must play a proactive role in the political process taking
place under the NATO aegis and later in the post-conflict reconstruction
process. He also said Romania was in favour of a continuation of the EU
enlargement process and that this was one of its priorities during its first
presidency of the EU Council in the first half of next year.

Berlin Festival. Romania has a
strong presence this year in the 68th edition of the Berlin Film
Festival which got under way on the 15th of February and comes to an
end on the 25th. Touch Me Not, Adina Pintilie’s feature film debut,
runs in the Competition section. A winner of the Golden Bear in 2013 with
Child’s Pose, the Romanian helmer Calin Peter Netzer will this year be part of
the jury. Touch Me Not, which will be shown for the first time in Berlin, is a
personal exploration that questions our preconceived ideas about intimacy as a
fundamental aspect of human existence. Ioana Uricariu’s Lemonade has been
selected in the Panorama section, which rewards artistic vision and the courage
to be different. Corneliu Porumboiu’s documentary Infinite Football will be
screened in the non-competitive sidebar Forum. Two more Romanian productions
are being shown in the Generation
Kplus competition for children and young people. Last year, Dana Bunescu won
the Silver Bear for the editing in Calin Peter Netzer’s Ana, mon amour.

Tennis. The Romanian tennis player
and world no. 2 Simona Halep pulled out of the WTA tournament in Doha after she
defeated the American player Catherine Bellis in straight sets on Friday night. Halep
said she had to pull out because of a leg injury and that she would neither
play in the Dubai tournament next week. Because of Halep’s withdrawal, Spain’s
Garbine Muguruza, no. 4 in the world, has automatically qualified for Sunday’s
final.

17 February 2018
February 19, 2017 UPDATE

DIPLOMACY – Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated Romanias support for increasing the role of the EU in the field of defence, in line with NATO requirements. Attending the NATO Security Conference in Munich, Melescanu underlined the importance of consolidating the EU as a viable and influential global actor, outlining Romanias contribution to securing Euro-Atlantic and global security. On the sidelines of the conference, the Romanian Foreign Minister met with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who congratulated and thanked Romanian authorities for allotting 2% of the countrys GDP to defence. Melescanu also had talks with his Georgian and Azeri counterparts, with the Secretary General of the League of Arab Nations, as well as with other high-ranking officials attending the conference.

EMERGENCY DECREE – The Chamber of Deputies is still debating the emergency decree on the withdrawal of the controversial decree by means of which the Government attempted to amend criminal legislation. According to the head of the Chambers judicial committee, which is the decision-making body in this case, adopting the former would make null the latter. Aimed at partially decriminalising abuse of office, the decree has been the target of mass street protests since its adoption on January 31.

CVM – Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announced he would send a letter of enquiry to the European Commission next week regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, so that the Government can take the necessary measures. Grindeanu told Realitatea television station that he wants the mechanism to be lifted in the shortest time possible. The Prime Minister recalled that, during his meeting with European Commission president, Jean-Claude Junker held on Friday, the latter insisted that Romania should no longer be monitored under the CVM by the end of his term in office. In his talks with high-ranking European Commission officials, Prime Minister Grindeanu gave assurances that the Government in Bucharest remains committed to fighting corruption.

ECONOMY – Romania reported a 292 million euro deficit in trading foodstuffs in the first 11 months of 2016, given that, over the similar period of 2015, our country reported a surplus of over 65 million euros, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry. Exports stood at 5,4 billion euros, up by 2.7% as against the same period of 2016, while imports exceeded 5,7 billion euros, by 9.6% more than the period under scrutiny. The EU was Romanias main trade partner in terms of exports and imports of foodstuffs, with deliveries accounting for over 54% of total exports, while EU purchases accounted for some 74% of total imports.

BRANCUSI – Romanian embassies, consular offices and cultural institutes abroad on Sunday marked the Brancusi Day, devoted to the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Considered the “father of modern sculpture, Constantin Brancusi was born on February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Gorj County, southern Romania. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, 2017 bears a triple significance for promoting Brancusi and his works. March 16 will mark 60 years since the death of Brancusi. Also, in 2018, the year Romania celebrates 100 years since its Great Unification, our country will also celebrate 80 years since the great sculptor accomplished his greatest monument ensemble, “The Heroes Path in Targu Jiu, an homage to the Romanian soldiers who gave their lives for people and country in the Great War. Also this year on June 15 we mark 40 years since the inauguration of the “Brancusi Workshop in 1977 at the Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris.

FILM – Romanian image editor Dana Bunescu on Saturday scooped the Silver Bear award for editing at the 67th edition of the International Berlin Film Festival, for the feature film Ana, mon amour, directed by Calin Peter Netzer. The feature was selected in the main competition for the Golden Bear, which this year went to Hungarian filmmaker Ildko Enyedis feature On Body and Soul. We recall that Calin Peter Netzer won the Golden Bear in 2013 with his feature Childs Pose.

CARNIVAL OF VENICE – This year as well Romania is represented in the main program at the Venice Carnival. Romanian traditional costumes were presented on Sunday at the official parade opening the Carnival, while alphorn players from Campeni, Alba County, performed on stage in San Marco Square. On Saturday, the “Zestrea exhibition of Romanian traditional costumes designed by Liliana Turoiu was opened and can be visited until February 28. (Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2017
February 19, 2017

DIPLOMACY — Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu reiterated Romania’s support for increasing the role of the EU in the field of defence, in line with NATO requirements. Attending the NATO Security Conference in Munich, Melescanu underlined the importance of consolidating the EU as a viable and influential global actor, outlining Romania’s contribution to securing Euro-Atlantic and global security. On the sidelines of the conference, the Romanian Foreign Minister met with NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, who congratulated and thanked Romanian authorities for allotting 2% of the country’s GDP to defence. Melescanu also had talks with his Georgian and Azeri counterparts, with the Secretary General of the League of Arab Nations, as well as with other high-ranking officials attending the conference.

EMERGENCY DECREE — The Chamber of Deputies is still debating the emergency decree on the withdrawal of the controversial decree by means of which the Government attempted to amend criminal legislation. According to the head of the Chamber’s judicial committee, which is the decision-making body in this case, adopting the former would make null the latter. Aimed at partially decriminalising abuse of office, the decree has been the target of mass street protests since its adoption on January 31.

CVM — Romanian Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu announced he would send a letter of enquiry to the European Commission next week regarding the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, so that the Government can take the necessary measures. Grindeanu told Realitatea television station that he wants the mechanism to be lifted in the shortest time possible. The Prime Minister recalled that, during his meeting with European Commission president, Jean-Claude Junker held on Friday, the latter insisted that Romania should no longer be monitored under the CVM by the end of his term in office. In his talks with high-ranking European Commission officials, Prime Minister Grindeanu gave assurances that the Government in Bucharest remains committed to fighting corruption.

ECONOMY — Romania reported a 292 million euro deficit in trading foodstuffs in the first 11 months of 2016, given that, over the similar period of 2015, our country reported a surplus of over 65 million euros, according to data released by the Agriculture Ministry. Exports stood at 5,4 billion euros, up by 2.7% as against the same period of 2016, while imports exceeded 5,7 billion euros, by 9.6% more than the period under scrutiny. The EU was Romania’s main trade partner in terms of exports and imports of foodstuffs, with deliveries accounting for over 54% of total exports, while EU purchases accounted for some 74% of total imports.

BRANCUSI — Romanian embassies, consular offices and cultural institutes abroad on Sunday marked the Brancusi Day, devoted to the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi. Considered the “father of modern sculpture”, Constantin Brancusi was born on February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Gorj County, southern Romania. According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry, 2017 bears a triple significance for promoting Brancusi and his works. March 16 will mark 60 years since the death of Brancusi. Also, in 2018, the year Romania celebrates 100 years since its Great Unification, our country will also celebrate 80 years since the great sculptor accomplished his greatest monument ensemble, “The Heroes’ Path” in Targu Jiu, an homage to the Romanian soldiers who gave their lives for people and country in the Great War. Also this year on June 15 we mark 40 years since the inauguration of the “Brancusi Workshop” in 1977 at the Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris.

FILM — Romanian image editor Dana Bunescu on Saturday scooped the Silver Bear award for editing at the 67th edition of the International Berlin Film Festival, for the feature film Ana, mon amour, directed by Calin Peter Netzer. The feature was selected in the main competition for the Golden Bear, which this year went to Hungarian filmmaker Ildko Enyedi’s feature On Body and Soul. We recall that Calin Peter Netzer won the Golden Bear in 2013 with his feature Child’s Pose.

CARNIVAL OF VENICE — This year as well Romania is represented in the main program at the Venice Carnival. Romanian traditional costumes were presented on Sunday at the official parade opening the Carnival, while alphorn players from Campeni, Alba County, performed on stage in San Marco Square. On Saturday, the “Zestrea” exhibition of Romanian traditional costumes designed by Liliana Turoiu was opened and can be visited until February 28. (Translated by V. Palcu)

19 February 2017
Romanian Filmmakers at the Berlinale

The French daily Le Figaro has eulogized the film that has entered the competition in the Berlinales “Forum section, stating that the filmmaker has skilfully avoided being trapped by a biased film, he does not judge his characters and has made a provocative film. In turn, the film critic of the Cineuropa site has written that the spectator is lured into a convincing family drama, proving how easy it is to judge from the outside and how the perspective on things changes when youre placed at the centre of the story. “

Filmmaker Adrian Sitaru confessed his film was a hybrid of docufiction and imagined scenario, as he improvised a lot when picking the sequences, with the clear purpose of being faithful to the truth and rendering the characters authentic experience. “Illegitimate, one of the most challenging Romanian films of the past years, tells the story of two brothers, featuring actors Alina Grigore and Robi Urs, and their illegitimate love story. In their family the boundaries between the moral and the legal have never existed. Here is Adrian Sitaru speaking about the feedback his film has got so far.

“By and large, we have had a very good feedback. And I could say that our being selected for the Berlinale is due to the films French co-producers, who watched the film in an initial stage, that is almost a year ago, they fell in love with it and helped us a lot with the editing, they even found another international distributor. And they also came up with the idea of sending the film to the Berlinale. The fact that it was shortlisted took us by surprise, all the more so as we had not completed work on the film. Favourable feedback came from other sources as well, but our greatest joy was the selection for the Berlinale.

“Illegitimate is a film where humour and drama blend into a tragicomedy about love (conjugal, brotherly, bodily), about relationships falling apart, about the choices we make for or against life. It is also a film about physical love between brothers, a taboo topic, a topic not much talked about, but on which there is a considerable amount of specialist research“. Thats how Adrian Sitaru presented his latest film “Illegitimate. Next Adrian Sitaru will tell us the story of his movie:

It is a special project, it is not based on a classical screenplay, with written lines, I wanted the film to be more of a documentary. The formula, a hybrid between documentary and feature film was a challenge for me. I for one wasnt sure how the film would be. Actually, while working with the actors, I went through all sorts of stages. Some aspects were not working as I had envisaged and I had to come up with different solutions. Alina Grigore advanced the idea of a theatre performance with well-defined characters. The emotional charge emerged along the way. A friend of mine who saw the film compared it with a jazz piece, and I liked the comparison, because this is the way this film was made. Just like in jazz music, where musicians improvise, in my movie everybody contributed their creativity. My role was to stick to the narrative thread until the end. I probably took the story a little bit too far, to an area I was interested in, that of an impossible love, questionable from a moral point of view. Eventually all the pieces mixed well together and formed this film ‘Illegitimate. “

Next Adrian Sitaru will continue the story of the atypical manner in which he worked for his film “Illegitimate.

“The shooting was specific to an observational documentary, I suggested the actors to set themselves a certain goal and then to improvise. Thats how they tried to handle their own principles and beliefs, how they made their own choices. And I never imposed them to end a scene in one way or another, to say this line or that one. I think this is what happens in life, the first words one utters are the most authentic ones. That was the case of the film too. I thought that the first taking was the most precious. And actors were extremely credible.

The cast of “Illegitimate includes Adrian Titieni, Bogdan Albulescu and Alina Grigore, as well as amateur actors of the InLight acting school such as Robi Urs, Cristina Olteanu, Miruna Dumitrescu, Liviu Vizitiu and Mihaela Perianu.

“Illegitimate is Adrian Sitarus fourth feature film. His previous productions include “Pescuit Sportiv – “Hooked (2008), “Din dragoste cu cele mai bune intentii – “Best Intentions (2011) and “Domestic – “Domestic (2012). All these productions won important awards in leading film festivals. Adrian Sitarus short reels are also award-winning productions. The titles include Waves (2007), Lord (2009), The Cage (2010), The Party (2012), Art (2014), Trip (2014).

The Berlinales Generation 14plus section also short listed Romanian filmmaker Roxana Stroes short “One night in Tokoriki. Romanian actors Iuia Ciochina and screenplay writer Ruxandra Ghitescu were shortlisted for the festivals “Berlinale Talents category, while the Panorama Dokumente sub-section included Livia Ungur and Sherng-Lee Huangs docufiction “Hotel Dallas.

(Translated by E. Nasta)

27 February 2016
Romanian Films Awarded in Berlin

The refugee crisis was the prevalent theme of this 66th International Film Festival in Berlin, the first major event of the year for the cinema industry. Traditionally rooted in the current political reality, the festival is at the same time a platform for human rights activists to make their voice heard. While last year the grand prize went to “Taxi” by the Iranian dissident Jafar Panahi, this year it was an Italian documentary focusing on the refugees arriving to Europe that won the prestigious “Golden Bear”: “Fire at Sea,” directed by Gianfranco Rosi and shot on Lampedusa Island.

Without off-camera commentary, “Fire at Sea” documents the parallel daily lives of the Italian locals and of the thousands of migrants who set out from Northern Africa, sail in disastrous conditions and many even die at sea, trying to reach the “promised land.” The Silver Bear, which was last year presented to a Romanian film, “Aferim!” by Radu Jude, in 2016 went to the French director Mia Hansen-Love for her film “LÁvenir” (The Future), which tells the story of a philosophy teacher played by the well-known Isabelle Huppert. But Romanians did not go home empty handed from Berlin this year either. “Illegitimate,” the fourth feature directed by Adrian Sitaru and presented in the “Forum” section of the Festival, won the award of the International Confederation of Art House Cinemas.

One of the most thought-provoking Romanian films of the past few years, “Illegitimate,” which will premiere in Romania on March 18, tells the story of an illegitimate affair and of the thin line between absolute truth and hypocrisy. Adrian Sitaru himself told us more about it:

“First of all, this is a film about a family with four children, two of whom are twins. It is also about an incestuous love affair, about life and death. I don’t want to give you more details, I wouldn’t like to spoil it for the people who plan to watch it.”

The director also said a few things about how the film was shot:

“After we presented the circumstances to the participants, we gave them the freedom to do whatever they would do in real life, and see what happens. We shot as much as we needed to, and then we edited the material, much like a documentary.”

Another Romanian production, the short film “A Night in Tokoriki” by Roxana Stroe, won the special prize in the “Generation 14Plus” section devoted to young directors. The film is set in an improvised disco called “Tokoriki,” where an entire village celebrates the 18th birthday anniversary of Gianina. Her boyfriend is about to give her an unexpected present, which no one will ever forget.

(Translated by Anamaria Popescu)

22 February 2016
February 12, 2016

STATISTICS – Romania last year reported an economic growth of 3.7% as compared to 2014, above the estimated 3.5% announced by the European Commission. According to data made public today by the National Statistics Institute, Romanias GDP went up in the last quarter of 2014 by 1.1% as compared to the third quarter. Recently the European Commission has upgraded its economic growth forecast for Romania in 2015, to 3.6% of the countrys GDP. The Commission believes Romanias economic growth might reach 4.2%, only to balance out at 3.7% in 2017.

VISIT – Romanias president Klaus Iohannis is today visiting the German land of Bavaria. Klaus Iohannis is today meeting Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer in Munich, while later today he is expected to attend the 52nd Security Conference also held in Munich until Sunday. The Romanian President will be a keynote speaker at the conference as part of the discussion panel devoted to the future of NATO. Other topics will approach NATOs attitude towards the Russian Federation, the refugee crisis, the future of NATO, terrorism, the developments in Syria, Ukraine and Africa and climate change. On Thursday, Klaus Iohannis met the president of the Parliament of Bavaria Barbara Stamm, with whom he discussed migration-related challenges.

INFECTION – Medical authorities in Romania are on high alert after scores of children under two years of age were admitted in hospitals in Bucharest and Arges County with serious disorders of the digestive system. Some of the children even have kidney-related affections, after having been infected with the E-coli virus. An 11-month-old girl died last week and another 11 children are receiving medical care in Bucharest. 4 of them are in critical condition. In another development, the National Centre for Monitoring and Controlling Infections has announced another 8 people in Romania died in the first week of February after being infected with swine flu, raising the overall death toll for this year to 9 dead.

VATICAN – Pope Francis and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill are today meeting on Havana Airport in Cuba. This will be the first such meeting since the Great Schism of 1054. While Patriarch Kirill is on an official visit to Cuba, the Pope will stop in Havana on his way to Mexico. The two will discuss relations between the two Churches, including the issue of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine and defending Christian values in Europe. Another topic on the agenda is the persecution of Christians in conflict areas in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Since he was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis has made ecumenism a priority, advocating for consolidating relations between the various Christian churches.

BREAKTHROUGH – An international team of researchers on Thursday announced the successful detection of gravitational waves, a major breakthrough for the world of science that opens up a window on the universe, France Press news agency reports. The discovery confirms Albert Einsteins theory of general relativity put forth 100 years ago, according to which the gravitational waves travel throughout the universe. Scientists made the discovery in the wake of a violent cosmic event. Two black holes collided some 1,3 billion years ago. Their clash was picked up by three laser interferometers with the LIGO laboratory, one of the most sensitive man-made instruments. Researchers already say astronomy has entered a new era, comparing the event to the first use of the telescope by Galileo Galilei.

FILM – Mohamed Ben Attias long feature Hedi is today opening the 66th edition of the Berlin Film Festival. 18 features will compete for the Golden Bear to be awarded on February 20. The jury is this year presided by American actress Meryl Streep, three-time Oscar winner. Representing Romania in the Forum section is Adrian Sitarus feature Illegitimate, which will premiere on Saturday. In the Generation 14plus category, Roxana Stroe will present her short film A night in Tokoriki, while actress Iuliea Ciochina and screen writer Ruxandra Ghitescu will attend the Berlinale Talents. We recall that last year Radu Judes Aferim! scooped the Silver Bear award.

(Translated by V. Palcu)

12 February 2016
Producer Ada Solomon

After the film “Aferim!” got the Golden Bear for best directing at the Berlin Film Festival, producer Ada Solomon said that the award was to her a “confirmation of the courage” she had, together with film-maker Radu Jude, “to carry through such a complex project”. One of the biggest Romanian cinematographic projects of the past years, “Aferim!” is a historical film set in 19th century Wallachia, when all gypsies were slaves. A tax collector portrayed by actor Teodor Corban, accompanied by his son, is looking for a runaway slave. “Aferim!” was filmed in Dobrogea, in eastern Romania and in Giurgiu, in the south, on a 400,000 Euro budget. Most of the set was reconstructed to illustrate the Turkish influence. According to Ada Solomon, “Aferim!”, which has been running in Romanian cinemas since March, is the most complex project of her career as a producer. Ada Solomon:

“ From a logistics point of view, ‘Aferim!’ is the largest project ever. It is a period film, with lots of extras, for which 70% of the set had to be actually built from scratch. Besides that, the film is extremely complex because it covers a range of social issues and dwells on historical sources that are extremely valuable and which have never been visually explored before. The film’s screenplay was written on the basis of 19th century folk and cultured literature. All that makes the film important not only to me, but to Romanian cinematography as a whole.”

According to film critic Andrei Gorzo, “Aferim!” is “the most important Romanian film since 2010, more precisely since “Nicolae Ceausecu’s Autobiography” by Andrei Ujica and “Aurora” directed by Cristi Puiu. This work of art, which will become a classical piece of Romanian cinematography, is also a powerful intervention with regard to current public issues”. Here is now producer Ada Solomon again:

“ I don’t believe than an artist can do things in a programmed manner. Artists act as they feel, when they feel it, in a certain moment of their life. It’s critics’ business to categorize, compare and judge their value. The things that have been said about this film are great, and I am overwhelmed by how people in Romania have reacted to this film. I wanted for the film to be well received and raise interest, but I didn’t imagine the interest in it would be that big, that so many things would be written about it and that its analysis would go that deep. For me, the most important learning we get from this film is what the father teaches his son and this is actually the element of continuity in Radu Jude’s films, because all his films are centered on family and the relationships between parents and children. Although the plot is set in a different era and in a different background, the film is mainly about the relationship between Ionita and Constatin, father and son.”

Ada Solomon is the producer of Radu Jude’s most important films, that is Lamp with a Head”, released in 2006, the short film with the biggest number of awards in the history of Romanian cinema, received at prestigious festivals such as Sundance and the ones in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Uppsala and also of the short film Alexandra”, released in 2007, selected at the Clemont-Ferrand festival and awarded in Oberhausen. Ada Solomon:

”I’m not sure if it was I who picked Radu or if we picked each other. I think the second version is closer to the truth and I am very happy that Radu trusted me and saw me as the right person to help him put his ideas into practice. This relationship has developed in time because we have supported each other. What fasinates me about Radu is his comprehensive perspective on things. The elements in his films are always argumented and there are always more layers to everything than they first appear to be, which means the foundation is very solid.I have learned a lot from Radu as talking to him is always a pleasure, just like exchanging ideas, although we are not always on the same page. This exchange of ideas generates a kind of exercise of attitude, which is something that I like, as all his films are also examples of attitudes. They are not only artistic works, they say more, they raise issues. They also have the quality of not being judgemental, of not giving verdicts.”

Although Ada Solomon believes it is impossible to get rid of the preconceptions about the Rroma, she is happy with the fact that Aferim!” has managed to stir various reactions:

What seems extraordinary to me is the fact that people from all fields have different perspectives on the film. Whether it is a political or social perspective, it is clear that this production has done more than just raise the attention of the people in the film industry. What I find interesting is that many political analysts have reacted to this film, and from a social and anthropological viewpoint Aferim!” is worth being studied in order to find answers to questions such as who we are and where we come from. I was very interested in the attitude of the majority towards the minority whether the minority is Rroma or Jewish. In the case of the Rroma minority, it’s only natural that 500 years of slavery have left deep marks and that this minority is unable to leave all humiliation behind.”

Ada Solomon has also produced short films directed by Cristian Nemescu (Marilena from P7”), the debut feature films of Razvan Radulescu (Felicia, Before Anything Else”), Paul Negoescu (A Month in Thailand”), Vali Hotea (Roxanne”) and also documentaries directed by Alexandru Solomon (Kapitalism, Our Secret Recipe”, Cold Waves”). In 2013 Ada Solomon won the Eurimages award for coproduction, offered by the European Film Academy, in recognition of the decisive role of coproductions in the European film industry. She is the founder and director of the NexT International Film Festival in Bucharest, set up in memory of Cristian Nemescu and Anca Toncu.

25 April 2015