Radio România Internațional

Tag: film

  • February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    February 23, 2025 UPDATE

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    COMMEMORATION Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that any responsible person wants a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and expressed hope that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the efforts to end the war in Romania’s neighbouring country will be successful. The Romanian PM said in a Facebook post that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is a project worth over EUR 500 billion, from which Romanian companies should gain as much as possible, Mr. Ciolacu added. On Sunday, around 150 people, mostly Ukrainian refugees, gathered in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest to mark 11 years of Russian aggression and 3 years since the start of the full-scale invasion. The participants carried Ukrainian and Romanian flags, as well as banners with messages against the war started by Russia and against the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian ambassador to Bucharest also attended the protest.

     

    POPE FRANCIS Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church wished Pope Francis a speedy recovery, in a message sent on Sunday on behalf of himself, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church, the clergy and all Romanian Orthodox believers. The Patriarch says he prays for Pope Francis to recover and resume his pastoral and missionary work as soon as possible. Aged 88, Pope Francis has been hospitalised in Rome for almost 10 days with bilateral pneumonia, and his health has worsened. Pope Francis was elected head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    ARREST Ten individuals close to a French drug trafficker arrested on Saturday in Romania, have been detained over suspicions of having participated in the escape and flight of the repeat offender, the Paris prosecutor announced on Sunday. The known leader of a drug trafficking group, the man had been wanted since his escape in France in May 2024, during which two police officers were killed. On Saturday, Romanian police identified and detained him near a shopping center in Bucharest, and handed him over to the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian player Elizabeta Samara won the silver at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup, which brought together Europe’s best table tennis players in Montreux (Switzerland). On Sunday, the Romanian lost the final to Ying Han (Germany), 2-3. Another Romanian, Bernadette Szocs, lost the quarter-finals on Saturday. Szocs won the competition in 2018, in 2019 she lost the final, and in 2021, 2022 and 2024 she came out third. Elizabeta Samara also won a third place in 2018.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team HC Dunărea Brăila have qualified for the quarter-finals of the EHF European League, after a 33-33 draw against the Norwegian side Larvik on Sunday in their last match in Group A. The result won Dunărea Brăila the group stage. In the quarter-finals, they will face the second-placed team in Group B, Ikast Handbold (Denmark). In turn, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, the winners of Group B, will face Thueringer HC (Germany). The first leg games take place on March 22-23, and the return matches on March 29-30. Meanwhile on Sunday, CS Rapid Bucharest managed to qualify for the play-offs of the Women’s Handball Champions League, after drawing away from home against the Montenegrin team Buducnost Podgorica, 21-21, in the last round of Group B. (AMP)

  • February 23, 2025

    February 23, 2025

    UKRAINE The interim president of Romania Ilie Bolojan takes part on Monday in an online summit on ‘Defence and Security Strategy of Unity. Action Plan’, organised in the neighbouring Russia-invaded Ukraine, the Romanian presidency announced. On Wednesday, Bolojan took part in a meeting on Ukraine and the security challenges in Europe in Paris. The interim president stated that participants in the meeting in Paris concluded that the best way to solve the crisis is collaboration between European countries and the United States of America, so that there is a ceasefire and a just peace, which cannot be achieved without the participation of Ukraine and the European Union in the negotiations.

     

    ELECTIONS In Romania, the electoral alliance supporting Crin Antonescu as a presidential candidate in May has been officially registered with the Central Electoral Bureau. The alliance, called  “Romania Forward”, comprises the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), in the ruling coalition, and is also backed by the group of ethnic minorities in the Romanian Parliament. A former education minister, Daniel Funeriu, and the incumbent mayor general of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, have also announced plans to run for president. The election campaign begins on April 4 and ends on May 3, with the vote scheduled on May 4 and the second round on May 18. In December the Constitutional Court cancelled the presidential election over foreign interference in the electoral process.

     

    AIRCRAFT US aircraft deployed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base (southeastern Romania) are performing low-altitude training flights in and around Constanţa County these days, the Romanian Air Forces announced. They say the exercises will continue until February 28 and promised that all safety measures have been taken to reduce the noise impact on civilians. Officials say that these trainings aim to increase the response capacity of aeronautical personnel.

     

    FILM The Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude was awarded the Silver Bear for best screenplay at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival. The distinction was awarded for his latest film, “Kontinental ’25”, the story of a female bailiff in the grips of a moral crisis, filmed with a phone in just 10 days. In his acceptance speech, Radu Jude thanked his team and said that the award proves that there is a lot of talent in Romania. The Golden Bear for best film went to ‘Dreams (Sex Love)’/'(Drommer’), directed by the Norwegian Dag Johan Haugerud. The second most important trophy of the Berlinale, the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize, was awarded to the Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for the production ‘The Blue Trail’ (‘O último azul’), and the Silver Bear for best director went to the Chinese filmmaker Huo Meng for ‘Living The Land’ (‘Sheng xi zhi di’).

     

    GERMANY Germany is holding elections for the next Bundestag. The Christian Democratic Union leader Friedrich Merz, the most likely to become the country’s next chancellor, said at a rally in Munich that he would be a strong voice in Europe in these “troubled times.” The campaign was overshadowed by the rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, which is expected to come in second place, ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent, however, the fragmented political landscape requires complicated negotiations at a crucial moment for the strongest EU member state. Following a reform of the electoral law, the 21st Bundestag will have 630 MPs, 103 fewer than at present. The campaign was generally focused on hot topics such as illegal migration and, more recently, the challenges to NATO posed by the US President Donald Trump.

     

    HANDBALL  The Romanian women’s handball team Rapid Bucharest play away from home today against Buducnost, in a decisive match for the round of 16 of the Champions League. Whoever wins will play against the Romanian champions CSM Bucharest. Also today, Dunarea Braila play at home against Larvik for qualification in the quarterfinals of the women’s handball competition EHF European League. On Saturday evening, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea were defeated by the Danish team Ikast Handbold 36-34, in their last match in the competition’s Group B. On Saturday evening, CS Minaur Baia Mare qualified for the quarterfinals of the EHF European Cup men’s handball competition, although they were defeated by the Finnish team BK-46, 32-31 in Karis, in the second leg of the round of 16. (AMP)

  • Romanian recent award-winning film productions

    Romanian recent award-winning film productions

    Clara is a feature-length film directed by Sabin Dorohoi. A fresh production, with a strong impact, focusing on a major and necessary topic, Clara has been recently launched in theatres across the country. The film tells the story of millions of Romanians who have no choice other than go abroad to provide for their families at home, in a bid to help them have a better living standard.

    The production has come out as an absolute first in Romanian film-making industry: it is the first feature-length film tackling the topic of migration from the standpoint of the social problem posed by the children that were left behind in Romania, to stay with their grandparents or with relatives.

    The film tells the story of Clara, a teacher acting as a baby-sitter for the little girl of a family in Germany, also looking after their house, in much as the same way as millions of Romanian women support their folk at home working abroad. When her son, left in his grandfather’s care, disappears from home, in a childish attempt to reach his mother, Clara returns to her native village in Romania where she must face her failure as a mother and try to regain her son’s trust. Sabin Dorohoi.

    “The topic of the film was born a long time ago. The idea of tackling this topic came to mind in 2012, or thereabouts, when migration turned intense and I could see the phenomenon was spreading, at that time, in northern Romania as well. Also, at that time I read in the press about the case of a little boy who committed suicide because he badly missed his parents. I found that piece of news terrible, it affected me so much and I thought I should make a film about that. And that is how the short reel titled The Danube Road premiered in 2013. Then I felt the need to develop the story of the Danube Road and that’s how the feature-length film’s screenplay was born, written by Ruxandra Ghițescu.”

    „Clara” saw its world premiere in 2023, at the Cottbus International Film Festival, where it also scooped the public’s award. Awards and nominations followed, positive criticism and a warm welcoming from the regular pubic of international film festivals, such as the Kolkata International Film Festival India, South East European Film Festival Los Angeles, Internationales Donaufest Ulm/Neu-Ulm, Ceau Cinema of Timișoara, Romanian Film Evening and Bucharest International Film festival.

    Here is one of the producers of “Clara”, Dan Burlac.

    ”It is a film posing an important problem. Yet in no way did we intend to push it, to sadden people with the story in Clara, or to make a film that could get people shed tears for nothing. We sought to focus upon a key problem, a problem that has become more and more important worldwide, and not only in Romania not only in Europe. Proof of that stands the reaction Clara triggered at its premiere in India, where almost 1,000 spectators, who attended the premiere, reacted with a lot of empathy and perceived this film as a personal experience.

    That’s why I say Clara’s story is in no way linked to a certain place, it doesn’t depend on it, it is the story of all those who experience that condition and have no choice other that travel far from home, irrespective of their being from Latin America, Europe or India. I believe what’s most valuable about this film is the fact that it succeeded to remain sincere, honest, all along, and tackle a key issue with utmost attention. Since it is a key issue, we also wanted to trigger as many reactions as possible in a bid to find solutions to a problem that concerns us all.

    Since the issue of migration also takes its toll on the society we build, here it’s all about the future generation that will build Romania. It is a problem that even concerns us all, parents, grandparents, children, it is an important problem for the entire community. It is not an issue touching one level alone, it touches, as I said, all layers in society. It is our problems.

    After the gala launch in Bucharest, the film crew embarked upon a national caravan that included special screenings, where authors and actors sat down and talked to spectators, in Q&A sessions. At some of the screenings pedagogy and psychology experts took part as well, via a relevant partnership between the film crew and the Save the Children, and organization supporting the social debate “Clara “initiated, on the occasion of its launch in theatres. Sabin Dorohoi.

    ”At the screening we had in Timisoara, it was deeply touching, because I practically arrived at home. As you know, most of the actors hail from Timisoara and, broadly speaking, from Banat, save for Ovidiu Crisan, Clara’s father and Ionut’s grandfather in the film, who is from Cluj. In Timisoara, at the screening but also as part of the talks we had afterwards, the hall was packed with people, which made us very happy, while no less happy were we because of the spectators’ reactions and their otherwise very astute questions.

    However, the most interesting questions, even disputes, constructive, interesting disputes and debates, were hosted by the city of Iasi. And that did not happen by accident, since Moldavia is worst-hit by migration in Romania. Like I said, that was reflected in the large number of viewers, but also in the talks, which were very interesting. “

    The screenplay of the film was written Ruxandra Ghitescu, the director of photography was Lulu de Hillerin. The set design was signed by Anca Miron and Sonia Constantinescu. The editor was Mircea Lăcătuș, while the original movie soundtrack was written by Eduard Dabrowski. Lead role actors are Olga Török (Clara), Ovidiu Crișan (Nicolae), Luca Puia (Ionuț) and Elina Leitl (Johanna).

  • Niko Becker, Gopo Film Festival’s Young Hopeful

    Niko Becker, Gopo Film Festival’s Young Hopeful

    28Actor Niko Becker in 2024 scooped the Gopo Award in the Young Hopefuls category as part of the Gopo Film Festival, for Dumitru, his role in the film To the North, a film directed by Mihai Mincan.
    Niko Becker began his career on stage at the German State Theatre in Timisoara. When he was 15 he featured in One Step behind the Seraphim, a production directed by Daniel Sandu.

    In 2021, stage director Eugen Jebeleanu had Niko Becker on the cast for Treplev’s role as part Tchekhov’s Seagull, a stage production that would later be included in the I.L. Caragiale Bucharest National Theater’s repertory. Niko Becker also worked with director Carmen Lidia Vidu, in The Frail Feeling of Hope, playing the part of a youngster diagnosed with schizophrenia, equally fighting his mental condition and the social stigma. Since 2023, the young actor has become the youngest member of Bucharest-based Odeon Theater top-flight troupe. Niko was introduced to the public once with the premiere of An Open House, a stage performance directed by Teodora Petre.

    Mihai Mincan’s first feature-length film, To the North, is based on a true story. The five-country European co-production tells the story of Joel, a religious Filipino sailor working on a transatlantic ship. Joel discovers Dumitru, a clandestine passenger hidden between the containers. The discovery of Dumitru puts Joel in an extreme situation that forces him to reconsider his bond with friends and faith. In director Mihai Mincan’s own words, ‘To the North is a film about fear, a film about the confidence in the other one, a film about the ability or inability to put your life in the hands of an unknown person, but also about our relationship with God.’

    We sat down and spoke with Niko Becker about his passion for acting. We started off from his role in the psychological thriller, To the North, a production that scooped the Critics’ Award as part of the Venice Biennale, Bisato D’Oro, in the Best Film category. To The North is also included in the selection of major international film festivals.

    “I perfectly got along with the team and by that I do not mean the actors alone. Since it was my debut in a lead role, I was somehow in a discomfort zone, I had many uncertainties. Concurrently, I set my own standards very high. As for the experience I had in theatre, that was helpful, obviously, yet film and theatre are different arts and things do not overlap perfectly. There is this specific difference, especially in the way it is materialized in the end, since the movie remains on the film. That puts a lot of pressure on you, as an actor, when you think that what you do on the set remains imprinted. And it is a little bit stressful, the fact that the way you act remains, whereas in theatre, even if you may have a bad evening, you have the opportunity to recreate the role. But like I said, there are always risks in theatre because we can have less inspired moments, you know.

    I rarely get out satisfied after completing a performance, I always have the feeling that it could have been better, that I could have put up a better performance. And I believe it’s only natural to want each time more because if we want less, we limit ourselves and we can no longer make headway. And, coming back to the movie, if I know that the part I play – after a series of retakes – is being shot, I succeed in using my intuition and the other qualities. It seems to me that under the pressure of the moment, in a film I can achieve more.”

    Nico Becker told us how he contoured, with help from director Mihai Mincan, the part of Dumitru, the stowaway on the ship where Joel, the Filipino, works in ‘To the North’.

    “When I prepared the part, I focused on the separate elements the character was made of. I thought what it was like to feel all the things Dumitru himself felt, like hunger, cold, being scared by loud noises etc. And I was trying to express all that through my body by means of the techniques employed by actor Michael Chekhov, which were quite helpful. I also worked a lot on the character’s psychological background. Of course, the script helped me a lot as everything starts with the script, you know.

    For me, it is essential to better understand the script, what it is all about, the circumstances, situations, the characters’ reasons and the conflict between them and the rest but also the conflict with themselves. I believe that in this way you can better understand the part you have to play, by finding out the conflict in the entire storyline and the sections making it. Having identified that, I complete the character by using my imagination and expertise.”

    One of the latest parts played by Nico Becker is that of journalist Krzysztof Zalinski in “Disquiet”, by Ivan Vyrypaev, directed by Bobi Pricop. “Disquiet”, a performance in which Nico Becker has as partner the extraordinary Dorina Lazăr is, first and foremost, “a show about the relationship between art and life, creation and creator, between love, God and everything we are trying to give a sense to (by means of faith, art or love). Just like life itself, the theatre is and causes disquiet; actually, every one of us is a mixture of disquiet, which art in all its forms is trying and maybe even succeeding in unravelling” Bobi Pricop says.

  • June 23, 2024 UPDATE

    June 23, 2024 UPDATE

    PENTECOST Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians in Romania Sunday celebrated the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus, a feast day also known as the Pentecost and in Romanian as “Rusalii”. The Pentecost is a symbol of the establishment of the Christian Church, 50 days after the Resurrection of Christ and 10 days after Ascension Day. Believers evoke the moment when the Holy Spirit gave the 12 Apostles the gift of speaking many languages to preach to the crowds, and when the first 3,000 people were baptised, thus establishing the first Christian community.

     

    FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Romanian foreign minister Luminiţa Odobescu takes part on Monday in the Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, focusing on the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, the developments in Georgia. The EU foreign ministers will also have an informal exchange of opinions with their counterparts in the Western Balkans, as part of a working luncheon. According to the Romanian foreign ministry, talks on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine will focus on the recent developments on site and the support the EU must provide to Ukraine, particularly in the military area. The participants will also discuss new restrictions against Russia and Belarus, the EU-Ukraine security commitments and will assess the Ukraine Peace Summit held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

     

    MOLDOVA The Republic of Moldova’s Sovereignty Day was marked in Romania’s neighbouring country on Sunday. Since it adopted its Sovereignty Declaration on June 23, 1990, Moldova has struggled with difficulties, but it has remained a peaceful and democratic state, in which the Moldovan nation has been sovereign and has decided the fate of the state, the country’s president Maia Sandu pointed out. She added that the citizens will decide whether to join the EU in a referendum scheduled for this autumn. In her address, Sandu also said that the years of independence have taught Moldova democracy and freedom cannot be taken for granted and must be defended every day.

     

    TIFF The winner of this year’s Transylvania International Film Festival is the Indian film “Girls Will Be Girls”, directed by Shuchi Talati, a drama on the condition of women in a repressive system. Another Indian film, “The Adamant Girl,” by Vinothraj Palani, received the jury’s special award. The Indian director was also awarded at TIFF in 2021, for his debut work, “Pebbles”. Also at the TIFF Gala, the director Sebastián Quebrada won the best director award for “El Otro Hijo.” The best actor award went to the Iranian Hasan Pourshirazi, for his performance in “The Old Bachelor”, while “Dismissed” by Horia Cucută and George ve Ganćaard was voted the best feature in the Romanian Film Days.

     

    EU Next week the European Union starts its accession negotiations with the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The EU Council’s Belgian presidency announced the official opening will take place on June 25, and that the 2 countries’ accession roadmaps will be assessed separately. The EU Council brings together the 27 Member States, which have already approved the accession and negotiation frameworks for the 2 candidate states. Chişinău and Kyiv submitted their candidacies shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

     

    FOOTBALL Romania lost 2-0 to Belgium, on Saturday night in Cologne, but remains top placed in the most evenly balanced group at the European Football Championship. Romania, Belgium, Slovakia and Ukraine all have 3 points each ahead of the last round in Group E, with better goal differences for Romania and Belgium. Romania’s decisive match for qualification in the eighth-finals is scheduled on Wednesday against Slovakia, in Frankfurt. Moving up into the next stages of the competition are the top 2 teams in each group and the best 4 third-ranking teams in each group. (AMP)

  • Romanian-born actors in Cannes

    Romanian-born actors in Cannes

     

    One of the spring season’s most eagerly awaited cultural events in Europe, the Cannes International Film Festival, is under way, bringing to the red carpet high-profile names of the world’s film industry, much to the delight of photographers and fans.

     

    Romania is part of this select group, with the feature film “Three Kilometres to the End of the Worldˮ, directed by Emanuel Pârvu, included in the official competition, and with the documentary “NASTYˮ, directed by Cristian Pascariu, Tudor D. Popescu and Tudor Giurgiu.

     

    In the race for the big trophy, the drama film “Three Kilometres to the End of the Worldˮ tells the story of Adi, a 17-year old teenager from a Danube Delta village, who goes to school in the town of Tulcea thanks to his parents’ efforts. While at home over the summer, the teen enjoys the company of his family and his best friend, Ilinca. But when faced with a truth they can neither understand nor accept, the unconditional love Adi should receive from his parents vanishes all of a sudden, and the young man is left with only one solution.

     

    The film features the actors Bogdan Dumitrache, Laura Vasiliu, Ciprian Chiujdea, Ingrid Micu-Berescu and Valeriu Andriuţă. The cast also includes Adrian Titieni, Richard Bovnoczki, Alina Berzunţeanu, Vlad Brumaru and Radu Gabriel. After Friday’s screening, the film got standing ovations and positive reviews.

     

    On Thursday, the documentary “NASTYˮ will be shown in the festival’s Special Screenings section. The film portrays the Romanian tennis legend Ilie Năstase, the first rebel in the history of this sport, who dominated the national and world tennis scene in the ’70. Apart from his huge talent, Ilie Năstase rose to fame thanks to his rebellious persona and to his eccentricities and temper.

     

    Not least, “Human Violins: Prelude,ˮ directed and produced by Ioana Mischie, speaks about the transforming power of music in dark times. It is the story of Alma, a young woman who loves the violin but who lives in a world of terror, with Cabiria Morgernstern providing the protagonist’s voice.

     

    Another Romanian-born actor present in Cannes, Sebastian Stan, does not play in a Romanian film. He plays the young Donald Trump in Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” which examines Trump’s rise to power in ’80s America.

     

    In turn, the French-Romanian actress Anamaria Vartolomei plays in 2 films screened in Cannes. In one of them, “Mariaˮ, directed by Jessica Palud and focusing on the life of the actress Maria Schneider, Anamaria Vartolomei plays the lead, while in “The Count of Monte-Cristoˮ by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de la Patellière, Anamaria Vartolomei was cast in a supporting role. (AMP)

  • April 24, 2024

    April 24, 2024

    Seoul – On the last day of the visit of Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, to South Korea, the official delegation visited, today, the Doosan Enerbility complex in Busan, a world leader in energy production. On Tuesday evening, the Romanian president participated in an exhibition of traditional Romanian art. During his visit to Seoul, Romania and South Korea decided to expand their bilateral cooperation, by signing a joint declaration on strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership and several cooperation agreements in the fields of defense, energy or emergency situations management.

     

    Study – The number of Romanian children whose parents went to work abroad is five times higher than the official figures show, and the local authorities need more information about them, so as to be able to develop programs to help them. These are the main conclusions of a study carried out by the “Save the Children Romania” organization for the south-eastern region of the country, where 57,000 minors are in such a situation. The data also show that almost 14% of children in Romania had, in the last year, at least one parent who went to work abroad, and those left in the care of grandparents, relatives or, sometimes, left to fend for themselves run a higher risk of dropping out of school, are more prone to emotional trauma and more vulnerable to violence and bullying.

     

    Cannes – Two Romanian films are in the official selection of the famous Cannes Film Festival in France: the feature film “Three kilometers to the end of the world”, the story of the complicated relationships between a teenager and his parents, directed by Emanuel Pârvu, and the documentary “Nasty”, about the life and career of the first world number one in men’s tennis, the Romanian Ilie Năstase, made by Tudor Giurgiu, Cristian Pascariu and Tudor D. Popescu. “Nasty” will be presented in the Special Screenings section. The Cannes festival also invited in the competition an Iranian filmmaker who criticizes the fundamentalist regime in Tehran, Mohammad Rasoulof. A total of 22 films will compete in 2024 to win the Palme d’Or trophy. The 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 14-25.

     

    Report – The US State Department published the annual report on human rights observance in Romania. The document shows that in 2023, human rights were affected by “serious government corruption” and the authorities sometimes did not do enough against officials who committed abuses. The report also shows that there is inefficiency and lack of accountability in relation to judicial oversight, and bribery was perceived to be common in the public sector. According to Washington, there are also problems in Romania regarding domestic violence and ethnic discrimination.

     

    Fair – Today, the largest book fair in Transylvania – Gaudeamus, organized by Radio Romania, begins in Cluj-Napoca (north-west). The event reached its 23rd edition. 16 pavilions host 60 stands of 85 publishing houses. The fair offers books, music and educational games. There are several thousand books in Romanian, in international languages and in the languages of the national minorities living in Romania. All in all, more than 40 launches and book presentations are scheduled, as well as meetings between writers and readers. The first launch is that of the volume “Naraton” by the late writer Cornel Udrea, one of the voices of the Cluj public radio, who passed away a few days ago.

     

    Handball – The Romanian men’s handball champions, CS Dinamo Bucharest, defeated the Danish team Skjern Handbold, on Tuesday evening, at home, with the score 28-27, in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the EHF European League. More than 2,500 spectators were in the stands, and Dinamo’s coach, the famous Spanish technician Xavi Pascual, said he was delighted with the victory. The second leg takes place on April 30 in Denmark. The winning team advances to the European League Final Four in Hamburg, Germany.

     

    Court – The Constitutional Court of Romania is going to debate, today, the notification submitted by Save Romania Union – USR and the opposition Force of the Right in relation to the law for amending and completing the ordinance on road transport. The opposition MPs criticize the law, on the grounds that it would once again postpone the real liberalization of the road transport of people, in order to defend what they call the interests of the politically protected mafia. Today’s agenda of the Constitutional Court also includes several notifications submitted by President Klaus Iohannis. (LS)

  • April 23, 2024

    April 23, 2024

     

    ELECTIONS – The ruling coalition made up of the Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party has decided to back separate candidates for mayor general of Bucharest, namely the Senator Gabriela Firea, a former mayor of Bucharest between 2016 and 2020,  supported by the Social Democrats, and the incumbent energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, for the Liberals. President Klaus Iohannis said the decision to have two separate candidates running for the same post in the local elections in Bucharest was not a success for the coalition. The politicians involved say the decision was made in order to fully mobilise the voters of the two parties. The announcement came at the end of a coalition meeting held following media allegations that the joint candidate Cătălin Cîrstoiu was in an incompatibility situation. The physician is accused of taking advantage of his post as manager of Bucharest’s Emergency Teaching Hospital to treat patients in a private clinic. The coalition leaders also decided to keep joint candidates for the Bucharest district mayors and for the local councils. The Social Democrats and the Liberals also have joint candidate lists for the European Parliament elections, due on June 9th, concurrently with the local ballots.

     

    VISIT The president of Romania Klaus Iohannis, while on an official visit to South Korea, had a meeting this morning in Seoul with his counterpart, Yoon Suk Yeol. After the official welcome ceremony, the two presidents and the Romanian and South Korean delegations had bilateral talks. According to Radio Romania’s special correspondent, the political consultations between the two heads of state focused on the consolidation of bilateral relations, on political, diplomatic, and defence cooperation, and on the main challenges at regional and global level. On the same occasion, a joint declaration was adopted on the consolidation of the strategic partnership between Romania and South Korea, a document setting the key cooperation directions for the coming 10 years. In the presence of the two presidents, other documents were also signed, concerning cooperation in fields like defence, nuclear energy, investments, foreign trade and culture. The Romanian president’s agenda also includes meetings with the Romanian community in Seoul and a visit to a Romanian traditional art exhibition.

     

    AUTOMOTIVE The vehicles produced in Romania are in demand in over 60 markets in the world, so that 2024 may end with a new profit record, says Adrian Sandu, the secretary general of the Board of the Romanian Carmakers Association. According to him, in 2023 the domestic automotive industry saw a record output of 513,000 units produced. On the other hand, Adrian Sandu says that, apart from the inadequate transport infrastructure, Romania’s economy loses huge amounts of money because of bottlenecks in the customs process, due to Romanian land borders not being accepted yet in the Schengen area.

     

    FILM Two Romanian films are included in the official selection for the famous Cannes Film Festival in France: the feature film “Three kilometers to the end of the world,” directed by Emanuel Pârvu, describing the complicated relations between a teenager and his parents, and the documentary “Nasty”, about the life and career of the first Romanian tennis player to make it to the top place in the world ranking, Ilie Năstase, a film directed by Tudor Giurgiu, Cristian Pascariu and Tudor D. Popescu. The Cannes Festival also invited an Iranian filmmaker who criticizes the regime in Tehran, Mohammad Rasoulof. The 77th edition of the Cannes Festival takes place between May the 14th and 25th.

     

    TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian defeated McCartney Kessler (USA) 7-6, 6-4 in the first round of the qualifiers for the WTA 1.000 tournament in Madrid, which has nearly EUR 7 million in total prize money. Cristian plays next against Daria Saville (Australia). Three Romanians are playing in the main draw of the Madrid competition: Sorana Cîrstea, qualified into the second round, Ana Bogdan, who will be taking on Xiyu Wang (China) in the first round, and Irina Begu, who plays her first match against Linda Fruhvirtova (Czech Republic). Simona Halep, former no. 1 in the world, announced she would not take part in the tournament in Madrid, for which she had received a wildcard. “Unfortunately, my body needs more time to be prepared,ˮ Halep posted on social media. (AMP)

  • The Case of Engineer Ursu, a documentary about the quest for justice

    The Case of Engineer Ursu, a documentary about the quest for justice

     

    For more than 30 years, Andrei Ursu has been trying to shed light on the death of his father, Gheorghe Ursu, who died in custody while being detained by the Securitate, the communist secret police, after he criticised Nicolae Ceaușescu’s decision to halt the consolidation works of the buildings affected by the earthquake of 1977. Directed by Liviu Tofan and Șerban Georgescu, The Case of Engineer Ursu is a heart-wrenching documentary about the quest for justice and was recently launched in Romanian cinemas. Liviu Tofan, who co-directed The Case of Engineer Ursu, is a film-maker and journalist who worked for two decades for the Romanian department of Radio Free Europe. He explained that the film tells in fact two stories:

     

    “The title of the film, The Case of Engineer Ursu, follows the two Ursu engineers, father and son. Theirs are emblematic stories: that of Gheorghe Ursu for communist Romania in the 1980s and that of Andrei Ursu for Romania today, having fought in courts for 30 years to see that his father gets justice. Both stories begin with the earthquake of 1977, and one is about the failure of communist Romania, the other about the failure of the justice system in democratic Romania. Unfortunately, the second story, that of Andrei Ursu, is just as hopeless as that of Gheorghe Ursu. 35 years since the Revolution and we’re still waiting for a fair sentence in the case of the dissident Gheorghe Ursu, fair not only from a legal point of view, but also in a historical sense. Both Gheorghe and Andrei Ursu have extraordinary strength of character and are great raw models for us tody. The film revolves around them. Gheorghe Ursu was killed by the communist police and the Securitate because he refused to accept any form of compromise during the inquiry, and that’s something we know from the archive of the Securitate. He categorically refused to implicate his friends and paid the price. He is a raw model of honour and integrity and never renounced his principles. And his son is a man who is sacrificing his life for an ideal. Andrei Ursu twice put his life in danger going on a hunger strike for what he believes in, and which is more important to him than his life. That’s the strength of the film: the strength of these two raw models.”

     

    The documentary film was screened last summer, a few days before the High Court of Cassation and Justice announced its final sentence. Despite the carefully constructed case, the defendants were acquitted, and the film remains the only form of justice and recognition the dissident Gheorghe Ursu will ever enjoy. Liviu Tofan, the co-director of the film:

     

    “A large section of the film is dedicated to Andrei Ursu’s struggle with the justice system. The film follows chronologically the difficulties and obstacles he encountered since 1990, in various forms: delays, rejections, prescription, and lots more. After 1990, one of the two men accused of Gheorghe Ursu’s death, Vasile Hodiș, was no longer a Securitate officer, but he did work with the Romanian Intelligence Service, so he was still in the system, that same system that constantly fought Andrei Ursu. In 2000, Andrei Ursu went on hunger strike for the first time. The authorities realised he was willing to go all the way and handed the case over to the prosecutor Dan Voinea, who continued the investigation. Andrei Ursu went on hunger strike for the second time in October 2014, when the case had again reached a deadlock. The authorities again gave in, and the fact that elections were being held that year may have had something to do with it. Everything he had been denied was suddenly accepted. That’s when the two former Securitate officers Marin Pârvulescu and Vasile Hodiș were indicted for the first time. Until 2014, the system simply refused to investigate two officers of the former Securitate.”

     

    Produced by Kolectiv Film together with the Gheorghe Ursu Foundation, Victoria Film, Follow Art Association and the Romanian Television, the documentary was already screened in 2023 as part of special events, at various cinemas across Bucharest and at film festivals around the country.

  • Film O’Clock International Festival

    Film O’Clock International Festival

     

    Film O’Clock International Festival reached its 4th edition, which took place between February 28th and March 3rd in prestigious film universities, cinema halls and partner centres in Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt and South Africa.

     

    For the international short film competition, the festival team chose 10 contenders from the 8 countries, some of which have already been nominated and awarded in international film festivals like the Berlinale, Sarajevo, Jihlava, and San Sebastian. These films are competing in the Film O’Clock International Festival for 2 awards: the audience award and the jury award. The Film O’Clock Festival director, Mirona Radu, told us about the selection process this year.

     

    Mirona Radu: “Every year we tried to consolidate the festival, and we added another country each year. We started out with 5 countries, now we have 8. And of course our idea, our goal, is to add more time zones, more countries, because people are first and foremost interested in the concept. It is very interesting to know that the same movie is seen in very different and far apart countries at the same time. There have been simultaneous screenings in Europe before, but with the 2 films from Africa added this year, we have managed to go beyond the limits of the continent. This year’s selection has been very difficult, because we received a lot of high-quality entries, we watched over a hundred films. This is a good thing; it proves that we are becoming more visible, that people trust this concept and our selection. It is a joy, but it also made the process more difficult, as I was saying. There are 3 of us in the selection committee, and obviously there were heated discussions, perhaps because we come from very different backgrounds. Apart from myself, the committee includes the critic Andrew Mohsen from Egypt and Zhana Kalinova from Bulgaria. It’s not easy, finding a formula or putting together a selection that caters to all types of audiences, there is no question about that, especially because our festival addresses so many different people from so many different countries. But at the same time, the selection process is interesting because we all learn something. We cannot focus on a particular genre, so we include both fiction films and animations, and this year we had a documentary as well. Moreover, in terms of the selection, we don’t aim for a specific number of films. We would have wanted more entries this edition, but since most of them are rather long, 20, 25 even 30 minute, there were not a lot of titles we could include.”          

                                                         

    The international competition included 3 Romanian films (“Suruaika”, directed by Vlad Ilicevici and Radu C. Pop, “When the MIGs fly”, directed by Philip Găicean, and “Hypatia”, by Andrei Răuțu), and one from the Republic of Moldova (“Bad News”, by Liviu Rotaru). Film O’Clock International Festival also comprises two conferences:

     

    Mirona Radu: “Every year, the festival includes 2 conferences, addressing the industry people, so to say. Since the guests are usually industry professionals, the topics tend to be somewhat specialised, but the conferences as such are open to the general public as well. One of them focuses on heritage and artificial intelligence. The goal is to establish a connection between the past and the present, while also looking towards the future. AI, which is very much discussed these days, may also be an instrument in preserving our heritage—I mean archive films or even films in less used languages. For instance, in South Africa, which has 11 official languages at present, there is this company which is conducting a very interesting project with the help of AI. What they have set out to do is, by using AI, to preserve the films made there and the languages used in those films, with their specificity, because there is no telling how long we will be able to keep these things given the growing globalisation. The second conference centres around mental health, a very widely discussed topic and one which is quite important to tackle. We must admit that, as far as mental health is concerned, the film industry is or may be a toxic environment, unless we manage to observe certain limits. This is what we will be talking about in this second conference.”

     

    Each short film in the Film O’Clock International Festival has given a unique perspective on the culture of its country or has attempted to take the audience to an imaginary world, unrelated to any country. Themes like family ties, societal changes, poignant realism and unbridled imagination are among the topics explored in this year’s selected shorts, says Zhana Kalinova, a film critic and a member of the Film O’Clock International Festival’s selection committee. (AMP)

  • Romanian film-maker Calin Peter Netzer’s most recent feature-length film

    Romanian film-maker Calin Peter Netzer’s most recent feature-length film

    Familiar
    is Calin Peter Netzer’s most recent feature-length film. It has been shortlisted for the Tallinn Black Nights International Film Festival’s 27th
    edition.


    Familar
    has been in theaters since late January. Familiar tells the tale of
    a film director who is looking into the history of his own family, pushing the access
    towards the family’s most fragile moment of its existence: the immigration to Germany
    in the 1980s. Immigration which occurred under dubious circumstances and which
    reveals family secrets, links with the Securitate as well as older wounds, The
    film is built with the minuteness of a detective investigation, where the
    viewer is invited to be the investigator himself, Calin Peter Netzer said about
    Familiar. The screenplay was written by Călin Peter Netzer and Iulia Lumânare. Barbu
    Bălăşoiu and Andrei Butică are the directors of photography. On the cast, there
    are Emanuel Pârvu, Iulia Lumânare, Ana Ciontea, Adrian Titieni, Victoria Moraru
    and Vlad Ivanov.


    Winner
    of the Gopo Award in 2019 in the Best Actor category, Iulia Lumânare got significantly
    involved in the making of Familiar, thus resuming her work together with Călin
    Peter Netzer. Iulia is a co-scenarist, an actress, a casting director and an
    acting coach. Here is Iulia Lumanare, speaking about her involvement in Familiar
    and about the reasons that prompted her to work with filmmaker Calin Peter Netzer
    for a second time around

    The film is inspired by the process myself and Călin Peter Netzer have been going through, lived and experienced
    when we started writing the screenplay. As, initially, the film was about his
    family’s immigration to Germany in the communist regime, in the early 1980s. After
    three months when we looked at the story from each and every angle, what we
    actually wanted from it appeared clearer to us. So we decided the story started
    off from the very moment we lived back then, in 2019, when we were thinking
    about the film. What we had to say had its origins from that kind of present.
    About the reason why I resumed work with Călin Peter Netzer, what I can say is
    that his previous film, Ana, mon amour, still is an essential experience in
    my career. From that moment on I was not just an actress or teacher, I was also
    a screenplay writer. I knew it, I had the intuition of the fact that I
    could write it, but Călin Peter Netzer was the one who put all his trust in me and
    I shall always be very grateful to him for that. And here we are, we’ve been working
    together for the second time around, because the first time when we worked
    together was indeed something very special, with no conceit or the conflicts
    that may flare up when artists work together. And that’s what Familiar is also
    about, it is a film about truth, about the things we cannot stand seeing in us,
    about those things we would like nobody to see, in fact. That is exactly why
    the topic has somehow turned into something about us, even though there is a
    lot of fiction there, that’s for sure.


    The
    Child’s Pose (2013), Călin Peter Netzer’s third feature-length film, after the
    many-time awarded productions Maria and Medal of Honor scooped the Golden Bear
    in the Best Feature-length Film category as part of the Berlin Film Festival. The
    Child’s Pose thus became the first Romanian film ever to have scooped such an
    award. In 2017, Călin Peter Netzer returned in the Berlinale’s Official
    Selection with Ana, mon amour and won the Golden Bear for Outstanding Artistic
    Contribution. His films have also been very well received by the public setting
    box office records in Romania. A co-writer
    of the movie script for Ana, mon amour and Familiar, Iulia Lumânare spoke
    about the connection between the last three films made by Călin Peter Netzer.

    Familiar can be watched jointly with Ana, mon amour and The Child’s
    Pose, it can make some sort of a trilogy together with these two films. In all
    these films there is a universe which is very familiar to Călin Peter Netzer, which
    he rendered very realistically. All these films are about identity, about what,
    one way or another, troubles the human being. The quest for identity is a quest
    we find in all these characters in the films, irrespective of their plot. And through
    this quest of the characters, a lifetime quest, for some of them, the stories acquire
    their universal scope, no matter how specific they may be. As for Familiar, a
    filmmaker who wants to make a film explores the past of his own family and
    tries to restore the ties between the members of his family, yet he finds out
    he is unable to do that. That is very difficult as, just as we know, you do not
    choose your family, you take your family as it is. Whereas the central character
    in Familiar fights his family, his parents, trying to raise their awareness
    regards several things they cannot understand or accept.


    The
    producers of Familiar are Călin Peter Netzer and Oana Iancu, through Parada Film
    production house. The film is co-produced by Cinema Defacto (France), Gaïjin
    (France) and Volos Films (Taiwan).

  • Castelul Crăiţei

    Castelul Crăiţei

    Tournée
    dans le Massif de Piatra Craiului, dans un cadre d’une beauté à couper le
    souffle, le film « Le château de Craita » la production la plus
    récente de Liviu Marghidan, raconte l’histoire de deux frères qui, séparés par
    le divorce de leurs parents, se réunissent à l’occasion des grandes vacances.
    Sauf que, les projets se modifient radicalement après que les deux enfants
    disparaissent lors d’une expédition clandestine en montagne. Les trajets
    empruntés par l’équipe du tournage sont authentiques à cent pour cent et ils
    ont été parcourus à l’aide des Secouristes en montagne. Tout le tournage a été
    un processus difficile, puisque les acteurs ont escaladé eux-mêmes les versants.
    Du coup, ils ont été obligés de s’entraîner pour pouvoir relever le défi lancé
    par le réalisateur Liviu Marghidan. « C’est une expérience que je
    répéterais à tout moment. Nous avons vécu des journées de tournage d’une
    intensité extrême, nous avons dépassé nos limites pour obtenir une expérience
    inoubliable. Suite aux retours des spectateurs, on pourrait dire que nous avons
    fini par toucher leur corde sensible. C’est ce qu’un bon film doit faire »
    a déclaré la productrice Ruxandra Flonta. Et elle d’ajouter :




    « Ce film m’a entièrement séduit, aussi bien son
    idée, que sa réalisation, il m’a plu dès le départ et jusqu’à la fin. La
    plupart des films actuels, et je parle notamment des productions roumaines, ne
    mettent pas la nature en avant. Ou bien, si la nature elle existe, elle n’est
    pas mise à profit comme elle devrait être. Or, c’est ce qui sait faire Liviu
    Marghidan. Il l’a déjà fait dans ses projets antérieurs quand il a mis à profit
    les paysages uniques du delta du Danube. Cette fois-ci, il a su mettre en avant
    la région aux pieds du Massif de Piatra Craiului. Plaiul Foii comme cette
    région est connue en Roumanie mérite toute notre attention. Après, bien sûr que
    le scénario du film a contribué au succès. Mais bon, déjà l’endroit où l’action
    se déroule est important. Quelque part, nous avons construit une histoire
    autour de ce bout de nature. C’est une histoire qui se tisse autour des
    relations de famille, des relations comme on en trouve partout. Alexandru Popa
    est celui auquel on doit le scénario et je le remercie pour sa patience,
    puisqu’il a été obligé d’écrire plusieurs variantes avant de trouver la bonne.
    Et même en ayant la bonne, il a été question de lui faire une suite, mais bon,
    on a fini par abandonner cette idée.     »




    Considéré par les critiques comme « un film doux,
    chaleureux, clair et douloureux qui raconte à travers des images et des sons
    issus de la nature l’histoire d’un autre univers », « Le château de
    Craita » est le troisième long-métrage de Liviu Marghidan. Le film a
    bénéficié d’un accueil fort chaleureux de la part du public. La productrice
    Ruxandra Flonta revient au micro :




    « Le film laisse place aux interprétations. Après
    chaque projection en salle suivie d’un débat avec les spectateurs, ceux-ci se sont notamment penchés sur la
    signification de la fin. En fait, c’est une fin qui parle différemment aux
    gens, même moi et le réalisateur, nous avons des regards différents. Or moi, je
    trouve fascinant de quitter la salle de cinéma et de continuer à penser au sens
    du film. Ce n’est pas la première fois que je le dit, je trouve qu’un film doit
    nous pousser à réfléchir et à comprendre pourquoi il nous a plu. Ce sont ces
    films que moi j’aime bien, ceux qui me poussent à cogiter et non pas ceux qui
    me font juste marrer à cause des petites blagues et des anecdotes     ».




    Projeté en première au Festival international de film
    TIFF, « Le château de Craita » a figuré dans les sélections
    officielles des festivals Alpin Fest, Anonimul et Bucharest International Film
    Festival.







  • Castelul Crăiței, un nou film de Liviu Mărghidan

    Castelul Crăiței, un nou film de Liviu Mărghidan

    Filmat în peisajele spectaculoase ale Munților Piatra Craiului, Castelul
    Crăiței, noul film regizat de Liviu Mărghidan, spune povestea a doi fraţi care
    locuiesc în ţări diferite după divorţul părinţilor și se reunesc cu ocazia
    excursiei anuale la munte. Vacanța şi planurile tuturor se modifică radical în
    momentul în care copiii dispar într-o expediţie clandestină către un refugiu
    montan. Traseele montane surprinse sunt toate autentice, în timpul filmărilor
    fiind antamat și ajutorul Salvamontului. Procesul de filmare a fost unul
    complex, în cadrul căruia nu s-a folosit nicio dublură. Actorii – Dragoș Olaru,
    Judith State, Adela Marghidan, Radu Marghidan – au făcut antrenament special de
    escaladă înainte de filmări și toate secvențele care au implicat acest efort au
    fost realizate exclusiv de ei.

    A fost un film pe care l-aș repeta oricând. Au fost zile de filmare la intensitate maximă, ne-am depășit cu toții limitele,
    dar am câștigat o experiență de neuitat. Din întâlnirile pe care le-am avut
    deja cu spectatorii am simțit că le-am atins corzi sensibile. Asta ne dorim de
    la un film    . Este declarația Ruxandrei Flonta, producătoarea filmului, care
    ne-a spus prin ce a cucerit-o proiectul.

    Pornind de la idee și până la realizarea filmului, mi-a plăcut din toate
    punctele de vedere. Majoritatea filmelor actuale, mă refer mai ales la cele românești,
    nu au acest element de natură. Sau chiar dacă ne este arătată și natura, nu
    cred că este exploatată așa cum ar merita. Astfel că mi-au atras atenția și
    proiectele anterioare ale lui Liviu Mărghidan, Străjerii și Străjerii Deltei,
    filme care, la fel ca acesta, au fost făcute în aer liber și au scos în
    evidență niște peisaje unice din România, ca Delta Dunării. La fel, cred că și
    acest peisaj din zona Plaiul Foii, situată la poalele masivului Piatra
    Craiului, merită văzut și promovat.

    Bineînțeles, și scenariul filmului a jucat
    un rol foarte important, mi s-a părut extraordinar. Dar am pornit de la această
    locație, de la acest peisaj. Și n-a fost așa dificil să construim o poveste
    pornind de la locație pentru că legăturile de familie pe care le regăsim în
    film se întâlnesc cumva în viața tuturor.

    Alexandru Popa este scenaristul care
    a transformat ideile noastre în scenariu și trebuie să recunosc că a avut
    foarte multă răbdare cu noi, pentru că am trecut prin mai multe variante până
    să ajungem aici. Ba chiar voiam să mai lucrăm și pe varianta actuală, ne
    gândisem la o continuare, dar am renunțat la ea.



    Descris de critică drept un film blând, cald, limpede și dureros, care
    pentru o mână de oameni povestește, prin imagini, sunete ale naturii și text,
    despre o altă lume, Castelul Crăiței, cel de-al treilea lungmetraj regizat de
    Liviu Mărghidan, a fost foarte bine primit de public.

    Ruxandra Flonta, producătoare: Filmul este deschis interpretărilor și pot spune că, la fiecare
    proiecție urmată de Q&A, am discutat foarte mult cu publicul despre
    semnificația finalului. Și este foarte interesant cum fiecare îl percepe
    într-un mod foarte personal, până și eu și regizorul Liviu Mărghidan avem
    opțiuni diferite in ceea ce privește finalul. Asta mi s-a părut fascinant, că
    pleci de la acest film gândindu-te la sensul lui. Și nu e prima dată când o
    spun, cel mai important mi se pare ca un film să te facă să te gândești la el,
    să te facă să înțelegi de ce ți-a plăcut. Astea sunt preferatele mele, filmele
    care te fac să gândești, nu cele care sunt doar simpatice, presărate cu poante
    și glumițe.


    Castelul Crăiței a avut premiera națională în vara anului trecut, la
    Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) și a fost prezent și în
    selecțiile oficiale ale Alpin Fest (unde a primit și Premiul Publicului),
    Anonimul și Bucharest International Film Festival (BIFF).


  • L’actrice roumaine Cosmina Stratan à l’affiche du film français « Frère et sœur »

    L’actrice roumaine Cosmina Stratan à l’affiche du film français « Frère et sœur »

    Le public de Roumanie a
    pu voir le film d’Arnaud Desplechin « Frère et sœur », sorti en
    salles à travers le pays au début de cette année. En compétition officielle à
    Cannes en 2022, le film est porté par Marion Cotillard et Melvil Poupaud, les
    interprètes des personnages Alice, qui est actrice, et Louis, qui est poète.
    Eloignés depuis une vingtaine d’années, ils se revoient inévitablement lors de
    la mort de leurs parents. Parmi les autres noms mentionnés au générique de
    « Frère et sœur » on retrouve l’actrice roumaine Cosmina Stratan, déjà
    récompensée en 2012 à Cannes pour sa prestation exceptionnelle dans la
    production « După dealuri/Au-delà des collines », du réalisateur
    roumain Cristian Mungiu.

    Dans le film d’Arnaud Desplechin, Cosmina Stratan incarne
    Lucie/Lucia, une immigrante roumaine

    Elle est aussi la confidente d’Alice. Le
    réalisateur français a aussi invité notre compatriote à rejoindre la
    distribution de son film « Tromperie », mais la pandémie a mis un
    terme à ce projet. Cosmina Stratan nous en donne davantage de détails: « Je
    continuais à regretter le manque de synchronisation, vu surtout la rareté de
    ces occasions quand un réalisateur que vous admirez vous propose de jouer dans
    son film. Seulement, voilà,     Arnaud Desplechin a compris les raisons de
    mon refus et j’ai eu le sentiment qu’il m’a réservé une place dans son nouveau
    scénario dès le début. Alors, j’ai eu
    moins de trac que d’habitude, parce que je savais que mon personnage était créé
    pour moi. D’ailleurs, je ne peux pas
    dire qu’il a été trop difficile, car, de toute façon, moi je suis une admiratrice
    de     Marion Cotillard et je n’ai pas eu de mal à le
    jouer. J’ai remarqué que tous les acteurs et mes partenaires de jeu préférés
    réussissent à surmonter rapidement le sentiment d’être mal à l’aise des
    premiers moments. Parce que ce n’est pas facile pour nous, acteurs, de démonter
    cette barrière du début ; en fin de compte, nous ne sommes que des gens
    qui se rencontrent pour la première fois sur un plateau de tournage et il nous
    est impossible d’ignorer la distance qui nous sépare. Mais nous partageons un
    même but, qui est celui de maîtriser nos personnages respectifs au plus vite et
    d’explorer ensemble les différentes situations du film. Avec Marion Cottilard,
    ce processus s’est passé très naturellement, elle a souhaité surmonter cette
    distance et nous avons très bien collaboré. Il y a eu de la synchronisation et
    ça nous a beaucoup aidé, surtout qu’on est presque submergé par les émotions
    quand on travaille avec une personne qu’on admire beaucoup. »


    Originaire
    de la ville d’Iaşi (est de la Roumanie), Cosmina Stratan a fait des études de
    journalisme et a rejoint la rédaction de la revue « Opinia
    studenţească ».

    En 2008, elle a choisi d’étudier l’art de l’acteur à
    l’Université d’art théâtral et cinématographique de l’Université de Bucarest.
    Après avoir joué dans plusieurs courts-métrages, Cosmina Stratan a campé le
    rôle de Voichița, une jeune none qui revoit l’amie de son enfance, dans le film
    « După dealuri/Au-delà des collines » du réalisateur roumain Cristian
    Mungiu. Ce rôle lui a valu le prix de la meilleure actrice au Festival du film
    de Cannes. Le réalisateur français Arnaud
    Desplechin a quant à lui déclaré avoir choisi Cosmina Stratan pour le rôle de
    Lucie dans son film « Frère et sœur », grâce à sa prestation dans la
    production roumaine. Cosmina Stratan revient au
    micro de RRI : « Ce
    rôle est, je trouve, un tournant pour moi, même s’il m’a été proposé au début
    de ma carrière. Un tournant, car « După dealuri » a été mon premier
    film important et mon premier emploi payé en tant qu’actrice. A la fac, nous
    faisions des tas d’exercices avec nos collègues étudiants de la section
    Réalisation de film, mais ces rôles n’étaient pas payants. Dans mon cas, tout
    est arrivé ensemble, le premier emploi payant, le premier rôle principal et le
    Prix de la meilleure actrice à Cannes. Ce fut une confirmation que je cherchais
    d’ailleurs, car le métier d’acteur a aussi des inquiétudes. Nous avons besoin
    d’un retour, d’une réponse pour que je sache si j’étais au bon endroit. Car
    j’avais essayé de faire un autre métier, devenir actrice a été ma seconde
    option et le rôle dans « Au-delà des collines » m’a énormément aidée.
    Cette reconnaissance professionnelle, à travers la visibilité du film et de mon
    personnage, m’a aidée à poursuivre ma carrière et m’a fait espérer que j’allais
    jouer dans d’autres films. D’une certaine manière, cette histoire m’a rassurée
    que je me verrai proposer d’autres films aussi. Parce que je ressentais cette
    anxiété ressentie par pas mal d’acteurs au début de leur chemin professionnel,
    surtout s’ils sont indépendants et ne font pas partie de la troupe d’un théâtre
    quelconque. Au début, imaginer l’avenir est assez compliqué. »



    Cosmina Stratan a aussi joué dans le
    court-métrage « Interfon 15 », écrit et réalisé par Andrei Epure et
    présenté à Cannes en 2021, dans le cadre de la Semaine de la Critique. (Trad.
    Ileana Ţăroi)

  • WARBOY, un nou film de Marian Crișan

    WARBOY, un nou film de Marian Crișan

    Warboy, cel mai recent lungmetraj scris și regizat de Marian
    Crișan, spune povestea unui adolescent prin ochii căruia vedem finalul celui
    de-al doilea Război Mondial, mai exact toamna anului 1944. Băiatul încearcă
    să-i salveze pe cei doi cai ai familiei pornind cu ei într-o călătorie
    inițiatică, traversând peisajul sălbatic al Munților Apuseni.

    Regizorul Marian
    Crișan consideră că noua sa producție poate fi considerată film de război și
    deopotrivă film pentru copii și că ceea ce l-a atras cel mai mult la acest
    proiect, atunci când l-a conceput, au fost elementele de western pe care s-a
    bucurat că le poate aduce pe marele ecran.

    Daniel Bâliș, Reginald Ammons, Ovidiu
    Crișan, Adina Iftime, Ion Bechet, Dan Chiorean sunt actorii ce joacă în Warboy
    – cel de-al cincilea lungmetraj al regizorului cunoscut deja publicului larg
    pentru Morgen, Rocker, Orizont sau Berliner, dar și pentru miniseria produsă de
    HBO România – Valea Mută.

    Subiectul filmului a fost inspirat de amintirile
    bunicului, care a trăit cel de-al Doilea Război Mondial și era adolescent la
    vremea respectivă.

    Fiecare
    film pe care l-am făcut pornește de la ceva important pentru mine, o emoție sau
    o impresie față de o anumită situație, și așa se naște nucleul viitorului
    scenariu. În cazul acestui film au fost amintirile bunicului meu, la care el
    tot revenea în ultimii ani de viață.
    Revenea tot timpul la momente din copilărie, în special la perioada asta, 1940-1944,
    când era slugă pentru un om înstărit, undeva în Munții Vrancei, la Soveja.
    Acele momente, când stătea singur în pădure cu caii și avea grijă de ei pentru
    a nu fi luați de ruși erau amintirile care îl bântuiau cel mai mult, Și am
    simțit că se poate contura o poveste din amintirile astea, o poveste cu un
    personaj, cu o situație tensionată care poate să ducă la la ceva dramatic.

    De la aceste povești ale bunicului am pornit, în rest nu este nimic biografic
    în scenariu. Acțiunea este mutată în Munții Apuseni și se desfășoară în
    momentul retragerii trupelor germane, după 23 august, în toamna anului 1944.

    În Warboy, Marian Crișan a fost preocupat mai ales de fața mai mai
    puțin cunoscută a războiului, de poveștile celor care rămân în spatele
    frontului.

    Marian Crișan: Dacă ne gândim la animalele și
    copiii sacrificați în lupte, nu avem prea multe filme sau cărți care să
    vorbească despre asta. Iar eu despre asta mi-am propus să vorbesc, despre cei
    care rămân în spatele frontului, despre cei mai puțini vizibili într-un război.
    Asta a fost dorința mea, să văd războiul prin ochii acestui băiat, acestui
    adolescent care nu înțelege strategiile militare și geopolitice. El are o
    singură problemă, tot ceea ce își dorește este ca tatăl lui să se întoarcă de
    pe Frontul de Est, unde este plecat să lupte, alături de sute de mii de țărani
    români.


    Este un fapt istoric despre care nu se prea discută că până în 1944
    soldații români, aliați cu nemții, au luptat în Est și că mulți dintre ei nu
    s-au mai întors sau s-au întors foarte târziu, după ce au fost luați prizonieri
    în Siberia. Este un moment crucial pentru poporul român, care, așa cum am mai
    spus, nu e prea discutat. De aceea cred că este important să vedem ce s-a
    întâmplat cu familiile celor trimiși pe front în perioada respectivă. Și acum
    mai aud povești asemănătoare, că mulți dintre bunicii noștri au fost luați
    prizonieri și duși în Siberia. Multă lume cunoaște aceste fapte, toate
    familiile noastre au fost afectate de al Doilea Război Mondial și de urmările
    lui. Asta
    m-a interesat, să arăt cum toți am fost afectați, să sondez adânc în istoria
    noastră.



    Directorul de imagine al filmului Warboy este Adrian Pădurețu,
    scenografia îi aparține Simonei Pădurețu, costumele Danei Păpăruz, iar montajul
    lui Tudor Pojoni.