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The 30th edition of the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt

The 30th edition of the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt unfolded between September 20th and October the 1st. In 2018, the 30th edition of the festival coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Youth Theatre in Piatra Neamt. It was the first theatre festival hosted by a city outside the capital Bucharest. Its inaugural edition was held in 1969. Since it is also the first festival dedicated to children and youngsters, the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt this year was, indeed, a very special anniversary edition. The theme of the festival this year was “The Archives of Insecurity. It is an ironical, yet serious wording, hinting at the history of the festival, but also at its present. Stage director and playwright Gianina Carbunariu is the manager of the Youth Theatre, as well as the curator of the festival. She explains this years theme:

Gianina Carbunariu: “Since it was the 30th edition, an anniversary one, we revisited the Youth Theatres very generous archives. We discovered very interesting things. I went deeper into some of the themes we wanted to explore, so for some time we were archivists. At the same time, the theatre show connected to the reality were living in is some sort or archive of the present moment. Also, these are trying times, its not at all easy… And then, the festival, bringing together those creators with their stage performances or other events – talks, workshops – becomes an archive itself. We want the emphasis to be laid on the topics very many of the guest artists have looked into, namely the desire that we have, today, to archive our own fears, our own ambitions, aspirations, incapacities. We do that through all possible means of communication.

Given that theatre festivals are held in many cities from across Romania, there is a need, Gianina Carbunariu says, to “place ourselves in the position of thinking through all the directions we want to pursue and find ourselves a very specific position against that backdrop.

Gianina Carbunariu: “I believe the festival is still in its early days. And I think that is rather something good, because the festival has reinvented itself throughout the years, maintaining some clear directions. But what seems to be most interesting to me is that apart from the initial directions – originality, contemporary plays, young creators, forming young audiences – which do make the cornerstone of the festival, each time the curators brought something new, each time they reinvented the concept of the festival. Speaking about this years edition of the festival, we had several sections. First, theres the ‘Young creators section. The main participation requirement was age, which should be under 30. We wanted to promote artists who are still at the beginning of their career.

Ligia Ciornei pursued a film directing and film production programme with the University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography. In 2017, Ligia Ciorneis short-reel production “Vintage participated in the Cannes Film Festival. At the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt, Ligia Ciornei brought her stage performance “Grounded by George Brant, a show produced by the DOCTORS STUDIO Cultural Association in Bucharest. The cast features talented actress Isabela Neamtu and marks Ligia Ciorneis debut as a stage director. The character in “Grounded is a woman-pilot of a bomber who becomes a wife and a mother. However, when she returns from maternity leave and wants to fly once again, the system “reconverts her, sending her to pilot drones in the desert. Speaking about that, here is Ligia Ciornei herself:

Ligia Ciornei: “My output so far includes three or four short-reels where I speak about strong women. My most recent documentary was about Roxana Tudose, an international sports shooting champion. Actually, my short-reels also delve in stereotypes of toughness and womanhood.

Of the original text, Ligia Ciornei opted for keeping the topics which are relevant to the Romanian audiences.

Ligia Ciornei: “Family and work, particularly the latter, which is rather unusual in the play, and thats what sort of made it tick, as she is an F-16 pilot, the relationship between work and family life …

This years edition of the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt also included a national section where artists of various ages were invited, with the aim of getting connected to reality, to core issues in Romanian society and in contemporary society in general. A relevant selection criterion was for the stage shows to come up with dialogue topics. Initiated in the early 1990s, the international section has been reintroduced by manager and curator Gianina Carbunariu. Guest performances were “Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, written and directed by Joel Pommerat, “Antonio and Beatrix, a co-production by Companhia de Teatro de Braga, Theatro Circo and the Youth Theatre and, finally, Gianina Carbunarius “Work in Progress, a stage performance produced by Emilia Romagna Teatro Fondazione. Based on intense documentation, the performance looks into the working conditions of workers across Europe, a topic Gianina Carbunariu has been concerned with, for quite a few years now.

Gianina Carbunariu: “Some things happen, starting with workers being vulnerable because of their contracts, whose validity is getting shorter and shorter. On the other hand, a great many things have to do with the new circumstances of todays society. It is increasingly difficult to tell working hours from someones time off. The moment you close the office door behind you, you are not free. The phone keeps ringing, then there are the emails…I did interviews with around a hundred people in the city of Modena and around the city, people aged between 25 and 30 or 40 who have a job or who are looking for a job, with people who are on strike, with people who emigrated to Italy, with the famous ‘badantas.. The themes have a European scope, since changes on the labour market are based on global mechanisms that are reflected in one region, obviously, yet such themes have to do with these sometimes dramatic changes as regards stability, even the safety of the working conditions, of the way people go about their work.

The Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt seeks to be a moment of reflection on theatre as well a place bringing people together. With details on that, here is Gianina Carbunariu, the general manager of the Youth Theatre:

Gianina Carbunariu: “As a festival curator, I am trying to draw attention to the fact that a festival does not only mean a selection of stage performances. A festival means the encounter between artists and the audience, between the artists themselves, it is the confrontation of theatrical practices…Beyond the selection, a festival is a moment of reflection about theatre and the world we live in. It is a moment of socialization, when we exchange ideas, it is even a moment when we can feel we are together. And feel really fine, together. As a fellowship, but also as spectators.

(translated by: Eugen Nasta)

6 October 2018
June 17, 2018 UPDATE

CONSUL – In Constanţa, Romanias biggest sea port, the honorary consular office of Estonia was opened on Sunday, in the presence of the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă and her Estonian counterpart, Jüri Ratas. On Saturday they arrived on the Romanian Black Sea coast by the first regular flight connecting the Estonian capital city, Tallin, to Constanţa in Romania. The flight will be operated throughout the summer season. Viorica Dăncilă said she was hoping this connection to improve the trade and the economic, educational and cultural relations between the 2 countries. The head of the Romanian Government was on a 3-day visit to Lithuania and Estonia. On Saturday, the last day of the visit to Tallin, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Romanian Ministry for the Business environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship and the Estonian Investment Agency, allowing for the development of a mechanism to encourage trade and increase bilateral investments. The first effect of the Memorandum will be the visit of an Estonian economic delegation to Romania in November.

AGRICULTURE – The Romanian Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Petre Daea, is taking part on Monday in Luxembourg in a meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council. The main topic will be a legislative package concerning the Common Agricultural Policy after 2020, which the European Commission made public on June 1. According to a news release issued by the Romanian Agriculture Ministry, the change of certain regulations in the Common Fisheries Policy and the state of the agricultural market will also be discussed.

MILITARY – The Air base in Câmpia Turzii, central Romania, is hosting an exercise called Dacian Eagle 2018, with 200 Romanian and 300 American troops taking part. The American aircraft participating in the exercise belong to the Air National Guard of Massachusetts. The exercise started on Friday, will conclude in 2 months and is designed to boost bilateral cooperation in the field.

THEATRE – The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, the largest performing arts festival in Romania and one of the most important in the world, came to a close on Sunday night. For 10 days, the event brought together 3,000 artists in over 500 performances and tens of thousands of spectators. The highlight of Sundays agenda was a dialogue between the French actress Isabelle Huppert and the Palme dOr winner, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. Isabelle Huppert was awarded a star on the Sibiu Walk of fame on Saturday. Also on Saturday, at the Festival Gala, the British Ambassador to Romania, Paul Brummell, read out Romanian poetry and said he will remain a friend of the Sibiu Festival and of Romania after the end of his diplomatic mission to Bucharest. The diplomat also presented a message to the Festival from HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, one of the patrons of this years edition. He congratulated the Festival on its 25th anniversary. Britain is proud of what you have achieved and of its modest contribution to your impressive journey, reads the message.

MACEDONIA – The foreign ministers of Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov, Sunday signed an agreement stipulating the change of the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into the Republic of North Macedonia. The document was signed on Sunday in the border town of Prespes, in Greece, and is set to take effect in 6 months. The agreement paves the way for Greece giving up its veto to the EU and NATO accession of Macedonia. In the former Yugoslav republic, the deal must be ratified by Parliament, endorsed by a referendum and activated through a constitutional review. The agreement must be next approved by the Parliament of Greece.

REFORM – The French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, announced that France and Germany are very close to an agreement on the reform of the eurozone, the BBC reports. Further to talks with his German counterpart in Hamburg, Minister Le Maire expressed hope that the French President Emmanuel Macron will sign an agreement in this respect with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on Tuesday. The French leader proposes substantial reforms, including the allotment of a separate budget for the eurozone, BBC explains.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

17 June 2018
June 17, 2018

CONSUL – In Constanţa, Romanias biggest sea port, the honorary consular office of Estonia was opened today, in the presence of the Romanian PM Viorica Dăncilă and her Estonian counterpart, Jüri Ratas. On Saturday they arrived on the Romanian Black Sea coast by the first regular flight connecting the Estonian capital city, Tallin, to Constanţa in Romania. The flight will be operated throughout the summer season. Viorica Dăncilă said she was hoping this connection to improve the trade and the economic, educational and cultural relations between the 2 countries. The head of the Romanian Government was on a 3-day visit to Lithuania and Estonia. On Saturday, the last day of the visit to Tallin, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Romanian Ministry for the Business environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship and the Estonian Investment Agency, allowing for the development of a mechanism to encourage trade and increase bilateral investments. The first effect of the Memorandum will be the visit of an Estonian economic delegation to Romania in November.

THEATRE – The Sibiu International Theatre Festival, the largest performing arts festival in Romania and one of the most important in the world, comes to a close tonight. For 10 days, the event brought together 3,000 artists in over 500 performances and tens of thousands of spectators. The highlight of Sundays agenda is a dialogue between the French actress Isabelle Huppert and the Palme dOr winner, Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. Isabelle Huppert was awarded a star on the Sibiu Walk of fame on Saturday. Also on Saturday, at the Festival Gala, the British Ambassador to Romania, Paul Brummell, read out Romanian poetry and said he will remain a friend of the Sibiu Festival and of Romania after the end of his diplomatic mission to Bucharest. The diplomat also presented a message to the Festival from HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, one of the patrons of this years edition. He congratulated the Festival on its 25th anniversary. Britain is proud of what you have achieved and of its modest contribution to your impressive journey, reads the message.

MACEDONIA – The foreign ministers of Greece and the Republic of Macedonia, Nikos Kotzias and Nikola Dimitrov, Sunday signed an agreement stipulating the change of the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia into the Republic of North Macedonia. The document was signed on Sunday in the border town of Prespes, in Greece, and is set to take effect in 6 months. The agreement paves the way for Greece giving up its veto to the EU and NATO accession of Macedonia. In the former Yugoslav republic, the deal must be ratified by Parliament, endorsed by a referendum and activated through a constitutional review. The agreement must be next approved by the Parliament of Greece.

REFORM – The French finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, announced that France and Germany are very close to an agreement on the reform of the eurozone, the BBC reports. Further to talks with his German counterpart in Hamburg, Minister Le Maire expressed hope that the French President Emmanuel Macron will sign an agreement in this respect with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on Tuesday. The French leader proposes substantial reforms, including the allotment of a separate budget for the eurozone, BBC explains.

FILM – The 14th Bucharest International Film Festival concluded on Saturday night. The Grand Prize went to the Turkish production Butterflies, which premiered in Berlin. The award for the best director was handed to Daniel Sandu, for One step behind the seraphims. The Bucharest International Film Festival also had a special section devoted to the celebration of 70 years since the establishment of the state of Israel.

FOOTBALL – The defending world champions, Germany, are playing today their first match in the Russia World Cup tournament, against Mexico, in Group F. Also scheduled for today are the Group E games pitting Serbia against Costa Rica and Brazil against Switzerland. On Saturday in Group C, France defeated Australia, 2-1, and Denmark beat Peru 1-0. In Group D, twice world champions Argentina drew against Iceland, 1-1, while Croatia outplayed Nigeria, 2-0. Romania has not qualified into the World Cup final tournament.

WEATHER – 4 counties in the north-east of Romania are under a code orange alert for heavy rainfall, while in 24 counties in the centre, east and south a code yellow alert for thunderstorms is in place. According to the authorities, over the past 24 hours over 30 towns and villages in 14 counties were affected by heavy rainfalls and thunderstorms.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

17 June 2018
Sibiu International Theatre Festival

This year, Sibiu plays host to the 25th edition of the biggest performing arts festival in Romania. The festival was designed as a multifunctional entity and a creative space for new means of theatrical expression. The programme is extremely varied and includes the most representative productions of leading Romanian theatre companies, important international productions and street and outdoor performances held every day in the citys squares, in the old town and the mediaeval Saxon fortified churches and fortresses near Sibiu.

The specialist press says the festival was the engine for Sibius earning the title of European Capital of Culture in 2007, the year when Romania joined the European Union. The Radu Stanca Theatre in Sibiu, which organises the festival, has been at some of the most important festivals in the world, in Edinburgh, Avignon, Naples, Brussels, Seoul, Tokyo, Porto and Frankfurt. In a preview to this years edition, the founder and president of the festival, the actor Constantin Chiriac, said passion is the theme of this 25th edition, which will transform the city into an immense stage for 10 days.

Constantin Chiriac: “This edition brings together 3,300 artists from 73 countries around the world, who will be performing in 73 different venues with 69-70,000 spectators a day. The festivals educational component is very important, it brings miracle, emotion, great quality to the spectators from Sibiu, from Romania and from all over the world.

The cultural marathon opens with a talk given by the Paris-based theatre critic of Romanian origin George Banu and the new president of the Romanian Academy Ioan Aurel Pop. The first performances to be staged are from the Republic of Moldova and Norway. From Italy to Japan, from Spain to Russia and from Great Britain to India, the guest companies come from all over the world. Exhibitions, some of which are European firsts, cultural workshops and a book fair are held on the sidelines of the festival.

The Sibiu International Theatre Festival is a strategic objective of the Romanian Culture Ministry, which, together with the local administration, provides most of the funding for this event. The festival is also supported by the European Commission, foreign cultural centres and embassies in Romania, international networks and private sponsors, all of whom contribute to the festivals 13-million dollar budget. This year, the festival has two honorary patrons, the Romanian president and former mayor of Sibiu Klaus Iohannis and Charles, Prince of Wales, whose passion for Transylvania is well-known.

(translated by: Cristina Mateescu)

8 June 2018
October 15, 2017

RESHUFFLE – The Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has said he will present president Klaus Iohannis, on Monday, with his proposals for the new heads of the development, transport and European funds ministries, namely Paul Stanescu, Felix Stroe and Marius Nica, respectively. The nominations were made on Friday by the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition. They will replace Sevil Shhaideh, Rovana Plumb and Razvan Cuc, who have resigned. Shhaideh and Plumb are being investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate for corruption. Also on Friday, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social Democrats ruling partner, said it would not withdraw support for its representative in the cabinet, the minister for liaison with Parliament, Viorel Ilie, who is under investigation for influence peddling.

MEETING – Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Tuesday is to attend the Foreign Affairs Council meeting hosted by Luxembourg. According to a Ministry release, the agenda of the meeting includes hot topics on the European agenda, such as the developments in Iran and North Korea and human rights. Ministers will also exchange views over the situation in Turkey and regional security.

MARATHON – Duncan Cheriyot Koech of Kenya won Sundays mens race in the 10th edition of Bucharest International Marathon. Almaz Gelena Erba of Ethiopia won the womens race, where Romanian Ana Veronica Rodean came in third. Over 17,000 people took part in this years edition. Camelia Potec, the chairman of the Romanian Swimming Federation, Ana-Maria Popescu, multiple Olympic epee champion, former rower Camelia Lupascu and former judoka Alina Dumitru were the events ambassadors.

SUMMIT – Attending the Consumer Summit in Bratislava, Romanian authorities got involved in clarifying dual standards of food quality, creating a new mechanism of cooperation to identity products that might have different quality parameters. According to a release of the Agriculture Ministry, Romanian experts will work together with MEPs to come up with new regulations in this field. With a view to analyzing and identifying dual food standards for products manufactured in Western Europe and exported to Eastern Europe, this February Romanian authorities set up a task force made up of representatives of the Agriculture Ministry, the National Food Safety Authority and the Consumer Protection Agency. Romania believes that a new and clear legislation is needed at EU level, in addition to specific and unitary methodologies and a strong cooperation between Member States and the Commission, so as to best respond to issues posed by dual food standards.

THEATRE FESTIVAL – Theatre companies from several countries, including Israel, the United States, France, Poland and Russia are as of Sunday taking part in the second edition of the International Festival of Yiddish Theatre. Hosted by Bucharest, the event offers workshops, conferences, exhibitions and concerts.

ELECTION – The Conservative Peoples Party led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, the acting Foreign Minister, has won Sundays election according to exit polls, making Kurz the youngest Prime Minister in the world. Kurz wants to suppress the far right, taking a strong stand against migrants and promising to prevent a new European migration crisis. For over a decade the Social Democrats ruled in Austria alongside the Peoples Party.

TERRORISM – The death toll of Saturdays double-bomb attack in Mogadishu has reached 130, while over 300 are wounded, making it the worst terrorist attack since 2007, when Al-Qaeda jihadists launched the insurgency against the Government backed by the UN and the African Union. The Police says a truck blew off in front of a hotel, hosting government offices, restaurants and retail stores, causing the collapse of several buildings and car fires. Two hours later a second bomb went off in a residential district. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has called a three-day period of national mourning. Although the attack hasnt been claimed, Al-Qaeda terrorists frequently launch attacks on Mogadishu and its surroundings, France Press reports.

TENNIS – The pair made up of Irina Begu of Romania and Sara Errani of Italy on Sunday won the womens doubles of the WTA tournament in Tianjin, China, after defeating Dalia Jakupovic of Slovenia and Nina Stojanovic of Serbia, 6-4, 6-3 in the finals. Also in China, at the tournament in Shanghai, Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands lost 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 to Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo of Brazil in the semi-finals of the 1000 ATP Masters. Tecau and Rojer will nevertheless play in the ATP Finals to be hosted this month by Singapore. Romanian Simona Halep, WTA no. 1, will also play in the WTA finals. (Translated by V. Palcu)

15 October 2017
October 15, 2017

RESHUFFLE – The Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has said he will present president Klaus Iohannis, on Monday, with his proposals for the new heads of the development, transport and European funds ministries, namely Paul Stanescu, Felix Stroe and Marius Nica, respectively. The nominations were made on Friday by the Social Democratic Party, the senior partner in the ruling coalition. They will replace Sevil Shhaideh, Rovana Plumb and Razvan Cuc, who have resigned. Shhaideh and Plumb are being investigated by the National Anticorruption Directorate for corruption. Also on Friday, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, the Social Democrats ruling partner, said it would not withdraw support for its representative in the cabinet, the minister for liaison with Parliament, Viorel Ilie, who is under investigation for influence peddling.

MEETING – Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu on Tuesday is to attend the Foreign Affairs Council meeting hosted by Luxembourg. According to a Ministry release, the agenda of the meeting includes hot topics on the European agenda, such as the developments in Iran and North Korea and human rights. Ministers will also exchange views over the situation in Turkey and regional security.

MARATHON – Duncan Cheriyot Koech of Kenya won Sundays mens race in the 10th edition of Bucharest International Marathon. Almaz Gelena Erba of Ethiopia won the womens race, where Romanian Ana Veronica Rodean came in third. Over 17,000 people took part in this years edition. Camelia Potec, the chairman of the Romanian Swimming Federation, Ana-Maria Popescu, multiple Olympic epee champion, former rower Camelia Lupascu and former judoka Alina Dumitru were the events ambassadors.

SUMMIT – Attending the Consumer Summit in Bratislava, Romanian authorities got involved in clarifying dual standards of food quality, creating a new mechanism of cooperation to identity products that might have different quality parameters. According to a release of the Agriculture Ministry, Romanian experts will work together with MEPs to come up with new regulations in this field. With a view to analyzing and identifying dual food standards for products manufactured in Western Europe and exported to Eastern Europe, this February Romanian authorities set up a task force made up of representatives of the Agriculture Ministry, the National Food Safety Authority and the Consumer Protection Agency. Romania believes that a new and clear legislation is needed at EU level, in addition to specific and unitary methodologies and a strong cooperation between Member States and the Commission, so as to best respond to issues posed by dual food standards.

THEATRE FESTIVAL – Theatre companies from several countries, including Israel, the United States, France, Poland and Russia are as of Sunday taking part in the second edition of the International Festival of Yiddish Theatre. Hosted by Bucharest, the event offers workshops, conferences, exhibitions and concerts.

ELECTION – The Conservative Peoples Party led by 31-year-old Sebastian Kurz, the acting Foreign Minister, has won Sundays election according to exit polls, making Kurz the youngest Prime Minister in the world. Kurz wants to suppress the far right, taking a strong stand against migrants and promising to prevent a new European migration crisis. For over a decade the Social Democrats ruled in Austria alongside the Peoples Party.

TERRORISM – The death toll of Saturdays double-bomb attack in Mogadishu has reached 130, while over 300 are wounded, making it the worst terrorist attack since 2007, when Al-Qaeda jihadists launched the insurgency against the Government backed by the UN and the African Union. The Police says a truck blew off in front of a hotel, hosting government offices, restaurants and retail stores, causing the collapse of several buildings and car fires. Two hours later a second bomb went off in a residential district. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed has called a three-day period of national mourning. Although the attack hasnt been claimed, Al-Qaeda terrorists frequently launch attacks on Mogadishu and its surroundings, France Press reports.

TENNIS – The pair made up of Irina Begu of Romania and Sara Errani of Italy on Sunday won the womens doubles of the WTA tournament in Tianjin, China, after defeating Dalia Jakupovic of Slovenia and Nina Stojanovic of Serbia, 6-4, 6-3 in the finals. Also in China, at the tournament in Shanghai, Horia Tecau of Romania and Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands lost 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 to Lukasz Kubot of Poland and Marcelo Melo of Brazil in the semi-finals of the 1000 ATP Masters. Tecau and Rojer will nevertheless play in the ATP Finals to be hosted this month by Singapore. Romanian Simona Halep, WTA no. 1, will also play in the WTA finals. (Translated by V. Palcu)

15 October 2017
June 19, 2016 UPDATE

FOOTBALL — Romania failed to qualify into the eighth-finals of the European Championship in France, after it lost on Sunday night in Lyon against Albania, 0-1, in its last match in Group A of the European football championship in France. With just one point, Romania finished last in Group A. Also on Sunday night, France and Switzerland drew, nil-all. The two secured their qualification into the next stages of the championship. This is the first time in the European championship when 24 teams take part, and qualifying in the next rounds are not only the first two teams in each group, but also four teams ranking third in their respective groups.

VISIT — The President of Germany, Joachim Gauck, with be on an official three-day visit to Romania as of Monday. In Bucharest, he will have a meeting with President Klaus Iohannis and PM Dacian Cioloş and will give an address at the National Library. On Tuesday, the two presidents will travel to Sibiu, in central Romania, a city founded by Saxon colonists in the 14th Century. Sibiu is also the home town of President Klaus Iohannis, a German ethnic himself, who was the mayor there for 14 years. On Wednesday the Romanian and German heads of state will attend a meeting with Romanian and German business people.

LA BLOUSE ROUMAINE — The Mayor of the US capital city, Washington, Ms Muriel Bowser, proclaimed June 24th as the Universal Day of the Romanian Blouse in Washington, in response to an initiative of the Romanian Embassy in the USA. The Romanian blouse has been acknowledged as an international symbol of Romanian culture and a source of inspiration for major designers. Initiated and coordinated by the online community called “La Blouse Roumaine,” the International Day of the Romanian Blouse is aimed at promoting a Romanian tradition and at creating a country brand recognised around the world. The Romanian blouse is a white shirt, part of the traditional folk costume of Romanian women, and is richly embroidered with folk motifs.

NAMASTE FESTIVAL — The Romanian Peasant Museum in Bucharest hosted, between June 17 and 19, the NAMASTE INDIA Festival, celebrating Indian culture in Romania. the Festival included a variety of events, from introductory language courses to henna painting workshops, and from yoga classes to documentary film screenings. On Sunday, the closing day, a sari parade was followed by traditional music and dance performances.

PENTECOST – Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians in Romania and across the world continue to celebrate the three-day feast of the Pentecost, marking 50 days from Easter and the foundation of the Christian Church. This feast day refers to the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ, who could thus spread the gospels in languages they could not speak before. On the same day, with St. Peter’s fervent proclamation, some 3,000 people converted to Christianity, making up the first Christian community in Jerusalem, the core of the future Christian Church.

HOLIDAYS — More than 22,000 Interior Ministry employees are to ensure public order in Romania during the Pentecost holiday which ends on Monday night. Some 40,000 tourists are already in Romanian seaside resorts, where most accommodation facilities are fully booked. A growing number of hotels have added spa and treatment facilities to their offers. Other Romanians took advantage of the three-day holiday to go to mountain resorts.

RUGBY — Romania’s national rugby team defeated Argentina B, 20-8, in Bucharest on Saturday night, in the final match of the last stage of the World Rugby Nations Cup. In the previous games, the Romanians had outplayed Namibia, 20-8, and Uruguay, 40-0. Romania thus won the trophy of this competition for the fourth time. Ten of the 11 editions of World Rugby Nations Cup have been held in Romania so far.

FESTIVAL — The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu, central Romania came to a close on Sunday. The event, one of the landmarks of European performing arts, has brought together this year over 2,800 artists from 70 countries. The last performances included Moliere’s The Miser, staged by a French company, Love. The trilogy of my family, by the Belgian director Luk Perceval, who received a star on the Sibiu walk of fame on Saturday, and the famous Faustus, directed by Silviu Purcărete, staged by the Sibiu National Theatre. Another play performed on Sunday was the Demon-Hag, a Japanese Noh play.

19 June 2016
Three performances produced in Sibiu, at 2016 Sibiu Intl Theatre Festival

Three performances produced at the “Radu Stanca National Theatre in Sibiu, and premiered these days in a mini-season, will be presented at the 23 Sibiu International Theatre Festival.

“Common People, by Gianina Cărbunariu, is a show produced as part of the Be SpectACTive! project, co-financed by the EU, under the Creative Europe program, that the Sibiu-based National Theatre is involved in, in the 2014-2018 period.

The project brings together the stories of 8 whistleblowers from Italy, Great Britain and Romania, European countries, which have different contexts and laws, as regards the situation of integrity watchdogs. Six actors give life, on stage, to the eight stories. “Common people is a truly special theatrical experience for both the public at large and the actors. Actress Ofelia Popii has more:

Ofelia Popii: “You have different feelings, from the moment you start documenting yourself until you actually perform on stage, and the responsibility seems double. Anyway, I am a responsible actress, committed to the character, to me, my profession and the public. But the fact that a real person, in flesh and blood, has experienced or is experiencing that drama makes you realize you should tell the story, but you also feel a huge responsibility, which is burdening you.

“Common People is a show which gives you food for thought; you cant possibly go out of the theater hall untouched by the story.

Ofelia Popii: “Everyone understands what they want when leaving the hall, but in my case, its all about listening to your instinct and taking confidence in your feeling of justice. Its about managing to be less mature- although it may seem a little bit strange. I somehow experienced such a way of thinking when I started to grow mature and realized the world we live in is far from being an ideal place. Why should I pretend there is justice in this world and have expectations? Let me survive and lead my life among people who are not necessarily correct people…And this is what I do. Working on this show I realized the way I was in the beginning was actually the right way to be. And I also realized that in time, you gradually lose your courage and find arguments justifying your lack of correctness, and you no longer expect others to be correct. And this is not ok. I believe this show is about all this. What do you choose, to bow your head, shift your glance and lie to yourself saying you are honest?

Ofelia Popii is the recipient of a Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival for her high level performance in the part of Mephistopheles, in “Faust, directed by Silviu Purcărete, in 2010.

Another performance premiered in Sibiu, which will be presented at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival is “November 20th, after Lars Noren, a show by Eugen Jebeleanu, with young actor Ali Deac in the leading role. The story is based on the attack of November 20th, 2006, in Emsdetten, when 18 year old Sebastian Bosse opened fire in his former school, firing randomly and injuring several people, before killing himself. Lars Norens play starts from this real case and turns into a documented piece of fiction on the tormented life of an abused young man. Actor Ali Deac also worked together with director Eugen Jebeleanu on the Romanian translation of the text.

Ali Deac: “The first time a read the text, I thought it was quite harsh, extremely radical. The text was cruel in itself, you hardly needed to do anything else… Then I tried to understand this boy, to put myself in his shoes. Of course, after what happened, everyone said the boy was crazy. What they didnt know was that two years before he was a straight A student. Its interesting to see that several months before the incident, in August, he logged onto several psychology and psychiatry forums, asking for help. Even then he was laughed at. Together with Eugen Jebeleanu I wanted to make Sebastian less hateful to the audience. The show should not instill spectators with the same idea or opinion they had when they saw the news. For me this was very important, because the play sends out a strong message: this is what can happen, this is what abuses and unwarranted violence can create, and the fact that words can hurt more than physical violence, leaving much deeper wounds.

The authors of the show “November 20th want the story of the young German Sebastian Bosse to be a mere starting point for the audience.

Ali Deac: “I want the spectator to be starting from him, and wonder ‘what should I do next? I cannot change the system, but I can start changing small things. I can start with the way in which I raise my children, with trying to make them understand theyre not doing things right. Even if they dont agree with Sebastian, when they go home they should think about how these things really happened and find a way to change them. Its all about small steps at first, about figuring out how they can make the world a better place.

“Moroi (“The Undead), a show of folk inspiration written by Catalin Stefanescu and Ada Milea and directed by Alexandru Dabija, talks about how people imagine the connections with the world beyond. “We get further and further away from our dead, we forget them too soon. (…) I think thats wrong. (…) I believe the other world frightens us for the simple fact that we cannot control it, director Alexandru Dabija has said in an interview. Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that the idea of death dominates the show, the audience laughs a lot. Actor Adrian Matioc with the Radu Stanca theatre of Sibiu:

Adrian Matioc: “This is a show in which I have been performing with great pleasure and its with the same great pleasure that the public has received it. Its a show that surprises people, always coming up with new things. Its a series of events including elements of mythology, various scents, food…and people. Because its all about people, about us, the people that brought us up. People that did believe in God but also in strange entities who protected their gardens caring for their needs…Its a show about the stories we were being told by our grandparents when we were kids and scared by the candle light and its shadows bobbing against the walls, during the power cuts at that time…So, thats what the show is all about…

28 May 2016
April 24, 2016

LEGISLATION – The Romanian Labour Ministry will initiate tomorrow talks with its social partners on a new emergency order aimed at doing away with inequities in public sector salaries. The new legislation is scheduled to be finalised within three weeks. In an interview to Radio Romania, the Finance Minister Anca Dragu said the Government intended to increase the lower salaries in the public administration, because the budget resources were limited. She also explained that according to data available to the Finance Ministry, in the first months of the year revenues to the state budget were higher than estimated.

DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry hails the celebration, on April 24, of 85 years since diplomatic relations were established between Romania and Argentina. According to a news release, these relations are expressed in a constant political dialogue, including as members of international organisations, as well as in mutual economic and trade interests. Grassroots contacts, the old Romanian community in Argentina and the Latin origin of the two languages are also key elements that define bilateral relations. The first official contacts between Romania and Argentina were reported in 1880. Diplomatic relations were established on April 24, 1931, at legation level, and on March 29, 1964, the diplomatic offices were upgraded to embassy.

NATO – The deputy Secretary General of NATO, Alexander Vershbow, will be received on Monday by President Klaus Iohannis, and will also have a meeting with the Romanian Defence Minister, Mihnea Motoc. According to the Defence Ministry, the NATO official is in Romania between April 24 and 26 to take part in a meeting of of political leaders in the defence ministries of NATO member states. Meanwhile, the US President, Barack Obama, who is to have a meeting tomorrow with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will call on Germany to get more involved in the defence of eastern NATO member countries. German governmental sources quoted by Der Spiegel magazine said additional NATO troops might be deployed to Romania, Poland and the Baltic States. An official decision on increasing the NATO military presence in the east is to be made at the Alliance Summit due in Warsaw. The Pentagon has already announced in late March that the US will send more troops to Eastern Europe, Romania included, as of 2017, as part of the measures to guarantee security against the backdrop of Russias recent actions.

PALM SUNDAY – Romanian Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Christians celebrate Palm Sunday today, which is a commemoration of Jesus Christs entry in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The previous day, thousands of believers and hundreds of priests took part in processions, in the country and abroad, in a symbolic reconstruction of Christs journey to Jerusalem. Palm Sunday opens the last week of Lent, also known as Passion Week, which commemorates the most dramatic days in the life of Jesus Christ. On Palm Sunday, nearly 1.4 million Romanians named after flower names celebrate their name day.

FESTIVALS – The feature film “Soy Nero, directed by the Iranian Rafi Pitts, last night won the Grand Prize of the 12th Bucharest International Film Festival (BIFF). “Soy Nero tells the story of a Mexican who gets deported and returns to the US illegally in search of his own identity. The award for the best director went to Mia Hansen-Love (France) for “L’avenir. “Death in Sarajevo by Danis Tranovic won the award for best script. Meanwhile, in the southern Romanian city of Craiova, the 10th Shakespeare International Theatre Festival came to an end last night. This latest edition commemorated 400 years since the death of the great British playwright.

TENNIS – The Romanians Florin Mergea and Horia Tecău are playing today, in the doubles final of the BRD Năstase – Ţiriac Trophy in Bucharest, with 460,000 Euros in prize money, against Chris Guccione (Australia) and Andre Sa (Brazil). Yesterday, in the semi-finals, the Romanians outplayed the Dutch Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop, 3-6, 6-2, 10-8. Meanwhile, the Romanian Andreea Mitu and Turkeys Ipek Soylu, are playing today in the doubles final of the Istanbul tournament, against Xenia Knoll (Switzerland)/Danka Kovinic (Montenegro).

24 April 2016
The 27th Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt

Aimed at promoting young theatre professionals, including directors, stage designers and actors, this is the oldest theatre festival in Romania, having been held for the first time in 1969. This year, the festival was again hosted by the Youth Theatres landmark building, which has been undergoing extensive restoration works for the last few years.

The Youth Theatre is known as a launch pad for some of the greatest names in Romanian theatre, such as actors Florin Piersic and Leopoldina Balanuta and many other outstanding actors and directors. The productions staged this year in Piatra Neamt were intended as an X-ray of contemporary theatre, while also providing a panoramic view of the trends generated by young Romanian theatre professionals.

Given that independent theatre has become extremely active and visible in recent years, the festival featured many independent productions. “Make the First Step, based on the work of the French playwright Jean-Claude Carriere, was first staged by Andrei Munteanu at Bucharests Arts Theatre, an independent company founded in 2010. The female protagonist is played by Raluca Aprodu, who is known for her roles in independent and state theatre productions, as well as films. She spoke about the relationship between choosing a work and staging that work by an independent company.

Raluca Aprodu: It shouldnt be influenced by anything. It should be a wish of the actor to encounter a character, a directors wish to have a meeting with the text, and thats pretty much it, I guess. Indeed, we are very particular about the venue where were acting it. There are places where the most important thing is for people to come and watch it. And then you start making compromises, little by little. Sadly, it matters a great deal that people should read the word comedy on the poster. Nobody wants to watch a serious performance any longer, after a days work. And if they make a choice, they opt for the state theatre. And then, if you want to attract them, you must be a bit ‘cunning. At Godots we run a performance entitled ‘Happy End. Its initial title was ‘Lisolette in May. It was not attractive. We changed it into ‘Happy End. It mattered a lot. Although it is the same show, we managed to bring the public to the theatre and offer exactly what we wanted to. There are many independent theater shows, and people have begun to attend such shows, all the more so as well-established actors have veered towards independent theater. And that is very important.

In order to encourage youngsters, the Theatre Festival in Piatra Neamt has a Competition section, in which 16 performances were singled out this year out of the 80 shows registered. The winner of the Best actress category was Nicoleta Lefter, for the part of Nadia in Saviana Stanescus “Aliens with Extraordinary Skills, directed by Alexandru Mihail at the Odeon Theater in Bucharest. “Aliens with Extraordinary Skills was produced at the “Julia Miles Theater in New York in 2008, and enjoyed enthusiastic reviews in New York Times and other US publications. The facts the story was based upon are real: a Romanian and a Ukrainian brought to the US more than 800 illegal migrants, using counterfeit visas that identified them as circus performers. 33-year old Nicoleta Lefter is one of the best actresses of her generation. She takes part in a great number of festivals and shares the opinion that such events are needed for the young people.

Nicoleta Lefter: “I believe the biggest step forward would be to try and persuade young people to get away from computers and television, to come see living people on the stage, to feel things they cannot experience in front of a screen. Things that may change you and make you like socializing. I notice that we are more and more attracted by solitude and isolation. People no longer socialize, are no longer open, they dont enjoy meeting, talking, finding out what someone else is doing. I believe that this is the most important thing. And secondly, if these shows also have something educative, that stimulates the imagination of young people, that is wonderful.

Vlad Cristache is one of the young directors invited to the festival. He put on the show “The History Boys. Stories with High School Flavor, by Alan Bennett, at Excelsior Theater in Bucharest. This production received two nominations, one for Best Show and one for Best Director. Lets wrap up with Vlad Cristaches opinion on the need to have festivals dedicated to young creators:

Vlad Cristache: “On the one hand, it seems great to me that this happens, because you link two generations of artists, people who have debuted in the last 10 years, you gather together their productions, and find out in what direction they see theater going. That is great. On the other hand, I dont believe in this division between young and old people, and I believe that there can be older and much more experienced people who can be fresher in their artistic solutions and the way in which their shows look. I dont believe that artistic youth lies in biology, I think it lies in oneself.

(Translation by: Cristina Mateescu, Calin Cotoiu, Eugen Nasta)

21 November 2015