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Tag: Tudor Aaron Istodor

  • Tudor Aaron Istodor, winner of the Shooting Stars program

    Tudor Aaron Istodor, winner of the Shooting Stars program

    After being short-listed for the prestigious program of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, Tudor Aaron Istodor impressed the competition’s jury with the very natural way in which he manages to approach any part.



    Tudor Aaron Istodor is a graduate of the “I.L.Caragiale” University of Theatre and Cinematography, class of 2009, and has been playing in both theatre and film productions. Ever since he was a student he has collaborated with famous directors such as Lucian Pintilie, Radu Muntean or Paul Negoescu. He has played in three films by Fanny Ardant (“Rouges sont les reves”, “Cadences obstinees”, “Ashes and Blood”) and in “Mrs. Christina” by Alexandru Maftei. He also played the part of Edward 2nd in the BBC series “The Plantagenets” and can be often seen on the stage of Godot Café-Theatre or the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest. The part thanks to which Tudor Aaron Istodor was selected for the Shooting Stars programme of the 2017 Berlinale is that in the film “The Fixer” by Adrian Sitaru, which was premiered in Romania in late January. The film tells the story of Radu, an intern at the Bucharest offices of France Presses who dreams to become a journalist.



    Tudor Aaron Istodor told us what made him accept the part in “The Fixer” and how his collaboration with director Adrian Sitaru was: “I liked the script enormously. I liked all of Adrian Sitaru’s films and wanted to be in one of them. His films are full of sensitivity, have many layers and reveal themselves gradually. The actors playing in Adrian Sitaru’s films are also extraordinary. When you see this kind of film you want to be in it. So when I was called for an audition I was very excited. It’s a very humane film whose protagonist is a fixer, a jack-of-all-trades who fixes meetings of foreign journalists travelling to his home country, in this case a group of French journalists who want to interview a repatriated under-age prostitute. The collaboration with Adrian Sitaru was exceptional. He is a director who loves actors, is open to improvisation, knows exactly what he wants but also likes to discover things together with his actors and it’s a joy working with him.”


    “I think it’s good to play different roles, both in terms of characters and style of acting”, says Tudor Aaron Istodor. He also told us how he prepared for his role in the film “The Fixer”: “The protagonist wants to become a journalist, but he is not yet a journalist. He is 30-years-old, he is neither a boy nor a fully-grown man, but at an age one still makes mistakes while trying to prove one’s worth. I have done a lot of research with the help of Adrian Silisteanu, a director of photography and scriptwriter. With his help I found out more about the occupation of the main protagonist because he worked for a while as a fixer himself. Apart from his occupation, I was very interested in the human side of my character, Radu Patru. Because irrespective of what happens to him and irrespective of the job he has, it is about how far one is willing to go to reach one’s aims. Generally, great movies and scripts are about something human and have something in common. And you can identify yourself with one of the characters in such movies no matter your job or the culture you come from”.



    A chip off the old block as he is the son of two famous actors, Maia Morgenstern and Claudiu Istodor, Tudor Aaron Istodor confesses that, in his childhood, he never dreamt of becoming an actor. On the contrary, he was eager that his parents finished rehearsals so that they could play with him. In time, however, he realized he was meant for this job and he resigned himself to being an actor.



    “I very much like to ask mom and dad attend my premieres. Especially because the first show is magic, and even if it is not the best, it is the first public performance. It is a moment when you are not very sure of yourself, when you want to show something and naturally you need favourable energies. My parents do have a very good energy when they come to my shows. I believe they are the best spectators. That is why I ask them to come to my first show, to be there and support me, to give me their feedback because I have big trust in them. I am very nervous and I hope I’ll be nervous not only at premieres but also at each performance. Nervousness is different from stage fright, and it’s good that it is so. Because once you are no longer nervous, than it’s high time you gave up performing. When you think you know everything and you’re not hesitant at all, you don’t feel vulnerable, you don’t ask yourself if what you are doing you’re doing well, then you cannot discover new things.”



    Tudor Aaron Istodor is the 7th Romanian actor participating in this program after Cosmina Stratan (2014), Ada Condeescu (2013), Ana Ularu (2012), Dragoş Bucur (2010), Anamaria Marinca (2008) and Maria Popistaşu (2007).


  • Tudor Aaron Istodor

    Tudor Aaron Istodor

    Aujourd’hui nous parlons cinéma. L’acteur Tudor Aaron Istodor compte cette année parmi les lauréats du programme Shooting Stars du Festival international de film de Berlin. Il a été récompensé pour sa manière naturelle de jouer tout rôle, affirme le jury de la Berlinale.

    Mais qui est Tudor Aaron Istodor ?

    Il a suivi les cours de l’Université d’Art Théâtral et Cinématographique « I. L. Caragiale » de Bucarest et en est sorti en 2009. Depuis, il enchaîne des rôles de théâtre et de film en égale mesure. D’ailleurs, il avait commencé depuis qu’il était étudiant à collaborer avec des réalisateurs roumains connus : Lucian Pintilie, Radu Muntean, Paul Negoescu. Il apparaît dans 3 films signés Fanny Ardant (« Rouges sont les rêves », « Cadences obstinées », «Cendres et sang») ainsi que dans la pellicule « Mademoiselle Christina » d’Alexandru Maftei et en tant qu’Edward II dans la série « The Plantagenets » de la BBC. Côté théâtre, on peut voir souvent Tudor Aaron Istodor sur la scène du Café – théâtre Godot et du Théâtre Juif d’Etat, les deux de Bucarest.

    Mais retournons au rôle qui a valu à Tudor Aaron Istodor la nomination au programme Shooting Stars de la Berlinale 2017. Il s’agit du film « Fixeur » réalisé par Adrian Sitaru, projeté fin janvier en première en Roumanie. C’est l’histoire de Radu, stagiaire au bureau de Bucarest de l’Agence France Presse, qui rêve de devenir journaliste.

    Tudor Aaron Istodor raconte comment il a accepté ce rôle et comment il a collaboré avec le réalisateur Adrian Sitaru : « J’ai énormément aimé le scénario. D’ailleurs, j’ai aimé tous les films d’Adrian Sitaru. C’est pourquoi je souhaitais faire partie de ses productions. Elles débordent de sensibilité et comportent plusieurs niveaux de compréhension, qui ne se laissent pas découvrir dès le début. De même, les acteurs qui jouent dans les films d’Adrian Sitaru sont exceptionnels. Quand on regarde ses films, on souhaite en faire partie. Par conséquent, j’ai été très heureux d’avoir été appelé au casting. C’est un film très humain. Son personnage central est un fixeur, un jeune homme à tout faire, qui établit des rendez-vous pour les journalistes étrangers qui viennent dans son pays. Dans ce cas concret il s’agit de journalistes français qui souhaitent faire une interview avec une prostituée mineure rapatriée. Quant à ma collaboration avec Adrian Sitaru, elle a été exceptionnelle. C’est un réalisateur qui aime les acteurs, ouvert à l’improvisation, il sait très bien ce qu’il veut, mais en même temps il aime explorer aux côtés des acteurs. C’est une véritable joie que de travailler avec lui. »

    « Je crois qu’il vaut mieux faire des rôles aussi différents que possible, en termes de style et de jeu », affirme Tudor Aaron Istodor. Il nous explique comment il s’est préparé pour son rôle dans le film « Fixeur » : « Il aspire à être journaliste, mais il ne l’est pas encore. A 30 ans, il n’est ni garçon, ni homme. C’est un âge où l’on fait encore des erreurs, mais où l’on veut aussi prouver sa valeur. Je me suis documenté entre autres aux côtés d’Adrian Silisteanu, directeur d’image et coscénariste. Il m’a aidé à mieux connaître l’occupation du personnage principal, parce qu’il a été lui-même fixeur à un moment donné. Mais au-delà du métier, je me suis beaucoup intéressé au côté humain de Radu Pătru, mon personnage. Parce qu’au-delà de ce qui lui arrive et de son métier, une autre question se pose : jusqu’où sommes-nous disposés à aller pour atteindre nos buts ? En général, les films, les grands textes, parlent du côté humain et ont quelque chose en commun. On peut s’y retrouver, quel que soit notre métier ou la culture dont on provient ».

    Les parents de notre invité d’aujourd’hui sont deux acteurs roumains célèbres : Maia Morgenstern et Claudiu Istodor. Pour sa part, lorsqu’il était enfant, il n’avait aucune intention de devenir acteur, avoue Tudor Aaron Istodor. Bien au contraire. Il attendait impatiemment que ses parents terminent les répétitions, pour jouer avec eux.

    Toutefois, au fil du temps, il s’est rendu compte qu’il était né pour ce métier : « J’aime bien inviter ma mère et mon père aux premières. Surtout que le premier spectacle est toujours magique ; certes, il n’est pas le meilleur, mais c’est une première sortie devant le public. C’est le moment où on n’est pas très sûr de soi-même, mais où on veut montrer ses qualités ; on a donc besoin d’énergie positive. Mes parents me transmettent une très bonne énergie lorsqu’ils assistent à mes spectacles. C’est justement pourquoi je les y invite ; je veux les avoir près de moi pour me dire ce qu’ils en pensent, car j’ai une grande confiance en eux. Je suis très émotif et j’espère rester comme ça toute ma vie, non seulement aux premières mais à chaque spectacle. Cette émotion est différente du trac et cela me fait du bien. A mon avis, au moment où je ne serai plus émotif, je devrai renoncer à mon métier. Parce qu’au moment où on sait tout, où on n’a plus aucune trace d’incertitude, ni de vulnérabilité, au moment où on ne se demande plus si ce que l’on fait est bien, il est impossible de découvrir de nouvelles choses. »

    Notons pour terminer que Tudor Aaron Istodor est le 7e Roumain présent dans Shooting Stars, un programme qui récompense les meilleurs jeunes acteurs et actrices d’Europe dans le cadre du Festival international de Film de Berlin. (Trad. Valentina Beleavski)

  • Gespräch mit Tudor Aaron Istodor, „Shooting Star“-Preisträger bei Berlinale 2017

    Gespräch mit Tudor Aaron Istodor, „Shooting Star“-Preisträger bei Berlinale 2017

    Der rumänische Schauspieler Tudor Aaron Istodor ist einer der Gewinner der auf der Berlinale vergebenen Auszeichnungen Shooting Stars 2017“. Istodor könne sehr natürlich jedwede Rolle spielen, begründete die Jury auf der 67. Auflage der Internationalen Filmfestspiele Berlin die Preisverleihung. Schon während seiner Studienzeit hat der junge Schauspieler mit bekannten Regisseuren wie Lucian Pintilie, Radu Muntean und Paul Negoescu zusammengearbeitet. Zudem spielte er in drei Filmen von Fanny Ardant und im Film Fräulein Christina“ von Alexandru Maftei. Er spielte auch die Rolle von Edward II. in der BBC-Serie The Plantagenets“ und spielt öfters auf der Bühne des Theater-Cafés Godot und des Jüdischen Staatstheaters in Bukarest.



    Die Rolle im Film Fixeur“ von Adrian Sitaru brachte ihm die Shooting Stars“-Auszeichnung 2017. Die Premiere war Ende Januar. Der Film erzählt die Geschichte von Radu, Praktikant im Bukarester Büro der Nachrichtenagentur AFP. Dieser träumt davon, Journalist zu werden. Tudor Aaron Istodor sagte uns, was ihn dazu bewegt hat, die Rolle zu akzeptieren, und wie die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Regisseur Adrian Sitaru war:



    Das Drehbuch hat mir riesig gefallen. Alle Filme von Adrian Sitaru haben mir gefallen, deshalb wünschte ich mir, in einem seiner Filme zu spielen. Seine Filme sind voller Sensibilität, vielschichtig und lassen sich nicht gleich offenbaren. Auch alle Darsteller in den Filmen von Adrian Sitaru sind einzigartig. Wenn du einen solchen Film siehst, wünschst du dir, auch dort zu sein. Deshalb habe ich mich sehr gefreut, als ich zum Casting eingeladen wurde. Es ist ein sehr humaner Film, dessen Hauptgestalt ein Mittelmann ist, der die Treffen ausländischer Journalisten in seinem Land vermittelt. In diesem Fall handelt es sich um ein Team von französischen Journalisten, die ein Interview mit einer minderjährigen Prostituierten führen möchten. Die Zusammenarbeit mit Adrian Sitaru war fabelhaft. Er ist ein Regisseur, der die Darsteller liebt, ist offen gegenüber Improvisation, wei‎ß genau, was er sich wünscht; es ist eine Freude, mit ihm zu arbeiten.“




    Tudor Aaron Istodor meint, es sei gut, unterschiedliche Rollen in unterschiedlichen Stilen zu spielen. Er erzählte uns, wie er sich für seine Rolle im Film Fixeur“ vorbereitet hat:



    Er möchte Journalist werden, ist aber noch keiner. Er ist 30 Jahre alt, ist kein Junge mehr, aber auch noch kein gestandener Mann, er hat ein Alter erreicht, in dem man Fehler macht, aber auch das eigene Können beweisen möchte. Ich habe mit Hilfe des Ko-Drehbuchautors Adrian Silişteanu eine Recherche unternommen. Mit seiner Hilfe habe ich mehr über den Job der Hauptgestalt gelernt. Radu war für eine kurze Zeit Stringer. Darüber hinaus hat mich die menschliche Seite der Gestalt von Radu Pătru interessiert. Die zentrale Frage war, wie weit wir bereit sind, zu gehen, um unsere Ziele zu erreichen. Gewöhnlich handeln die gro‎ßartigen Filme und Texte vom Menschlichen und haben etwas Gemeinsames. Du kannst dich darin wiederfinden, dabei spielt dein Beruf oder die Kultur, aus der du stammst, keine Rolle.“




    Weil seine Eltern berühmte Darsteller sind — Maia Morgenstern und Claudiu Istodor — dachte Tudor Aaron Istodor in seiner Kindheit nicht daran, auch Schauspieler zu werden. Im Gegenteil, er konnte es kaum erwarten, dass die Proben der Eltern, die er oft dabei begleitete, enden, um nach Hause zu gehen. Mit der Zeit sah er aber ein, dass er dafür geschaffen ist:



    Ich mag es, meine Eltern zu den Uraufführungen einzuladen. Die erste Aufführung hat immer etwas Magisches in sich, auch wenn es nicht die beste ist. Du bist dir nicht ganz sicher, möchtest etwas zeigen und brauchst eine positive Energie. Und meine Eltern bringen eine solche Energie zu meinen Aufführungen, sie sind gute Zuschauer. Und deshalb lade ich sie zu meinen Uraufführungen ein, um da zu sein und mir zu sagen, wie sie es finden — ich vertraue ihnen sehr. Ich bin aufgeregt und hoffe, mein ganzes Leben aufgeregt zu bleiben, nicht nur bei den Uraufführungen, sondern bei allen Aufführungen. Wenn du schon alles wei‎ßt und überhaupt nicht mehr unsicher bist, kannst du nichts Neues entdecken.“




    Tudor Aaron Istodor ist der siebte rumänische Darsteller, der die Shooting Star“-Auszeichnung bekommt. Die bisherigen rumänischen Schauspieler, die mit der Auszeichnung für Nachwuchstalente geehrt wurden, waren Cosmina Stratan (2014), Ada Condeescu (2013), Ana Ularu (2012), Dragoş Bucur (2010), Anamaria Marinca (2008) und Maria Popistaşu (2007).

  • Tudor Aaron Istodor, laureat al programului Shooting Stars 2017

    Tudor Aaron Istodor, laureat al programului Shooting Stars 2017

    Actorul Tudor
    Aaron Istodor se numără printre laureaţii programului Shooting Stars 2017. După
    selecţia în prestigiosul programul din cadrul celei de-a 67-a ediţii a
    Festivalului Internaţional de Film de la Berlin, Tudor Aaron Istodor a fost
    apreciat pentru felul său de a juca
    natural orice tip de rol, după cum a motivat juriul secţiunii la gala de
    premiere.

    Absolvent al Universităţii de Artă Teatrală şi Cinematografică
    I.L. Caragiale din Bucureşti, promoţia 2009, actorul joacă în
    paralel în teatru şi film. Încă din timpul studenţiei, a colaborat cu regizori
    precum Lucian Pintilie, Radu Muntean, Paul Negoescu. A jucat în trei filme semnate
    de Fanny Ardant (Rouges sont les reves, Cadences
    obstinees, Cenuşă şi sânge), şi în Domnişoara
    Christina, al lui Alexandru Maftei. A interpretat rolul lui Edward al
    II-lea în seria BBC The Plantagenets şi poate fi văzut în
    spectacole pe scena Godot Cafe-Teatru sau a Teatrului Evreiesc de Stat din
    Bucureşti. Rolul care a i-a adus lui Tudor Aaron Istodor selecţia în programul
    Shooting Stars al Berlinalei 2017 este cel din filmul Fixeur, regizat de
    Adrian Sitaru, film care a avut premiera românească la sfârşitul lunii
    ianuarie. Filmul spune povestea lui Radu, care este stagiar la sediul din
    Bucureşti al Agenţiei France Presse şi visează să devină jurnalist.

    Tudor Aaron Istodor
    ne spune ce l-a convins să accepte rolul din Fixeur
    şi cum a fost colaborarea cu regizorul Adrian Sitaru: Mi-a
    plăcut enorm scenariul. Şi mi-au plăcut toate filmele lui Adrian Sitaru, de
    aceea îmi doream să joc într-un film de al lui, filmele lui sunt pline de
    sensibilitate, au mai multe straturi şi nu se lasă descoperite dintr-o dată. Şi
    actorii sunt excepţionali în filmele lui Adrian Sitaru. De aceea, când vezi
    genul acesta de film îţi doreşti să fii şi tu acolo. Aşa că atunci când am fost
    chemat la casting m-am bucurat foarte mult. Este un film foarte uman, al cărui
    personaj central este un fixeur, un băiat bun la toate, care mediază
    întâlnirile între jurnaliştii străini în ţare lui, în acest caz este vorba de o
    echipă de jurnalişti francezi care doresc să facă un interviu cu o prostituată
    minoră, repatriată. Colaborarea cu Adrian Sitaru a fost excepţională. Este un
    regizor care iubeşte actorii, este deschis la improvizaţie, ştie foarte bine ce
    vrea, dar în acelaşi timp îi place să caute împreună cu actorii, să lucrezi cu
    el este o bucurie.


    Cred că e bine să
    faci roluri cât mai diferite, şi ca personaje, şi ca stil de joc    , spune Tudor
    Aaron Istodor. Actorul mai spune cum s-a pregătit pentru rolul din filmul Fixeur: El doreşte să fie jurnalist, dar încă
    nu este jurnalist. A ajuns la 30 de ani, nu e nici băiat, nici bărbat, o vârstă
    la care mai greşeşti, dar la care vrei să-ţi demonstrezi şi valoarea. M-am
    documentat şi cu ajutorul lui Adrian Silişteanu, director de imagine şi
    coscenarist. Cu ajutorul lui am aflat mai multe depre această ocupaţie a
    personajului principal, pentru că Adi a fost o scurtă perioadă fixeur. Dar
    dincolo de meseria personajului, m-a interesat foarte mult latura umană a lui
    Radu Pătru, personajul pe care-l joc. Pentru că dincolo de ceea ce i se
    întâmplă şi indiferent de meseria pe care o are, este vorba de cât de departe
    suntem dispuşi să mergem pentru a ne atinge scopurile. În general filmele,
    textele mari vorbesc despre ceva uman şi au ceva în comun. Şi te poţi regăsi în
    ele indiferent de meseria pe care o ai şi din orice cultură ai proveni.


    Pentru că părinţii lui sunt doi actori
    celebri – Maia Morgenstern şi Claudiu Istodor-


    Tudor
    Aaron Istodor spune că în copilărie n-avea niciun gând să devină actor.
    Dimpotrivă, abia aştepta ca părinţii să-şi termine repetiţiile, pe care îi
    însoţea adesea, şi să se joace. Cu timpul, însă, şi-a dat seama că este făcut
    pentru meseria asta, s-a resemnat şi relaxat. Îmi place
    foarte mult să-i chem şi pe mama, şi pe tata la premiere. Mai ales pentru că
    primul spectacol e magic şi -chiar dacă nu este cel mai bun- este totuşi prima
    ieşire în public. Este momentul în care nu eşti foarte sigur pe tine, doreşti
    să arăţi ceva şi evident că ai nevoie de o energie favorabilă. Iar ai mei au o
    energie foarte bună când vin la spectacolele mele, îi consider foarte buni spectatori.
    Şi din acest motiv îi chem la primul spectacol, să fie acolo cu mine şi să-mi
    spună ce cred pentru că am mare încredere în ei. Am emoţii şi sper să am toată
    viaţa emoţii, nu numai la premiere, ci la fiecare spectacol. Emoţia este
    diferită de trac, şi cred că este bine să fie aşa. Pentru că în momentul în
    care nu voi mai avea emoţii, probabil că ar fi cazul să mă las de actorie. În
    momentul în care le ştii pe toate şi n-ai nici o urmă de nesiguranţă, de
    vulnerabilitate, să te întrebi în continuare dacă ceea ce faci este bine, n-ai
    cum să descoperi lucruri noi.



    Tudor Aaron Istodor
    este al şaptelea actor român care participă la acest program, după Cosmina
    Stratan (2014), Ada Condeescu (2013), Ana Ularu (2012), Dragoş Bucur (2010),
    Anamaria Marinca (2008) şi Maria Popistaşu

  • Romania #REZISTS

    Romania #REZISTS

    Romania #REZISTS is the conclusion of the press in the country and of the most important international publications, after over two weeks of protests that brought hundreds of thousands to the street. Last Sunday alone, Bucharest’s Victory Square was filled with tens of thousands of protesters, and many Facebook users changed their profile picture to the same message. According to France Presse, less than a month from being sworn in, the Social Democratic government has caused a popular protest without precedent since the fall of communism in 1989. The same agency writes: “Blue, yellow, red: tens of thousands of protesters on Sunday formed a huge Romanian flag, illuminated by mobile phones, demanding the resignation of the government, which it accuses of undermining the fight against corruption.”



    Political analyst Cristian Parvulescu believes that Romanian indignation has a new beginning: “Romanian indignation seemed to fizzle out after Colectiv, and it looked like the elements that granted it coherence had started to weaken. However, the mistakes made so fast by the Grindeanu Government, the Social Democrats and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats have managed to stir it up again. This is surely a new actor that has to be taken into consideration by the traditional parties. You cannot govern with 600,000 in the streets, and this 19th century idea that Parliament can do everything is very dangerous. Parliament is an important institution, but you cannot reduce democracy to Parliament. As long as the government is not open to accepting the plurality of opinions in society, protest movements will continue.”



    Writer Nora Iuga joined protesters in Victory Square from day one: “Ever since the Social Democratic Party leader took the stage and generated this entire situation, I realized that we are in a very dangerous dead end. However, it is wonderful that this has sparked a spirit of freedom, justice and civilization which mostly the young people, but not just them, even older people, show to the rest of the world, not just to us, who had ceased to believe that we still had such qualities. I am happy to discover a Romanian society that I had ceased to believe in, a civil society that we have been craving since the Revolution. A society that in the years of communism seemed to had died for good, but look at the extraordinary occurrences today. People around the country are already a growing core of civil society, and this is extraordinary.”



    Writer Radu Vancu believes that, in addition to the pragmatic gains, such as the withdrawal of Ordinance 13 and the resignation of Justice Minister Florin Iordache, one great achievement of the constant rallies is a culture of protest developing in Romania. It is a culture of protest resulting from the large number of people in the street, in spite of the fact that they had differing political options.



    Radu Vancu: “There are people out in the streets who voted with the left and the right, and people who are politically neutral. There are also people who didnt go to the polls, but who militate for the same values. For the first time in Romania, after more than two decades, appeared values that have united a crowd beyond political divisions, and this is a great gain, because we had lost solidarity. The second important moral gain is the way in which Romania is now seen around the world. I am not just talking about articles in the western press praising Romania, but the comments on their on-line pages, depicting Romania as an example and exporter of democracy.”



    Razvan Martin, with ActiveWatch, believes that the massive protests these weeks have proven that the fight against corruption is on the citizens agenda, and that significant progress has been made in this respect: “I believe that this is the greatest achievement, the fact that society is starting to react, that citizens discover their power, that individuals become citizens, that the citizens can organize into communities and become aware of their power, of the fact that together they can say no. I believe that these movements have started to form as early as 2011 or 2012. They did not have much success because protests were small scale and were about issues that were not so visible on the public agenda. As I was saying, the public muscle has been worked out and flexed over a long period of time. Now it shows its strength.”



    Another great gain these days, according to literary critic Luminita Corneanu, is the fact that the people in the street have made their voices heard, and that their perseverance has forced the government to react: “What in my opinion is the most important thing, maybe even more important than concrete short term gains, is the fact that we have rediscovered ourselves, we have rediscovered self-confidence, in the primal mechanisms of democracy, the relation between voters and election winners, between citizens and those delegated to lead. The images of protests in Bucharest that have circled the world filled our hearts with joy and confidence, and Romania and Romanian citizens are being given as an example to Americans and Brits, as to this is how it’s supposed to be done. This has not happened before, and this is why I think it so important, we have found out how strong we are and how important it is to stick together and make our voice heard.”



    Here is actor Tudor Aaron Istodor, one of the hundreds of thousands who took to the streets: “I think a new voice has emerged, that of the street. I dont believe I am manipulated, I dont belong to a political party, I am on neither side, but when I saw something wrong, any kind of abuse, I felt the need to take to the streets like all other citizens. So I was the crowd plus one, and I believe that it was important that we were so many who saw something wrong that had to be made right. And things have been made right, so that was a gain.”