Radio România Internațional

Category: World of Culture

  • Lightwave Theatre, a visual puppet theatre company

    Lightwave Theatre, a visual puppet theatre company

    Young stage director Cristina Andreea Ion and puppeteer, Petru Stratulat, a former journalist, two years ago set up an independent visual puppet theatre company, with life-size as well as oversize puppets.



    Cristina Andreea Ion: “I graduated from the Faculty of Acting Puppets and Marionettes, then I got a Master’s degree in Animation Theater Directing and I was a member of a troupe doing puppet shows, both for children and “grown-ups”. Then, Petru and I had that wish to establish a visual puppet theatre company. I had a show I directed for my dissertation exam and which had been short-listed for the World Puppet Carnival in Indonesia. It was a show about Vincent Van Gogh’s life. There the only puppet in the show was Vincent, a life-size puppet, The rest were actors, it was dance-theatre. I could not get to the carnival as I needed the money for the trip, but I said we had to do something to move forward. And step by step, we put together a team. What gave us steam was the fact that my show had been selected in Indonesia. And we thought that if the show compelled recognition there, how about doing something here as well. “



    They called the company Lightwave Theatre and have so far put on two performances for the grown-ups. With these shows, they have already been invited to take part in international festivals. “Reflection” was their debut performance; it was an impressive story “told” with no words, about a woman and a man who succeeded in rekindling the flame of their life together in the garden of their home, trying to get over the experience that had set them apart from each other.



    Lightwave Theatre’s debut performance, which was the second directed by Cristina Andreea Ion, was also her second show that received an invitation to the World Puppet Carnival in Indonesia. That kind of recognition provided confidence for the founders of the company, yet they had to get more involved in the promotion of their productions, because at the moment, there is no such thing as a target audience for the adult puppet shows.




    Petru Stratulat: ”We need to show them what we’ve got on the Internet, footage, pictures, and after that they start being curious. But if you just tell them ‘why don’t you come over to a life-size puppet show for adults’ they don’t know exactly how to react. Actually, every day for about 4-5 hours, we work hard to promote our show on TV, on the radio, in the papers…Not to mention Facebook, which is at hand, but there promotion is more and more difficult. And in the long run we somehow reached many people, and those people came mainly out of curiosity or because they were ”dragged” by friends who already knew about us. And since we saw how amazed they were after the shows, we realized it was all right, we had a niche we had to cover, we had an auspicious start.”



    The interesting thing is that the niche covered by Lightwave Theatre targets people of all ages, says director and puppeteer Cristina Andreea Ion.



    Cristina Andreea Ion: “I initially expected our audience to consist mostly of young people. Then I noticed there were also older people who came to see our shows and who were more delighted than we expected them to be. Children, young people, parents and even grandparents have come to see our shows, because everybody can learn something from them.”



    Independent theatre companies need to be supported financially in order to survive. And when there are also big dolls that need to be manufactured for a show, costs increase significantly. At least for the time being, Cristina and Petru have managed to overcome the financial obstacle.



    Cristina Andreea Ion: “We financed our first show, entitled “Reflection”, for which we used four dolls, from our own money. We have constantly improved the show as we collected the money. For the show “Lover Physics” we posted a crowdfunding project on the Internet. We used the money we collected to reward all those who contributed, as each donor got something in exchange for his or her contribution. Some got tickets to the show; others got Iulian Tanase’s book “Lover Physics”, with the author’s autograph”.



    People who contributed 100 euros received in exchange three roles in the preview of the show. Through crowdfunding, Lightwave Theatre managed to raise 1260 euros for the “Lover Physics” show, out the 3000 euros they needed. The artists had to adjust to the smaller budget. Nevertheless, they presented the show at several festivals, such as “The Bucharest Fringe Festival”, “The International Animation Theatre Festival,” staged by the Tandarica Theatre in Bucharest and the “Puppets Occupy Street” Festival in Craiova.



    The artists will participate with the same show in the “Izmir Puppet Days” in Turkey, held between March 5th and 22nd. On this occasion, they will enjoy the state’s support for the first time as the Romanian Cultural institute will cover their transport expenses.



    In September, Lightwave Theatre will present their show in Bulgaria. Until then, on April 25th in Sibiu, central Romania, they will attend the “Breathe Theatre” festival, a theatrical marathon of 25 hours. In 2016, if they get some financial support, they will take “Lover Physics” to Thailand and Indonezia, where for the third year in a row, they have been invited to attend the World Puppet Carnival.

  • The National Dance Center at its 10th anniversary

    The National Dance Center at its 10th anniversary

    An amazing professional solidarity and lobby consisting of street protests, press reports, letters abroad in 2004 sparked off the issuing of a government resolution on the establishment of the National Dance Center in Bucharest, also known as the CNDB.



    With a 10-year long activity, the CNDB is the only public cultural institution, subordinated to the Ministry of Culture, whose aim is to support, develop and promote contemporary dance in Romania. Its motto is: ‘people that move the world.



    But what does a decade of the CNDBs activity mean? Here is the CNDBs manager, choreographer Vava Stefanescu with more:



    “We should not forget there have been several names in contemporary dance, choreographers, dancers, cultural managers, who have assumed the construction of this institution. The first Id like to mention is Mihai Mihalcea, who was the first director of this center and who imposed a certain type of contemporary creation in this sector of Romanian culture. This new genre stands good chances of becoming popular from now on, as its foundations have already been laid.



    The CNDB began its activity in 2006 with a view to introducing into the Romanian cultural landscape, ‘an art and an institution, ‘which cant be pegged into a specific category shunning inertia and stubbornly experimenting, striving to educate and take chances. Because this is what any institution, willing to create a lively artistic domain, should do. Here is Vava Stefanescu again.



    “We are a state-funded institution fostering the contemporary discourse. That is what we promote and do and we feel entitled to have access to all the means so that this contemporary creation may develop. We believe that all that means contemporary creation, including contemporary dance, is worth investing in. I avail myself of this right, as I am at the helm of this institution, the only one subordinated to the Ministry of Culture, dealing in contemporary dance, which has a major potential, because it looks into the future and it educates the public. I think that contemporary dance is entitled to funding.



    The National Dance Center has been created for artists, who, in turn, offer a product to the audience, so, the institutions ten years existence has benefited both the artists and the audience. Vava Stefanescu:



    “For the past 10 years, the CNDB has produced shows, educated people, has carried out various research projects and debates. There are four categories, which have seen most of the investment and funds of several kinds have been made available for artists to implement their projects. It is the only institution of its kind with no artists on its payroll. It both hosts and organizes events, not just shows, which more often than not fail to find a place of their own in todays society. In addition, for 7 years, the Centre financed a series of choreographic projects. The fact that this financing was successful, sometimes resulting even in two successful projects every year, made the contemporary dance grow stronger, with many artists choosing to go solo, working with their own resources. We are no longer where we were back in 2004. Artists can now carry out their projects and increase their visibility.



    To mark 10 years of existence and activity, the National Dance Centre has decided to award 6 prizes for activity in the field of contemporary dance. The prizes rewarded efforts to promote contemporary dance in difficult cultural contexts, substantial projects, artistic attitudes, efforts to render this field more professional or simply the determination to endure and persevere while maintaining contemporary dance among the most iconic and avant-garde means of artistic expression. The prizes were all symbolic, being awarded in the form of a brick, standing for the foundation that led to the emergence of Romanian contemporary dance as a professional field. Ioan Tugearu, Mihaela Dancs, Cosmin Manolescu, Silvia Ghiaţă, Alexandra Pirici, Manuel Pelmus and Mihai Mihalcea were some of the recipients of the award. Here is Vava Stefanescu:



    “I want to point out that Ioan Tugearu was key to founding the Centre. Silvia Ghita has for years promoted Romanian dance in her show “The World of Dance, featuring not only Romanian artists, but foreign artists who performed in Romania as well. Her one-hour show, broadcast every week, is now legend, and already has a legacy. Those people who care about the legacy of dance are extremely important. It was those people who inspired us to create the awards.



    What does the future have in store for the Centre? Choreographer and manager Vava Stefanescu believes contemporary dance is a long-term investment. The higher the investment, the better the results. That is why she has labelled her management strategy “The Marshall plan for contemporary dance. The strategy includes five large-scale projects, involving investment in several directions. The first project refers to dance shows, drawing on the financial resources of the Centre, but also of other theatres of producers. The second focuses on the distribution of shows. The Centre aims at supporting performing arts institutions that want to stage or produce a contemporary dance show, by covering up to 50% of the productions costs or its presentation costs. The third project in the strategy focuses on education, and will be implemented in choreography high schools, with the possibility to be expanded to kindergardens, schools and high schools with a non-vocational profile. The centre also has a promising research project, which in 2016 will result in a portal of Romanian contemporary dance. Adding up to the aforementioned four projects will be the pop-up category, allowing ideas that are developed in the process to be expressed on stage.


  • Winners of the contest ‘Home with Mother Ruta’s Spindle’

    Winners of the contest ‘Home with Mother Ruta’s Spindle’

    Dear friends, RRI invited you once again to take part in a contest that ended on July 15th 2015, post date. The name of the contest was “Home with Mother Rutas Spindle” and was organized alongside our colleagues from Radio Romania Village Antenna, the public station aimed at Romanian villages.



    A simple and ingenious project started from Fagaras Country, in central Romania, in a village called Mandra, a project that made this location popular around the world. That is why we invited you to participate in this contest that took you to the place where the spindle started its journey, the village of Mandra in the Fagaras region, continuing to another wonderful area in the vicinity, Marginimea Sibiului.



    The contest proved of great interest to RRIs listeners. We have received 197 correct and complete answers. We thank you for taking the time to participate in this contest and we invite you to also participate in RRIs future contests.



    The Grand Prizes will be two trips for two, 8 days and 7 nights with double room accommodation, full board, between 1-8 September, in the Fagaras (Sambata de Sus) area, Brasov County, and Marginimea Sibiului, in Sibiu County. One trip for two, double room, will be for RRIs listeners, the second for the Village Antennas listeners. As usual, the winners provide their own transportation to and from Romania, and their own visas, if applicable.



    The contest was sponsored by SC SCORILO TURISM SRL, and was organized in collaboration with local partners: the Brasov and Sibiu county councils, the Fagaras and Rasnov city halls, the Transylvanian Metropolitan Bishopric- the Sibiu Archbishopric, the Brancoveanu Sambata de Sus Monastery, the Fine Artists Union- the Sibiu Branch, the Brukenthal National Museum, the ASTRA National Museum Compound in Sibiu, the “Cindrelul – Junii Sibiului” county center for the preservation and promotion of traditional culture, the Brasov county history museum, the arts high school in Sibiu, S.C. Libris S.R.L., Ion Art Glass of Selimbar, the Romanian-born American sculptor Gheorghe Zaharia who was born in Fagaras.



    From RRIs broadcasts, website and Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles you could find the answers to the contests questions. Before announcing the winners, lets go through the questions once again:


    1. Where did Mother Rutas spindle start its journey around the world? Correct answer: From the village of Mandra.


    2. How many kilometers has the spindle traveled? Correct answer: one million kilometers.


    3. What are the areas that will be visited by the winners of the Grand Prizes? Correct answer: Fagaras (Smabata de Sus) Brasov county and Marginimea Sibiului, Sibiu county.


    4. Name five places visited by the Romanian spindle? Here you could have chosen from among the tens of countries, cities and places where the spindle was taken, which you could discover on the Internet starting from the numerous photos posted on RRIs website and social media profiles.



    And now here are the winners.



    Part of the 25 honorable mentions went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users who listened to the English language program: Hans Verner Lollike, of Denmark, Grant Skinner and Matthew Loughlin, both from Great Britain, RonnyForslund of Sweden, Keith Simmonds, of France, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak, from Poland, the recent winner of the Holiday on the Black Sea coast” contest, Asghar Shah and Maaz Shahzad, both from Pakistan, Abdulkarim Alhouseini, of Libya, Abur Rashid Biswass, Eyamin Hosain, S.B. Sharma, Jayanta Chakrabarty, Priyanka Paul, Chitturi Venkataramana, Shivendu Paul, Syamapada Sarkar and Najim Udin, all 9 from India.



    There are 15 3rd prizes , some of which went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users, who listened to the English language broadcasts: Brian Kendall, of Great Britain, Muhammad Shamim and Deepita Chakrabarty, both from India, Hamad Kiani, of Pakistan and Oscar Machuki of Kenya.



    Here is how Brian Kendall motivated his participation in the contest: “This competition has a particular interest for me because when I was fortunate enough to be a Grand Prize winner some years ago, I spent some time in the evenings listening to Antena Satelor. The station broadcasts so much Romanian folk music, exactly the sort of music I enjoy listening to over the shortwaves from Radio Romania International. Being in Romania and listening to a domestic station which played the music I like was a memorable experience. I didnt need to understand Romanian: I could smile as the music came from my small portable radio! So, heres a cheer for Antena Satelor! And another one for Radio Romania International for organizing this unique competition.”



    There were 10 2nd prizes that went to listeners or Internet users of the Italian, German, Serbian, French, Russian, Spanish and Chinese sections section of RRI.



    The 5 1st prizes went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users: Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Rahim, of Egypt, Enric Ballester Burcet, of Spain, Xu Fei, from China, Mihail Bahânov, of Rusia, and Gita Chakrabarty from India.



    Here is what Gita Chakrabarty of India, a listener of the English language broadcasts, wrote: “What attracted me to take part in this contest is to know about the mystery of Mother Rutas Spindle. In my view it is an unusual subject for an international contest. RRI has helped me to realize the beauty of human values. (…) Irrespective of age, status or position in life, people carried the banner of peace and solidarity to wherever they have traveled. Till date it has traveled one million kilometers covering most of the regions of the world. This Ambassador of goodwill, preaching the beauty of Romania and of its fascinating people who have nourished their kindness of soul and their craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Mother Ruta has proved the world that her Spindle is a living force – more powerful than any other media to spread the best of human values. (…) I am to state that it is indeed a pleasant experience to listen to the broadcasts of RRI either on the short-wave or online. I have been tuning in to the short-wave broadcasts of RRI for quite some time and I have to express my appreciation to you. The friendly voice of the broadcasters of RRI coupled with the high quality and content of programmes make listening a pleasure.



    5 special prizes went to the following listeners or internet users: Khalil Abdel Kader of Algeria, Aylton Jose Cordeiro Gama of Brasil, Anatoli Klepov of Russia, Debaki Biswas of Bankura, West Bengal, India and Jahangir Alam of Bangladesh.



    This is what Debaki Biswass of India, a listener of the English-language programs wrote: “The main factor that has prompted me to take part in this contests is mainly the inner theme of the contest ” Mother Rutas Spindle “. It narrates the desire of a village grand-mother in Romania who was not able to visit so many places around the world in reality but still cherishes such desire in her dreams and wants to fulfill her deep desire by translating those dreams into reality in the lives of her grand off-springs. In fact, I find that this case is not a solitary one with life of a Romanian grandmother but as a worldwide phenomenon. I find a very distinctive image of my own grand-mother reflected in this episode as well (…) I have been a regular listener of Radio Romania International owing to my deep respect for the Romanian people, their age-ancient heritage, culture, social structure and their remarkable progress.(…) My love and deep affection for Romania started from my college days in the early seventies. I was a Short Wave Listener at that time and Radio Bucharest was at the top of my favourite Radio Stations. I got my first QSL from the then Radio Bucharest in the year 1972 . The prizes won by me from Radio Bucharest includes among other items LPs and Picture Post Card Booklets. Those prizes still find their esteem places in my drawing room. The situation did not change either during the time of Radio Romania international. I have successfully participated in the contests organized by RRI. I have been lucky enough to be selected as a 2nd Prize winner in the ” Radio Romania 85 ” contest and the “George Enescu 2013 Festival ” contest. The prizes were really BIG ones! Those include huge Pictorial albums on Romanian heritage places and Music CDs”.



    Jahangir Alam of Bangladesh, another listener of the English-language programs, wrote the following: ” What motivated me in deciding to participate in this contest is quite simple, being an ardent supporter and regular listener of Radio Romania International over last 26 years I have developed an affinity for Romania and its people which I hope will one day culminate in me personally exploring this historic land and experiencing the warm wonderful hospitality of proud Romanians. Through Internet and facebook pages story and images I have learnt about Mother Rutas endless journey (..), a symbol of ancient crafts and folklore and a vehicle of great attraction, which promotes the beauties and values of Romania.”



    We would like to thank you all for your participation in this contest. And now, here we go: the winners of the 8 day trip, full board, in guest houses in Fagaras, Sambata de Sus, Brasov County, and in Marginimea Sibiului, Sibiu County, are Miss Jamila Bekkai of Marocco and Mr. Gilbert Dupont of France. Congratulations! We are looking forward to seeing you in Romania in early September. Joining the 2 RRI listeners will be 2 Village Antenna listeners.



    The winner of the grand prize, Jamila Bekkai, of Marocco, explained why she participated in the contest: “With every contest organized by RRI I discover fresh hidden dimensions of Romania. Thanks to them, I have discovered new and beautiful parts of the country and I have enriched my knowledge of Romania.”



    In turn, Gilbert Dubont of France wrote: “I wish to congratulate you for the originality of this theme. The French section of RRI is extremely dynamic and plays quite perfectly the role of window to this beautiful country, so welcoming but so little known by the French.



    All prizes and honorable mentions will be sent by mail in the coming months. Please confirm good reception by letter, e-mail or fax. Thank you again for taking the time to participate in the RRI contest devoted to the Fagaras and Marginimea Sibiului areas and we are looking forward to seeing you participating in even larger numbers in our future contests.




  • Winners of the contest ‘Home with Mother Ruta’s Spindle’

    Winners of the contest ‘Home with Mother Ruta’s Spindle’

    Dear friends, RRI invited you once again to take part in a contest that ended on July 15th 2015, post date. The name of the contest was “Home with Mother Rutas Spindle” and was organized alongside our colleagues from Radio Romania Village Antenna, the public station aimed at Romanian villages.



    A simple and ingenious project started from Fagaras Country, in central Romania, in a village called Mandra, a project that made this location popular around the world. That is why we invited you to participate in this contest that took you to the place where the spindle started its journey, the village of Mandra in the Fagaras region, continuing to another wonderful area in the vicinity, Marginimea Sibiului.



    The contest proved of great interest to RRIs listeners. We have received 197 correct and complete answers. We thank you for taking the time to participate in this contest and we invite you to also participate in RRIs future contests.



    The Grand Prizes will be two trips for two, 8 days and 7 nights with double room accommodation, full board, between 1-8 September, in the Fagaras (Sambata de Sus) area, Brasov County, and Marginimea Sibiului, in Sibiu County. One trip for two, double room, will be for RRIs listeners, the second for the Village Antennas listeners. As usual, the winners provide their own transportation to and from Romania, and their own visas, if applicable.



    The contest was sponsored by SC SCORILO TURISM SRL, and was organized in collaboration with local partners: the Brasov and Sibiu county councils, the Fagaras and Rasnov city halls, the Transylvanian Metropolitan Bishopric- the Sibiu Archbishopric, the Brancoveanu Sambata de Sus Monastery, the Fine Artists Union- the Sibiu Branch, the Brukenthal National Museum, the ASTRA National Museum Compound in Sibiu, the “Cindrelul – Junii Sibiului” county center for the preservation and promotion of traditional culture, the Brasov county history museum, the arts high school in Sibiu, S.C. Libris S.R.L., Ion Art Glass of Selimbar, the Romanian-born American sculptor Gheorghe Zaharia who was born in Fagaras.



    From RRIs broadcasts, website and Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn profiles you could find the answers to the contests questions. Before announcing the winners, lets go through the questions once again:


    1. Where did Mother Rutas spindle start its journey around the world? Correct answer: From the village of Mandra.


    2. How many kilometers has the spindle traveled? Correct answer: one million kilometers.


    3. What are the areas that will be visited by the winners of the Grand Prizes? Correct answer: Fagaras (Smabata de Sus) Brasov county and Marginimea Sibiului, Sibiu county.


    4. Name five places visited by the Romanian spindle? Here you could have chosen from among the tens of countries, cities and places where the spindle was taken, which you could discover on the Internet starting from the numerous photos posted on RRIs website and social media profiles.



    And now here are the winners.



    Part of the 25 honorable mentions went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users who listened to the English language program: Hans Verner Lollike, of Denmark, Grant Skinner and Matthew Loughlin, both from Great Britain, RonnyForslund of Sweden, Keith Simmonds, of France, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak, from Poland, the recent winner of the Holiday on the Black Sea coast” contest, Asghar Shah and Maaz Shahzad, both from Pakistan, Abdulkarim Alhouseini, of Libya, Abur Rashid Biswass, Eyamin Hosain, S.B. Sharma, Jayanta Chakrabarty, Priyanka Paul, Chitturi Venkataramana, Shivendu Paul, Syamapada Sarkar and Najim Udin, all 9 from India.



    There are 15 3rd prizes , some of which went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users, who listened to the English language broadcasts: Brian Kendall, of Great Britain, Muhammad Shamim and Deepita Chakrabarty, both from India, Hamad Kiani, of Pakistan and Oscar Machuki of Kenya.



    Here is how Brian Kendall motivated his participation in the contest: “This competition has a particular interest for me because when I was fortunate enough to be a Grand Prize winner some years ago, I spent some time in the evenings listening to Antena Satelor. The station broadcasts so much Romanian folk music, exactly the sort of music I enjoy listening to over the shortwaves from Radio Romania International. Being in Romania and listening to a domestic station which played the music I like was a memorable experience. I didnt need to understand Romanian: I could smile as the music came from my small portable radio! So, heres a cheer for Antena Satelor! And another one for Radio Romania International for organizing this unique competition.”



    There were 10 2nd prizes that went to listeners or Internet users of the Italian, German, Serbian, French, Russian, Spanish and Chinese sections section of RRI.



    The 5 1st prizes went to the following RRIs listeners or Internet users: Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Rahim, of Egypt, Enric Ballester Burcet, of Spain, Xu Fei, from China, Mihail Bahânov, of Rusia, and Gita Chakrabarty from India.



    Here is what Gita Chakrabarty of India, a listener of the English language broadcasts, wrote: “What attracted me to take part in this contest is to know about the mystery of Mother Rutas Spindle. In my view it is an unusual subject for an international contest. RRI has helped me to realize the beauty of human values. (…) Irrespective of age, status or position in life, people carried the banner of peace and solidarity to wherever they have traveled. Till date it has traveled one million kilometers covering most of the regions of the world. This Ambassador of goodwill, preaching the beauty of Romania and of its fascinating people who have nourished their kindness of soul and their craftsmanship and cultural heritage. Mother Ruta has proved the world that her Spindle is a living force – more powerful than any other media to spread the best of human values. (…) I am to state that it is indeed a pleasant experience to listen to the broadcasts of RRI either on the short-wave or online. I have been tuning in to the short-wave broadcasts of RRI for quite some time and I have to express my appreciation to you. The friendly voice of the broadcasters of RRI coupled with the high quality and content of programmes make listening a pleasure.



    5 special prizes went to the following listeners or internet users: Khalil Abdel Kader of Algeria, Aylton Jose Cordeiro Gama of Brasil, Anatoli Klepov of Russia, Debaki Biswas of Bankura, West Bengal, India and Jahangir Alam of Bangladesh.



    This is what Debaki Biswass of India, a listener of the English-language programs wrote: “The main factor that has prompted me to take part in this contests is mainly the inner theme of the contest ” Mother Rutas Spindle “. It narrates the desire of a village grand-mother in Romania who was not able to visit so many places around the world in reality but still cherishes such desire in her dreams and wants to fulfill her deep desire by translating those dreams into reality in the lives of her grand off-springs. In fact, I find that this case is not a solitary one with life of a Romanian grandmother but as a worldwide phenomenon. I find a very distinctive image of my own grand-mother reflected in this episode as well (…) I have been a regular listener of Radio Romania International owing to my deep respect for the Romanian people, their age-ancient heritage, culture, social structure and their remarkable progress.(…) My love and deep affection for Romania started from my college days in the early seventies. I was a Short Wave Listener at that time and Radio Bucharest was at the top of my favourite Radio Stations. I got my first QSL from the then Radio Bucharest in the year 1972 . The prizes won by me from Radio Bucharest includes among other items LPs and Picture Post Card Booklets. Those prizes still find their esteem places in my drawing room. The situation did not change either during the time of Radio Romania international. I have successfully participated in the contests organized by RRI. I have been lucky enough to be selected as a 2nd Prize winner in the ” Radio Romania 85 ” contest and the “George Enescu 2013 Festival ” contest. The prizes were really BIG ones! Those include huge Pictorial albums on Romanian heritage places and Music CDs”.



    Jahangir Alam of Bangladesh, another listener of the English-language programs, wrote the following: ” What motivated me in deciding to participate in this contest is quite simple, being an ardent supporter and regular listener of Radio Romania International over last 26 years I have developed an affinity for Romania and its people which I hope will one day culminate in me personally exploring this historic land and experiencing the warm wonderful hospitality of proud Romanians. Through Internet and facebook pages story and images I have learnt about Mother Rutas endless journey (..), a symbol of ancient crafts and folklore and a vehicle of great attraction, which promotes the beauties and values of Romania.”



    We would like to thank you all for your participation in this contest. And now, here we go: the winners of the 8 day trip, full board, in guest houses in Fagaras, Sambata de Sus, Brasov County, and in Marginimea Sibiului, Sibiu County, are Miss Jamila Bekkai of Marocco and Mr. Gilbert Dupont of France. Congratulations! We are looking forward to seeing you in Romania in early September. Joining the 2 RRI listeners will be 2 Village Antenna listeners.



    The winner of the grand prize, Jamila Bekkai, of Marocco, explained why she participated in the contest: “With every contest organized by RRI I discover fresh hidden dimensions of Romania. Thanks to them, I have discovered new and beautiful parts of the country and I have enriched my knowledge of Romania.”



    In turn, Gilbert Dubont of France wrote: “I wish to congratulate you for the originality of this theme. The French section of RRI is extremely dynamic and plays quite perfectly the role of window to this beautiful country, so welcoming but so little known by the French.



    All prizes and honorable mentions will be sent by mail in the coming months. Please confirm good reception by letter, e-mail or fax. Thank you again for taking the time to participate in the RRI contest devoted to the Fagaras and Marginimea Sibiului areas and we are looking forward to seeing you participating in even larger numbers in our future contests.




  • The Brancoveanu Style

    The Brancoveanu Style

    In the Romanian historiography the Brancovan art includes architecture and fine arts in Wallachia during the rule of prince Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714). That epoch had a decisive impact on the subsequent development of art. The term is also used to describe the works of art during the rule of the Mavrcordat princes until 1730. Sometimes art historians characterize the Brancoveanu style by analogy with the Western Renaissance, due to its rationalist structures, but its decorative abundance also allows for the use of the syntagm “Brancoveanu Baroque”.



    The foundations of the Brancoveanu style were laid during the 20-year long rule of Prince Matei Basarab in the 17th century that provided a certain political stability and favoured the development of the arts in Wallachia. In the period after Brancoveanu’s rule, it was the architecture of the boyar’s manors that developed. That was in keeping with the influence that the big boyars exerted in the late 17th century to the detriment of Prince Matei Basarab’s successors. Art historian Adriana Scripcariu believes that the Brancoveanu art should be explained so that everybody may understand it:



    Adriana Scripcariu: “In 2014 when tribute was paid to Constantin Brancoveanu, I initiated a project, a book trying to familiarize the general public with the beauty of the Brancoveanu heritage. The book is an exposé accompanied by a lot of pictures and explanations, plus a dictionary covering various themes of the Brancoveanu art. There is a chapter featuring the monastery, a chapter featuring the palace. There is also a chapter dealing with various crafts such as stonework, woodwork, weaving and silverwork. A chapter is dedicated to founders and the edifices they raised, in which we try to show how the founders’ will shaped the entire monument. There are details which give life to historical monuments and which, unfortunately can rarely be found in other books. As a rule, technical explanations are given about the size of a monument, the year when it was raised and the founder’s name. The stories behind those edifices are less made known.”



    “Many books about the Brancovan heritage have been written over time. Stories start from old chronicles from the princes’ time, or told by those who often witnessed the building of the wonderful edifices. Most of our scientists fond of history have dwelled on this nice chapter of Romanian civilization and nearly every year lots of pages are still written about it. What’s the use of another book? you will say. All the more so as it does not discover unheard of things explored by an archaeologist or secret deeds concealed in a rediscovered manuscript. And still, the book is original and you will understand why.” — says the Foreword to Adriana Scripcariu’s book “The Brancovan Heritage in Untechnical Terms”.



    Adriana Scripcariu: “We called the first chapter “Glossary of the Brancoveanu Civilization in Pictures”, in which we explain to the readers the basic notions of the Romanian medieval mentality, who the boyars were, who the princes were and the way social strata interacted. We explain the role of the church, a few theological notions, which are a must for those willing to have an in-depth understanding of the topic. The last chapter written by art historian Luiza Zamora deals with the post-Brancoveanu art, the longest period of Romanian art that produced many historical monuments, which unfortunately today are derelict. I’ve already been told that the book provides a pleasant reading, very appealing in terms of pictures. The photographer of our project is George Dumitriu, a passionate photographer who has been taking heritage pictures for tens of years. One can feel the experience and warmth with which he addressed our topics. The book also has a specific graphic format. We have given up the common pattern of art albums and have chosen a panoramic lay out to make our topics more accessible to the readers.”



    The summer residence of Prince Constantin Brancoveanu at Potlogi, the Mogosoaia Palace and the Old Metropolitan Palace in Bucharest are historical monuments in Brancoveanu style. The Sinaia Monastery, the Horezu Monastery and the Antim Monastery in Bucharest are some of the most important Brancoveanu edifices. The religious architecture stands out through monumentality given by stately sizes and a unitary conception.



    Adriana Scripcariu: “You can appreciate the Brancoveanu civilization when you discover its details and the seriousness with which its founders looked upon a very tiny gesture, which added to another one, was a source of beauty that we can find even today in the monuments that have been preserved. I’m thinking about a case study of a monument, namely the Sinaia Monastery founded by sword bearer Mihail Cantacuzino after returning from a long pilgrimage to the holy places. A lot of details linked to his journey and the way it reflected in his soul are visible in the frescoes of the Sinaia Monastery.”



    Unfortunately, the Cotroceni and Vacaresti Monasteries in Bucharest, real gems of Brancoveanu architecture, were pulled down during the communist regime, in the mid-1980s. The Cotroceni Monastery was rebuilt on its site over 2003-2004.

  • Ruxandra Cesereanu: poetry as an existential calling

    Ruxandra Cesereanu: poetry as an existential calling


    A well-known poet and prose and essay writer in Romania, Ruxandra Cesereanu recently published a new book of poems entitled “California (on Somes River) at the Charmides publishing house. In a review carried by the Observatorul Cultural magazine, critic Adina Dinitoiu describes the book as “a powerful and well built volume, perhaps the best from Ruxandra Cesereanu so far. Standing apart from the sensorial and sensual poetic imagery we find in her previous work, this new collection of poetry explores for the first time the initiation and ecstatic state of poetry and a conscious intention to affirm the poets trust in poetry. Referring to the title of the book, Cesereanu says the initial title also included the word “hotel, which she gave up at the last minute because it would have restricted the world created by her book, a book about childhood, teenage years, youth and maturity.



    Ruxandra Cesereanu: “This book of poems was not the result of a clearly defined project, but was a process, an alluvial movement that became more definite as it grew. At first I thought I was going to write a 5-page long poem that was to be structured into three layers: a realist visual layer given by the landscape on the bank of the Somes river, a layer given by the faith in poetry and metapoetry and a layer of recollections. I never imaged that it would grow so much, as it was meant to be a very concentrated poem. At some point, however, I realised these different layers were very complex and that they caused a sort of explosion and implosion at the same time, which triggered a landslide. Like in a landslide, things started rolling down, and I alone could halt their movement. My initial title, ‘California Hotel on Somes was inspired by the famous song by the Eagles, and for a five-page poem, it would have been sufficient. However, when the poem grew and multiplied, it was like a river with its own layers, different depths and different courses and I realised that the word ‘hotel with its spatial, albeit poetic, implication, was too restrictive and did not reveal the flow I was experiencing.



    In 2013, Ruxandra Cesereanu bought a bicycle and started making bike trips along the Somer River. One day, as she was on her way home after cycling up and down the river, she heard the sound of a guitar and some distant voices. They came from a group of boys and girls playing Hotel California by the Eagles. Their more or less accurate rendition and their voices reminded Cesereanu of her teenage years when she also used to play the song with her high school and later her university friends, on those very banks of the river or at different parties.



    “This going back in time is what triggered the poem and the whole book made up of one poem with different layers, explains Ruxandra Cesereanu: “Im having a strange experience, strange in a good way, that gives me energy and an added pleasure for life, a kind of ultralife, as I call it. Its clear to me now that this book has a life of its own and will continue to grow. I think the existing layers will engender new layers, especially during my summer holidays when I experience a kind of Proustian process in which the layers of memories or the metapoetic layers are in their most concentrated form. Im sure this book will grow in time, but it will remain a personal experience, because I have no plans to publish the new poems. I have already published a special edition of the book containing 17 extra poems, so everything I write from now on on this subject will be an exclusively personal project.



    “California (on Somes River) has been described by critics as a book about poetry as a vocation and about the existential trust in poetry. In fact, the book contains a series of literary references that are essential to Ruxandra Cesereanus work: “I personally came up in an environment in which poetry had a high aesthetic standard. My father read poetry to me as a teenager. When I was about 17 or 18 he brought me the poetry of the 80s generation, this is how I started reading and commenting poetry, with him, and went on to read with him the great poetry of the world. Somehow, I grew up with the idea that poetry is a pinnacle. But I didnt know back then that poetry would become supreme for me. Of course, today we are trying to avoid pathetic wording, because we live in a society that is somewhat disenchanted and post-postmodernist, which no longer wants to be cantered on archetypes. I, however, am adapted to this postmodernist society, but I hold on to my beliefs of old, which have synthesized since then, because now I am at the age of maturity. Poetry for me, therefore, is a form of redemption, redemption at the vital level. I believe in poetry, I lead a battle for poetry, because for me it is the supreme art, maybe the only type of literature that I can compare with symphonic music. And when I talk about poetry I dont mean versification, but verses in an advanced aesthetic form. Thats what I mean when I say that I am in a battle for poetry. I do believe that in our disenchanted world there are still some solutions for enchanting through storytelling, because the world can be saved through stories, through poetry and the belief in a given poem. I no longer believe that the world can be saved by a poetry of the trivial, but neither can it be saved by a poetry of sentimentalism, of the diaphanously pathetic. There is, however, what I call poetry mixed with meta-poetry, in which belief in literature becomes a way of life.



    Ruxandra Cesereanu has published several volumes in English translation, such as “Schizoid Ocean, a volume of poetry from 1997, a volume of essays called “Political Torture in the 20th century, in 2006, and two more volumes of poetry, “Crusader Woman and “Forgiven Submarine. She has been awarded several pages in the “Whos Who in Contemporary Womens Writing.



  • Famous museums in Sibiu

    Famous museums in Sibiu

    Today we will take you to two museums in Sibiu: the Brukenthal Museum, which was the first museum to open in Central and Eastern Europe in 1817, now almost 200 years ago, and then, later in this programme, to the Astra Museum of Traditional Civilisation.



    But first, lets talk about the Brukenthal Museum, built by Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, who was appointed Governor of the Principality of Transylvania by Empress Maria Theresa. Samuel von Brukenthal was the only representative of the Saxon community in Transylvania to hold public office in Austria. The Baroque palace he built in Sibiu was modelled on the grandiose palaces of Vienna. Founded in 1817, the Museum hosts the Barons private collection, commonly seen as one of the greatest cultural legacies in Europe. Professor Adrian Luca, the manager of the Brukenthal Museum, told us more:



    “Its worth noting that the collection was put together by a man whose cultural insight went beyond Sibiu and Transylvania, a province whose Governor he was for 10 years. He was a man who became part of European culture ever since his childhood, during his studies in Germany and travels to Vienna and around Transylvania. One year before his death, he made a will unique at the time, whereby all his cultural assets and part of his wealth was to become the Museum of the Saxon Nation. Therefore, in 1817, it opened as a public museum, according to the barons will and under the supervision of the Evangelical College, which later became the Brukenthal National College. Two years from now we will mark 200 years since the opening of the museum to the public. To our knowledge, it is the third public museum to be created worldwide, after the British Museum and the Louvre.



    The National Brukenthal Museum is now a museum complex expanding over nine buildings, of which five palaces. It hosts collections that total some 700,000 exhibits. Manager Sabin Adrian Luca says this is Romanias largest collection, a heritage that needs both preservation and promotion:



    “We wanted to exploit our cultural assets at several levels. We take part in Romanian exhibitions abroad, although they are very few. We have begun a comprehensive restoration project, which will span some 40 years. We also have a project to promote our cultural assets. I was astonished when I first came here to see a collection of Flemish and Dutch paintings. Then, after I visited Brussels, I learned it is in fact the biggest collection of Flemish and Dutch art known to date in a European country, after those in Belgium and the Netherlands. Our Italian art collection is also very popular among foreign tourists.



    The Bruckental Museum is the first museum in Romania to receive the Europa Nostra 2010 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage and also the first to join the Best in Heritage international annual survey of awarded museum, heritage and conservation projects in 2011, at the invitation of the European Heritage Association.



    As promised, for the final part of this programme, we will talk about the Astra Museum. One of the largest in Romania, this museum compound was established in late 19th century. Today it comprises several departments, including the ASTRA Film studios. The most popular, however, is the Museum of Traditional Civilisation or the Open Air Museum, located in a paradise-like area, namely the Dumbrava Sibiului nature reserve. Here is Ovidiu Baron, the deputy-general manager of the compound:



    “This is a miniature Romania. Many of the Romanians who have settled abroad come to visit this miniature Romania and they feel quite comfortably here, because in the past decades the Romanian rural landscape has changed dramatically. This is an open invitation to all those who return or just pass by here. Its not only Romanians that visit this place. Approximately 30% of our visitors are foreigners and we are very proud of this. This is a generous space for ethnographic museums in Romania and around the world. The ASTRA museum, through its open-air museum, ranks among the first three at global level. Its a museum that presents the evolution of traditional civilisation and architecture in Romania. In fact, the open air museum in Dumbrava Sibiului started in the 1960s with this very theme of traditional crafts, then evolving towards the whole of Romanian civilisation.



    For lovers of nature and tradition, ASTRA is the perfect holiday destination. Ovidiu Baron tells us more:



    “From the very beginning, the museum has been designed as a living, dynamic project, and not simply a depository of monuments and objects. This is why three traditional inns have been brought here, where visitors can sample traditional Romanian products. One of the inns also provides accommodation. Recently, a hostel has also been built. You can also find three churches at the ASTRA open-air museum that still hold services. One of the churches is open all the time and holds services just like any other Orthodox church. In recent years, we have thought about some other structures that we could bring here and could preserve their initial purpose. One such example is a school, which has been open for two years and which carries a programme entitled School in Traditional Villages, aimed at children, young people and adults. This summer, we provide a whole range of classes, from pottery and weaving to creativity workshops and traditional dance.



    The ASTRA Museum is also accessible by bicycle, thanks to a bike track created in 2014 which connects the centre of Sibiu to the village of Rasinari via ASTRA.

  • The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu at its end

    The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu at its end






    The timetable of the 22nd International Festival in
    Sibiu (FITS) is proof of the pledge made by the institution’s director, actor
    Constantin Chiriac to carry on developing the festival, not only in terms of
    events, artists, audiences but also in terms of raising quality. For ten days
    the city of Sibiu turned into a huge stage for 2673 artists and invitees out of
    70 countries, who gave 427 performances and brought together 65 thousand
    spectators per day on an average.


    One of the events marking the festival was ‘Nathan the Wise’ a
    co-production of the Radu Stanca National Theatre and Schauspiel Stuttgart,
    directed by Armin Petras. But the piece is not a mere staging of Lessing’s script,
    as actress Ofelia Popii has observed: He deals with very
    topical issues and it was a surprise for me the way in which he read the text
    without manipulating or changing it in any way. He brought to the forefront
    ideas that we are actually facing nowadays, related to religion, politics, but
    also human issues, such as: what it means to be a parent, what love really
    means, what human relationships mean. It’s a show I’d like to watch from the
    theatre hall as it raises a lot of questions and won’t leave you unchanged.


    The cast includes Romanian and German actors playing in
    Romanian, German and English, as the show is going to be performed in Stuttgart
    and Oslo too.


    A theatre production that kept the audiences attention for three
    hours, late into the night was George Tabori’s ‘Mein Kampf’, which is an
    anti-Nazi farce staged by Alexandru Dabija at the Cluj-Napoca National Theatre.
    The author himself was a victim of Nazi terror.

    Ionut Caras is playing Shlomo
    Herzl, an old Jew, who welcomes in his hostel a young man named Hitler, who
    wanted to study at the Fine Art Academy: The text helps you a lot
    because it’s a good one. It’s a dark comedy, tragic-comical at that. Tabori
    lost almost all his family in concentration camps and believes the only way to
    pay back for this tragedy is by humour. Then director Dabija took over Tabori’s
    script and as everybody knows, he isn’t a sober, rigid guy, on the contrary,
    he’s young and playful. Then we, the troupe from Cluj, stepped in. We are in a
    very good mood now and well-trained in comedy playing and I didn’t have much
    work to do. When I read the text, knowing nothing about Tabori, I found the
    script jaw-dropping. I remember bursting out laughing over the script, then
    stopping…then laughing again. I actually enjoyed that roller-coaster sensation.
    I think such a play has the potential to change the actors and spectators
    alike. It was a pleasure to work on the script and really enjoyed my part. I
    try to keep to this thin line, the balance between comedy and drama.


    Three women, three generations, three lifestyles: a grandma, a
    mother and a daughter. What did it mean to be Jewish 50 years back in the
    communist Germany and what does it mean now? Questions about identity,
    belonging and homeland are being featured in ‘Mother Tongue Mameloschn’/
    Muttermale Fenster blau’ performed on the festival’s first day by the Deutsches
    Theater Berlin. Here is Ulrich Beck, a playwright with the Deutsches Theater
    Berlin.

    Ulrich Beck: We’ve been
    lucky to have this script because we believe the script is very important to
    Berlin and to the history of people living in this city. And that’s not only
    because of the Jewish history here, but also because of the Wall’s history. I
    believe that both the Berliners and Romanian spectators really enjoyed the
    jokes, the mother-daughter-grandmother relationships. We have the feeling that
    the problems they were facing, as well as the communication and feelings they
    shared were well understood by the spectators. I believe that political and
    social connections between people and the political system represent a very
    important topic for contemporary theatre. The political situation is deeply
    felt by people, it’s influencing their lives.


    Dance shows have for quite some time been one of the main
    attractions of the International Theatre Festival in Sibiu. ‘Dervish’ – created
    and performed by Ziya Azazi was one of the most beautiful dance shows this
    year. Although a contemporary dancer in the beginning, Ziya
    Azazi     got back to traditional dance later on, when he was 30. And although
    it looks traditional, ‘Dervish – the hermit’s dance’ is more of a universal
    show. For Ziya, when he dances, the most important thing is the way in which he
    makes the connection between interior and external realities.


    Ziya Azazi: If you
    unblock the channel between the two worlds, all inner information goes out and
    the other way round. If you can do that, now you have what it’s called freedom
    of movement. For this reason, when I dance I am seeking that kind of spirit. I
    try to clear my mind, my body trying to get ready for the audience. When I go
    out on stage I have this goal in my mind. Of course it is important to show my
    abilities, speak about my own vision and choreographic approach…. But the most
    important thing is to be real on stage…to connect the two worlds. And I believe
    it is actually working in the show, because of the trance, the mystical
    direction, rehearsal and the progressive variations of certain moves. All this
    helps me become even more real and transcendental. That’s why the venue is
    unimportant, the audience will understand and the effect is always a positive
    one, as you could see in the show here in Romania.


  • The 2015 Timisoara European Theatre Festival

    The 2015 Timisoara European Theatre Festival


    The FEST section of the festival, as its name suggests, is a celebration of theatre and the dialogue between citizens and shows, whether were talking about street performances or indoor conventional theatre. Adding to this years edition were a few contemporary plays and some open-air performances. Here is Ada Hausvater, the manager of the Timisoara National Theatre, with the details.



    Ada Hausvater: “Weve tried to strike a balance between the selection of European and Romanian plays. Whereas the Art of Ageing was the core of the Romanian Drama Festival, now we have European outdoor shows and an indoor production called “Dreamscape”. We also have a few performance installations, such as “Medio Monte”, which capitalizes on Romanian drama. After all, the European Theatre Festival and the Romanian Drama Festivals create an image of Romanian drama in a European context. After all, our interest every year is to put Romania on the map of European theatre and see what our undertakings have earned us from a social perspective. I believe the Romanian Drama Festival has clearly shown that. “Medio Monte” is a modern installation, a springboard for the theatre of tomorrow”.



    “Medio Monte”, a performance installation produced by the Baia Mare Municipal Theatre, is a mixture of theatre, music and visual arts, as stage director Mihaela Panaite told us.



    Mihaela Panaite: “Theatre today is no longer self-reliant. We have made a connection between painting, music and theatre, theatre as motion and sound as an impulse for motion. These two artistic areas contribute to the emergence of total theatre”.



    Starting from the text written by Marian Ilea and the manifesto of painter Mircea Bochis, complete with the set design signed by Helmut Sturmer, Mihaela Panaite tried to get across to the audience the message that our inner freedom is actually a choice.



    Mihaela Panaite: “We say we go to the theatre, to the opera, to a museum. We label and categorise things. But I believe that nowadays we can no longer live with separate categories. Painters, musicians, theatre makers, they all need to get together and develop new forms, new means of expression. The freedom of art has to do with knowledge and self-knowledge. You cannot be free unless you know yourself and the others. Because then you dont understand the concept of freedom.”



    FEST, the Timisoara European Theatre Festival means, first of all, outdoor and street performances, because, Ada Hausvater says, these performances bring people together and create emotions, trigger peoples openness to theatre, to art and culture in general. The street performance that opened the FEST section was “The Cherry Orchard,” based on A. P. Chekhovs text, staged at the Voskresinnia Theatre in Lvov, Ukraine. It is a very dynamic show relying on image and imagination, about which the artistic director of the Ukrainian company and the stage director of the piece, Yaroslav Fedoryshyn told us:



    Yaroslav Fedoryshyn: “In my opinion, The Cherry Orchard is Chekhovs best play, because it covers everything, from childhood to death. What we tried to do was to bring this into the streets, because everything is always sold and everything is always bought. This kind of trade has always existed everywhere in the world. And it seems to me that we are so busy with trading that we forget about our souls, about our lives which are just drops in a flowing river. The moment we realize what life is, it has already reached the end. And we missed everything. This is what the show is about. Above all, I wanted to show that, while the orchard is still there, all these people, all these characters are somehow above it. This is why I had them play stilts, they are like white butterflies involved in this high-level trading. Also, in our production the orchard is not cut down, as it is in the original text, but burnt to the ground. This is because fire and water are very important to us. They are two essential elements of life, and over the centuries they have often replaced each other. Things are built, then burnt, water quenches fire, and so on. As Chekhov put it, the message of The Cherry Orchard is that everything is still ahead of us, when in fact everything is behind us, just like in life.”



    The FEST-FDR is one of the events through which the National Theater in Timisoara supports its city in its bid to gain the title of 2021 European Capital of Culture.



    Ada Hausvater: “We have a program to develop civil society. I believe that without culture and a real preoccupation for the society we live in, we cannot talk about development, civilization… Capital of Culture means a city with a proven potential to explore new realities. Of course, there will be many cities that will compete for this title, with just as many chances as we have. Timisoara has a special potential, not just because of its multicultural diversity, but also because there is a way in which one is curious, and of leaving things happen differently than in other cities. In the sense that there is this understanding for people who speak a different language, people who express themselves differently. Speaking a language other than your own means having a different way of being. It means that your interlocutor has to accept you as you are. And that happens in Timisoara. How do we continue to support the Capital of Culture? We do that on the one hand through this program of defining national identity in a European context, on the other by bringing people together through outdoor events. I believe that in this way the public can find a common goal on various occasions. We have a community when we have a common goal, when we get together, when we have common ideas, feelings, sensations, emotions. This is what theater can do.”




  • The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Dance

    The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Dance

    In preparation for the launch of the Romanian Dance Archive, the National Dance Centre in Bucharest has staged the exhibition titled ‘The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Dance. This is a unique initiative in Romania, aimed at drawing the audiences attention to the history of Romanian modern and contemporary dance. In the form of a dynamic installation of video screenings and unique archive documents, the museum covers the 1927-1996 period.



    The name of Museum of Dance sounds a little bit pretentious, that is why reactions were quick to appear, even before the opening of the exhibition on June 5th. Here is curator Igor Mocanu with more:



    Igor Mocanu: “It looks like the title has already reached its purpose, that of intriguing, of raising questions and stirring reactions, be they positive or negative. It was not us that invented this tradition though. Temporary museums have been organized before, like, for instance, artist Alexandru Ciubotarus Comic Museum. Artist Lia Perjovschi once said in an interview that she was working on a Museum of Knowledge. So, this precedent of the artist-institution or the concept-institution, of the museum as statement, not necessarily as an institution inside a building, was set some time ago. The reason why we gave this name to the exhibition hosted by the Bucharest Dance Centre was that of drawing the audiences attention to the absence of such an institution and to its necessity. A history of Romanian dance as such does not exist yet. Nobody has written it. It can be made up of several published books and documents in the centers archives, gathered in time, during various research projects and programs.



    According to Igor Mocanu, the aim of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Dance is not to cover landmarks in the history of Romanian dance. It just gathers unique documents about the activity of well-known or less known choreographers, whose value is to be established by the dance critics and historians.



    Igor Mocanu: We have included in the exhibition footage from movies featuring dancers, such as Lisette Verea. In the 1930s, Lisette Verea was a variety actress, and a very good one. In Jean Mihails film The Ghost Train, which is a mystery film, there is a dance scene, a sort of foxtrot a la Fred Astaire, but adapted. Its a two minute sequence which is quite important to the history of dance. And when I say important Im not referring to its aesthetic value or the difficulty of the choreography, but to the archive value of the document. Paul Ricoeur used to say that all documents tell the truth about something. And this is what I mean when I say it is a very important document.



    The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Dance installation – exhibition has three parts. One is that of reenactment of old performances. It features a show staged by Florin Fluieras and Brynjar Bandlien, “The Hammer Without a Master, based on the play of the same name by Stere Popescu, presented in Paris in 1965. The play sparked controversy at the time and divided the audience into supporters, who gave it standing ovations and opponents, who fiercely contested it. Only several minutes have been kept from the original play, reinterpreted by the two choreographers. There are also two reenactments after the photos with Lizica Codreanu taken by sculptor Constantin Brancusi in his studio in Paris in the 1920s. One of them is Vava Stefanescus reenactment from 1994, in a documentary about Brancusi by Cornel Mihalache. The second one is from March 2015 and features students with the “Floria Capsali Choreography High School in Bucharest, guided by their teachers Doina Georgescu and Simona Paraschivu.



    Igor Mocanu: “The fourth part of the exhibition consists of four portraits of choreographers, namely Floria Capsali, Leria Nicky Cucu, Miriam Raducanu and Vera Proca Ciortea. The third part of the exhibition is a mini-cinema, a dance cinema, as we called it, with documents on display with and about Elena Penescu Liciu, Esther Magyar, the Contemp group of the 1990s and the Marginalii group, also from the 1990s. Leria Nicky-Cucu is present with an independent film shot at home, in her yard, back in 1993, entitled “Dance Entertainment, in which she is featured alongside her students and colleagues from a choreography studio that she was running at the time. In the film, she presents almost all choreographic practices of that time. There is also improvisation and character dance, classical dance and even an example of classical ballet with little ballerinas. The film ends, of course, with a traditional circle dance. Floria Capsali was part of Dimitrie Gustis team of sociologists and had to document the choreographic side of folk culture. The film screened at the National Dance Centre in Bucharest is an important document for dance history, even for the history of the modern and contemporary dance, because it is not about a folk dance but it is an aesthetic reconstruction, in the studio, with set designs and costumes. The choreographers style is clearly emphasized. Miriam Raducanus portrait is made up of four video documents. Two of them are quite well known, namely, the films she made in the 1970s for the Sahia Film production house, “Concerto Grosso and “In the Big Passage. Both are prefaced by two unique documents that we found at the National Film Archive. One is a sort of artistic soirée at the Zambaccian Museum, as the fashion of interdisciplinary museum openings had just been introduced. This is a very important document as it sets a date for the dance history and a type of dance which has become popular only recently, that is the art gallery dance.



    Vera Proca Ciortea was a foremost choreographer, just like the other choreographers featured in the exhibition. She entered dance history coming from the rhythmic dance area. She became known as ethno-choreologist after the 1970s, especially abroad, as she wrote a lot about the Romanian folk dance. The type of dance created by Vera Proca Ciortea was defined by critic Liana Tugearu as a “Romanian rhythmic dance.

  • 2015 “Toma Caragiu” Theatre Festival in Ploiesti

    2015 “Toma Caragiu” Theatre Festival in Ploiesti


    The “Toma Caragiu Theatre in Ploiesti, southern Romania, organised the 5th edition of the “Toma Caragiu Theatre Festival in mid-May. This years offer for theatregoers in Ploiesti carried on the trend that had been set a year ago, with a programme called “The New Wave – the Directors Face, a privileged area for directors encounters. Such young stage directors as Sânziana Stoican, Mariana Cămărăşan, Andreea and Andrei Grosu, Horia Suru and Dragos Alexandru Musoiu were the names to be found on the festivals posters, alongside well-established directors such as Victor Ioan Frunza, Cristi Juncu and Razvan Mazilu.



    Theatre critic Andreea Dumitru is the festivals selector as of last year: “Our intention was to carry on with the challenge we set for ourselves at the inaugural edition, meaning that this festival can have an identity of its own, a profile capable of setting it apart from the great number of theatre festivals across the country. And we continued with the Directors Encounters theme, which managed to bring over what we wanted in the previous edition, namely as great a number as possible of young stage directors, for the official selection. Of the nine directors who entered the festival this year with their productions, six are very young. One of them, Dragos Musoiu, is a first-timer, we brought his debut performance with Craiovas National Theatre. Its interesting to note how these young directors approaches to the text, to the stage space, to the actors, are extremely different from one another, and that theyre not afraid of tackling great texts.



    The selector of the festival Andreea Dumitru has also told us theatregoers in Ploiesti gave a very warm welcome to young directors: “The performances may not be the most experienced ones or the most innovative, aesthetically speaking. Rather, these plays have been staged to ensure their success with the audiences, which I believe is something extraordinary nonetheless, because for a festival with a smaller number of performances on the agenda, with a maximum number of two shows per night, for such a festival it is better that performances get full house, and not an empty house. These shows are very good, the acting is fine—we could see that on all the evenings – and they have very substantial structures. And we have set out to shape our target audiences for other types of shows as well, more daring, aesthetically speaking. That is why during the festival this year, we set up meetings with our future theatregoers – high-school and university students from Ploiesti – held at the University or the County Library. There they had the chance to talk face-to-face with Răzvan Mazilu, with Claudiu Bleonţ, with the personalities who year attended the festival this.



    One such meeting was occasioned by the anniversary of 90 years since the birth of the late actor Toma Caragiu, who spent his childhood in Ploiesi and went on to became the director of the State Theatre in the same town.



    The host of the event held at the “Nicolae Iorga County Library was director Mihai Lungeanu, who works with Radio Romanias Radio Drama Department: “We capitalized on the fact that Mrs. Magda Dutu, our colleague, had recorded two CDs devoted to Toma Caragiu and we came up with the idea of staging an audition in which radio drama and theatre lovers in general may find out things about Toma Caragiu that they cannot learn from other sources. Furthermore, wed like to stage a contest for the young, who dont know the actor, and the main prize will be the two CDs with Toma Caragiu. That proved a good idea both for theatre in general and also for us, because we want to put radio theatre back into the cultural horizon of the young generation.



    So, during this series of meetings with young directors, the Toma Caragiu Theatre, the festivals main organizer, staged in premiere Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie directed by young Sanziana Stoican and performed by actors from the Ploiesti theatre. We asked Sanziana Stoican why the Glass Menagerie? “Its because of this universe of a shattered family, where a young man tries to find his way in life and in order to do that he has to accept other values than those he feels he should believe in. I was captivated by all these family relations and took a liking to the text. These are time enduring themes, because family ties do not change and the social context when the play was written is very similar to what we see now. That was a period of economic crisis, when unemployment was high and people had to resort to many tricks to survive. As I said, there are many similarities with what we see now in Romania. But at the same time, I wanted to preserve a certain tinge of that time for I believe its essential for the play.



    In a theatre landscapes fraught with festivals, the Toma Caragiu Festival in Ploiesti has its well-deserved place. Here is selector Andreea Dumitru: “It is a privilege for the community in Ploiesti to have a festival of its own that brings together some of the seasons best shows. It is also a good idea for the Romanian theatre in general and we got a positive feedback on that just as we did in the previous edition, after we had staged a directing festival. At that time many theatre people confirmed that it was a good idea, because its easier for actors to prove their skills on stage, whereas a directors art cannot be assessed that easily, although its the director who has the most important role in staging a play. They are also important for the international theatre movement. Foreign agents come to Romania to scout new talents among directors first and then they look at actors or other categories. So, I wish this festival were a launch pad for the most talented directors and the most valuable productions of established directors.

  • The International New Theatre Festival in Arad

    The International New Theatre Festival in Arad

    9 days fraught with events – 30 in all, including performances, musical concerts and book launches; that was the recipe for the International New Theatre Festival, the most important theatrical event of the spring season in Arad, western Romania. Hosted at the Ioan Slavici Theatre in Arad in the first half of May, the event, which reached its third edition, included both indoor and outdoor performances, some of them in unconventional places. Here is Bogdan Costea, director with the aforementioned institution with more on the event.



    Bogdan Costea: “This festival is a follow-up of the Eurounderground Theatre Festival, which was born out of the need for an alternative to the Classical Theatre Festival. It took place under the patronage of Arad Culture Centre, which was at the time running an exclusive project involving independent theatre companies from Romania and abroad. As time went by the project evolved into a genuine alternative to the Classical Theatre Festival, which we now know as the International New Theatre Festival.



    When we say new theatre we actually mean contemporary productions. Here is theatre critic Claudiu Groza, who was selector for the festival with a definition of contemporary theatre.



    Claudiu Groza: “Its the theatre that speaks about our everyday issues in our everyday language. They could be plays by Shakespeare, Gombrowicz or Caragiale, but if they touch upon our present-day concerns – well, thats new theatre.



    But why would a classical theatre play venue for such a festival? Here is director Bogdan Costea again.



    Bogdan Costea: “First its about attracting this audience segment, of young and very young theatre buffs: thats actually our goal, namely to win over this audience. Its a mission we have assumed and wed like to open our gates in terms of including new contemporary theatre plays, as well as plays that are staged by independent theatre companies. So, it is going to be a mélange of different types of plays and theatre styles.



    The third International New Theatre Festival has brought together new and emblematic productions for the Romanian theatre. According to Claudiu Groza there was a wide range of plays, from sparkling comedies, thought-provoking dramas, spectacular shows, as well as classical plays in fresh staging. The Festival included a show from Ukraine, ‘To meet Prospero, staged by Vokresinnia Theatre of Lviv.



    Claudiu Groza: “Romanian theatre should also be open to whats going on abroad, although I tend to give credit to George Banu, who said that ‘Romanian theatre should not have an inferiority complex. We are staging a type of syncretic theatre, extremely dynamic with emphasis on the visual part, unlike the French or German tradition, for instance, which focus mainly on the script. And we should not idealize the type of theatre promoted in one country or another, but at the same time its very important to keep track of performances and trends going on outside Romania. Its important for our spectators, who may want to see foreign performances and for professionals alike, because they need to meet other professionals and exchange best practices.



    According to director Bogdan Costea, one of the goals of the Classical Theatre Ioan Slavici based in Arad, western Romania, is to attract young theatre goers who can now watch performances not only during the Festival but also in the theatre season. During the Festival, the host institution presented its own production, ‘Circle. Mirror. Transformation, a play directed by Cristi Juncu. The script was written by young Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker. Here is more on the show with actress Aura Calarasu.



    Aura Calarasu: “This was a very nice meeting with a successful American writer of great sensibility and a great sense of music, who is also a highly appreciated director. It was pleasant – thats the right word. Its about theatre as some sort of medicine, about its healing power. About how theatre can help the man in the street, not necessarily the actor.


  • Winners of the RRI quiz “Govora Spa, a Healing Oasis”

    Winners of the RRI quiz “Govora Spa, a Healing Oasis”

    Radio Romania
    invited you to participate in a new prize-winning contest entitled Govora Spa,
    a healing oasis, devoted to one of the most famous spas in Valcea County, in
    southern Romania. By closing date, April 30, we received 258 correct and
    complete answers.


    The Grand Prize
    is a 7-night stay with full accommodation in a double room, with six days of
    spa treatment available. This includes two daily sessions between June 15 and
    30, 2015 at Hotel Palace, housed in a historic building erected between 1911
    and 1914 in Govora Spa, Valcea County. As usual, the winners will have to
    provide for their own international transport to and from Romania, and cover
    the prospective expenses related to obtaining a visa for Romania.


    The contest was
    sponsored by Hotel Palace – SC Baile Govora SA, and was organized by the
    Valcea County Council, Govora Spa Town Hall, the Ramnic Archbishopric and the
    Valcea branch of the Union of Fine Artists.


    Before we let
    you know the names of the winners, here are the questions again, together with
    the correct answers, which you were able to find out from our shows, from the
    RRI web site as well as our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ accounts:


    When was Hotel
    Palace built in Govora Spa? The answer was between 1911 and 1914.


    What is the
    Govora Spa resort best known for? Answer: its waters rich in iodine and sodium
    chloride, as well as the sapropelic mud recommended for the treatment of
    breathing, rheumatic or digestive disorders.


    What is the name
    of the city acting as seat for the county where Govora Spa is located in?
    Correct answer: Ramnicu Valcea.


    Name five
    tourist attractions in Valcea County. For this answer you could choose from
    among tens of sites presented in our broadcasts or online, including the spa
    resorts, well-known monasteries, traditional pottery shops in Horezu and
    various museums in the region.


    And now, here
    are the winners: the 30
    honorable mentions offered by our sponsors went to:


    Herbert Jörger, of
    Germany, Mohamed El-Sayed Abdel-Rahim and Mary Magdi Yousef, from Egypt,
    Abdelilah Boubchir, Algeria, Volodimir Bondar, from Ukraine, Idriss Bou
    Oudina, of Morrocco, who
    wrote to the French Section, Nina Şevciuk, of Belarus, Dmitri Kotenev and
    Vasili Guliaev, from Russia, Xue Fei, Li Lili, Fan Hongjie, He Xige, all 4 from
    China, Enric Ballester Burcet, José Luis Corcuera and Juan Franco Crespo, all 3
    from Spain, Massimo de Muro, Marco di Leo, Raffaele Ponticelli and Agide
    Melloni, all 4 from Italy, Bernardino Atilio Orellana, of Japan, Raif Chaaban, of Lebanon, Hamad
    Kiani, of Pakistan, Fachri, of Indonesia, Chitturi Vamsi, from India, M. A.
    Waheed, of Oman, Henk Poortvliet, from the Netherlands, Mofizur Rahman, from
    Bangladesh, Hans Verner Lollike, of Denmark, and Syed Ali Akbar, of Pakistan.


    We had 20 3rd prizes
    that were awarded to the following friends of RRI:


    Werner Hoffmann, of
    Germany,Abdelillah Izou, of Morrocco, Olexandr Kozlenko,
    from Ukraine, Paul Jamet, of France, Prigodici Nikolai, of Belarus, Ji Yuan, of China, Miguel Ramón Bauset, from
    Spain, David Iurescia, from Argentina, Cinzia Colo and Stefano Riccardi, both
    from Italy, Jaroslaw Jedrzejczak, from Poland, Obaid Alam
    and Asghar Shah, both from Pakistan, Radhakrishna Pillai N and P.
    Sivashanmugham, both from India, Ashik Eqbal Tokon, of Bangladesh, Keith
    Simmonds, from France, Kamlesh Gautam, Sourodeep Sarkar and Chaitali Sarkar,
    all 3 from India.


    Obaid Alam, of Pakistan, explained
    why he participated in this contest: I am short wave listener, I listen to RRI
    amongst many short-wave radio stations. I have become so much inquisitive about
    Romania after tuning in to RRI. I have a strong desire to visit this great
    country and meet its people. I am convinced that there is so much to see and
    learn in Romania. Whenever I come across a quiz about Romania I immediately
    take part in it irrespective of winning or not.


    Also Keith Simmonds, from France
    explained briefly: I just like competing,
    especially when it gives me an opportunity to explore new ideas, new lands and
    their history and culture. I particularly like to follow Romania on all the
    various media because of the beauty and diversity of its cultural landscape and
    the uniqueness of its people.


    We also had 20 2nd
    prizes that went to the following listeners of RRI:


    Iacob Corneliu George, from Romania, Bezazel Ferhat Ben Rabeh, of Algeria,
    Eugeniusz Krzemieńczucki, who wrote to the Ukrainian Section, Meriem Sabine
    Mrane, from Algeria, who wrote to the French Section, Vladimir Andrianov, a listener of the Russian programs, Alexandr
    Abramov, from Russia, Shan Jinhai, of China, Roberto Álvarez Galloso, of the
    US, and Adervall Lima Gómez, from Brasil (both wrote to the Spanish Section),
    Simona Baj, Gabriele Meregalli and
    Cristina Risso, all 3 from Italy, Jahangir Alam Manto,
    from Bangladesh, Surendra Kumar, Binarani Mondal and S. B. Sharma, all 3 from
    India, Matthew Weitendorf and Weldon Walles, from the US, Christer Brunstrom,
    of Sweden, and Sola James Agboola, from Nigeria, who wrote to the English
    Section.


    Here is
    what Weldon Walles,
    from the US, wrote: I have been a loyal listener for many years. I am a writer
    of crime novels and often listen to RRI while I am writing. The beautiful
    landscape, architecture and culture inspire my writing, i sometimes get lost in
    the worlds I create by wandering through the streets of imaginary cities that
    are influenced by the wonders of Romania. I most often listen to the program
    Romanian without tears and the news. I also enjoy the contests and try to
    participate as often as I can. I hope to visit Romania one day and be further
    inspired in my writing as I believe that experiencing the places that we admire
    gives a whole new appreciation of what inspires us.


    Jahangir
    Alam Manto, of Bangladesh,
    also gave his arguments for participating in this contest: What motivated me
    in deciding to participate in this contest is quite simple, being an ardent
    supporter and regular listener of Radio Romania International over last 26
    years I have developed an affinity for Romania and its people which I hope will
    one day culminate in me personally exploring this historic land and
    experiencing the warm wonderful hospitality of proud Romanians. I specially
    interested in traditional treatment technique. I have listened, read articles
    about Govora spa through RRI, where I have learned that at present spa tourism
    has become a major segment of the international tourist market and Romania has
    about 34 spa resorts. […] RRI is one of my favourite short wave stations, because
    of its commitment to the media. Whereas other stations around the world have
    cut back on broadcasting and facilities, RRI has done the opposite. I
    appreciate this effort and will support the station into the future as long as
    I am alive. Participation in RRI contest is an opportunity to explore the
    Romania.


    Sola
    James Agboola, of Nigeria, wrote: The reasons for which I compete and follow RRI programs on air or online
    is that I trust the organisers. I believe that the competition will be free,
    fair and credible. Above all, I love the rich contents of RRI programs.


    Christer
    Brunstrom, from Sweden, also provided his arguments for participating in the
    contest devoted to Govora:I enjoy taking part in your Contests as they provide a
    lot of information about Romania. I use your home page and the Internet to find
    the answers to your questions. I have been a listener to RRI since the early
    1960s and I find the station to be an excellent source of information about
    your country, its people and Culture. I am also very fond of Romanian Music
    which you frequently include on your programmes.


    From India, Binarani Mondal,
    wrote: During my school-hood I
    have heard the name of Nadia Elena Comăneci, winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976
    Summer Olympics and wondered that she was the first female gymnast who scored a
    perfect 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event, moreover she was a Romanian! In youth
    I have gone through the thriller ofDracula, originated
    from Romania! You may know being an inhabitant of West Bengal (India) I have
    brought up with the communist environment, thus I have some natural curiosity
    about the Romania history of communism. Obviously all these tempt me to follow RRI programs
    on air or online. And to me Radio Romania International is a wide-open window
    to know Romania better. This time just to judge my knowledge about the DACIA
    present-day Romania I have compete the contest!


    Another friend from India, S. B. Sharma, wrote
    the following: RRI is our third eye to see and
    feel Romania, Romania history, arts & cultures, people &
    places and travel destination. RRI is my one and only best
    source to gather information about Romania. one day I want to visit Romania
    that’s why I am collecting much information about great country. So I
    follow RRI broadcasts.


    And from
    the US, Matthew Weitendorf, wrote: As a librarian with an interest in museum
    studies, i make it a point to listen to World of Culture and the History Show.
    Both of these programs offer a wealth of information that is not readily
    available to those of us living in the United States. For similar reasons i
    enjoy listening to broadcasts of Inside Romania. Learning about the Govora Spa
    is its own reward, bu the chance for an opportunity of actually visiting one of
    the places one hears about via Radio Romania International is one that I did
    not want to miss.


    The 10 1st prizes went to the following listeners of RRI and
    Internet users: Romanian-born Alexandru Buşneag, of Germany, Boudoukha
    Mohamed, from Algeria, Volodimir Gudzenko, of Russia, who wrote to the
    Ukrainian Section, Christian Ghibaudo, of France, Alexandr Kuzeminski, from
    Ukraine, who wrote to the Russian Section, Wu Xuan, of China, Julio Mora Sánchez, from
    Cuba, Giovanna Zagni,
    from Italy, Mogire Machuki, of Kenya, and Mitul Kansal, from India.


    Here is what Mitul Kansal, from
    India wrote to us: I have been a regular listener of RRI English service since 2004. RRI is
    the only source for me to learn more and more about the history, culture,
    economy, traditions, nature, politics and peoples’ daily lives activities. Its
    programs are up-to-date, to the point, well-discussed and
    well-analyzed which gives me a true picture of Romania and its point of
    view on various national and international issues. Now why I am taking part in
    this contest because I am nature lover and love the beauties of nature.
    Secondly I have learnt that Hotel Palace in Govara Spa is an ideal hotel
    for conferences, for spa and for visiting the green environment and full
    touristic attractions.


    Another faithful
    listener of RRI, Mogire
    Machuki, from Kenya, explained: This contest like other previous
    contests continue to let me discover the real Romania. In fact am so impressed
    by the cultural and traditional revolutions found in Romania. For one here for
    example in my country Kenya natural healing used to be applied during
    yesteryears but as the situation is now technology has changed everything. This
    contest has opened a new chapter for me to peruse through and get to understand
    that Romania tradition still posses a place in the modern Romania. It has a key
    role to play and I am quite happy that we have this type of natural healing in
    Romania, something I never imagined still exists. I am taking part in this
    contest because I for one love nature, living traditional can contribute to
    healthy bodies free of diseases. In fact through this contest about
    Resorts and Spas has thrilled me. It is a project of its own. Like
    me I never drink bottled water, am used to water from river sources.


    We also had 10 special prizes that went to the following
    listeners and Internet users: Marco Schaa, from Germania,Ben Chohra Ali, of Algeria, Nikolai Larin, from Russia, Ge Shaopeng, from
    China, Alexis Rocas Ramírez, of Venezuela, Hugo Calderón Carbajal, from Mexico,
    Michela Citro, from Italy, Per Allan Olsson, of Sweden, Muhammad Shamim S, from
    India, and Jonathan Murphy from Ireland.


    Muhammad
    Shamim S, from India, wrote the following: In today’s world, tourism does not merely mean a
    vacation, a source of entertainment, or a way of expanding one’s knowledge but
    tourism in the recent years has emerged as one of the most important socio-economic sector of nation. It is now
    recognized as an industry providing substantial support to the economy of a
    country. […]It also
    helps in improvisation of infrastructure, creates more opportunities of
    employment and most importantly provides foreign exchange. Tourism in Valcea
    county plays a vital role in the Romania’s economy, cultural growth and unity.
    Valcea’s great diversity and cultural richness provides ample potential for
    growth in tourism. The rich heritage of art, architecture, pre-historic spots, places of historical importance […] all speak of the infinite possibility of Valcea
    becoming a favourite tourist destination in Romania.


    Per Allan Olsson, from Sweden
    explained his participating as follows: I am, I must admit, shamefully
    healthy, so my reason for competing is not primarily to receive treatment at
    the spa, even though I wouldn’t pass the opportunity to indulge myself in mud
    baths and mineral water therapy, but more to relax in a beautiful and inspiring
    environment, with opportunity to make exploratory trips in the Valcea County,
    which obviously is full of both cultural and culinary treasures for the visitor
    to enjoy. I have more recently picked up an old childhood hobby of mine,
    shortwave listening, so I haven’t followed RRI programs for longer than about a
    month, but the initial impression I have is that RRI programs, and that
    certainly includes the presenters, is characterized by their professionalism
    and friendliness towards the listener, and that is a concept that has had me
    return again and again to the station’s broadcasts as well as to the web site.


    Our old friend from Ireland,
    Jonathan Murphy, also gave arguments for his participation in the contest: I am entering this competition first and
    foremost because I would like to visit Govora Spa and Valcea County! I have
    never been to this part of Romania. The closest I have come isCurtea
    de Argeş andTârgovişte. Afterresearching my answers
    for this competition, I learned that Valcea County offers a perfectly balanced
    holiday within its borders, with nature, history, art and architecture,
    folklore, and even a zoo! […] I follow RRI’s programmes on the radio and online in
    order to understand Romania better: its history, culture, politics and people.
    I have a longstanding interest in Romania and have enjoyed living there in
    2014. […] I am
    indebted to RRI as an
    invaluable source of news, comment and friendship. Many thanks for organising
    competitions such as these and giving your audience a chance to research
    Romania and the dream of visiting!


    Thank you all
    for answering our questions and for telling us what inspired you to take part
    in the quiz. And now the most eagerly awaited moment: the winner of the 7-night
    stay for two, with full accommodation in a double room, with six days of spa
    treatment, two sessions a day, in Govora, Valcea County, is … Beate Hansen,
    of Germany! Congratulations, we are looking forward to seeing you in
    Romania in the second half of June!


    Beate Hansen
    told us why she took part in RRI’s contest: One of the reasons why I take part
    in these contests is that chances to win are high. I don’t have all the
    problems that can be treated in Govora or Mangalia, but any reason for me to
    return to Romania is welcome. I think Romania is experiencing interesting and
    optimistic processes, which I wouldn’t want to miss. But because the German
    mass media do not cover them extensively, the only sources of information I am
    left with are the Internet and RRI. I also access the Internet, but the
    advantage when listening to the radio is that you can do other things as well
    at the same time.


    The awards and
    honourable mentions will be sent by post, so please send us a confirmation
    letter, email or fax, regarding both the receipt and the content of the
    parcels. Once again, thank you for participating in the Govora Spa contest, and
    make sure you don’t miss our broadcasts and our future quizzes!

  • Producer Ada Solomon

    Producer Ada Solomon

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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




  • The 9th Gopo Awards

    The 9th Gopo Awards

    At the 9th Gopo Awards Gala, hosted by the National Theatre in Bucharest, the film “Closer to the Moon”, directed by Nae Caranfil, won 9 awards, among which the coveted best film, best director and best screenplay trophies. The film also won the awards for best editing, best makeup and hairstyle, as well as the awards for sound, photography, music and costumes. A special award was granted to the animation director Ion Truica, introduced by Mihai Mitrica, the artistic director of the Anim’est International Animation Festival.



    Mihai Mitrica: “He is one of the very few masters of Romanian animation, as valuable, though different in style, as Ion Popescu Gopo, whose name was given to this Awards Gala. He is a film director, graphic artist, set designer, screenwriter, broadcast journalist. He worked with the Animafilm cinema studio, where he made more than 50 animation films. He won awards in Venice, Berlin, Tehran, he also went to Cannes in 1976, with a short reel called ‘Hidalgo’. In 2008, this festival granted him the excellence award for lifetime achievement. I found a characterisation made by film critic Mrs. Ecaterina Oproiu, which suits him perfectly, I quote: ‘Ion Truica has brought into animation the authority of a very personal and pervasive graphic art, a line of Gothic sharpness, a hermit’s sober composition. Truica is a moonwalker, an ethereal artist, a master of elegiac meditation.”



    Ion Truica’s most recent film, “The Obelisc”, made in 2014 on a script by Laurentiu Damian and inspired by the poem of the same title by Geo Bogza, was first screened at the Anim’est International Film Festival.



    Ion Truica: “Thank you for coming here to honour Romanian films, all the more so as these films have sometimes been made in very difficult conditions, but with lots of love, by very talented people. It is good that tonight we’ve opened the doors of true animation. This is a path that we must follow, because animation, when well-done, makes both children and adults happy.”



    Some of the highlights of the Gopo Awards Gala involved the winners of the awards for lifetime professional achievements, actresses Eugenia Bosinceanu and Coca Bloos. Actress Dorina Lazar, the one who handed in the award to Coca Bloos, recalled with humour how she had first met Coca Bloos, with whom she had played many times on the same stage.



    Dorina Lazar: “Coca Bloos is one of a family of special actors, because their parts can be played by other actors, but never like they do. That is why you must see “The Lady Bosses”, directed by Sorin Militaru. I congratulate Coca Bloos for this award and I’m convinced it’s just the beginning.”



    Coca Bloos has an impressive artistic record in terms of films. Among other things, Coca Bloos boasts three roles each in productions by Andrei Blaier (Love Divorce, Stone Cross, Terente – King of the Marsh), Mircea Daneliuc (The Conjugal Bed, Fed Up, Ambassadors, Seek Country)) and Lucian Pintilie (Last Stop Paradise, The Afternoon of a Torturer, Niki and Flo) also featuring in the debut productions of such filmmakers as Nae Caranfil (E pericoloso sporgersi, 1993), Cristian Mungiu (Occident, 2002), Titus Munteanu (Exam, 2004), Corneliu Porumboiu ( 12:08 East of Bucharest, 2006) and Gabriel Achim ( Adalbert’ s Dream, 2011). In 2014, Coca Bloos also featured in Razvan Savescu’s “America, Here We Come”, which received a nomination in the Best Debut Film category at this year’s edition of the Gopo Awards.



    Coca Bloos: ”I am a happy and rich person. I thank God for that. Happy, because I’ve done what I’ve liked and what I’ve loved best in life. Not only did I want to know, but I also wanted to do my best and be faithful to what I was assigned to do. I am rich, because in my love for people I’ve also come across people who believed in me and who acted as role models for me, through their efforts. All those encounters are my fortune and I assure you, it is not small at all. I had my first encounter with film, which is at once fascinating, magical, mysterious, unforgiving and cynical, when I was about four. I will never forget such films as “The Fall of Berlin”, “Volga-Volga”, “Jolly Fellows”, “And Quiet Flows the Don”. I’ve loved film, I’ve cherished and worshipped it as something unattainable, being fascinated by its fascination. I’ve never refused it anything, I’ve never asked anything from it, but for what I got, I owe it so much. And for what I am, I thank each and everybody, and my gratitude goes to them all: the camera, as it did not get scared of me, the cameramen, for not being afraid I might spoil their shot, film directors, for needing me, classes of students with whom I’ve often shared their emotion when taking their graduation exams, my family and my patient partner, my audience, thirsting for reverie, and last but not least, my gratitude also goes to those who made possible my encounter with you tonight. “



    Nae Caranfil’s “Closer to the Moon” was the great winner of the Gala, with an impressive record of nine Gopo Awards out of 12 nominations. Here is the director Nae Caranfil himself.



    Nae Caranfil: ”More than ten years ago, I vacillated between two film ideas, I didn’t quite know which one I should choose and I spent an evening with a character to whom I told what I had in mind. The man had encouraged me a lot to make the film I made. Had it not been for him, the film “Closer to the Moon” might not have been made. I am so sorry that man did not get to see the film, and that is why I dedicate this award to him, to the late film critic Alex Leo Serban.“



    The 2015 edition of the Gopo Awards Gala was jointly organized by the Association for the Promotion of the Romanian Film and the Film and Urban Culture Association, with the support of the National Centre of Cinematography, the Bucharest City Hall through Creart — Bucharest’s Creation, Art and Tradition Centre and Babel Communications.