Final Day: Screening of "Weekend with My Mother"

The Festival is now officially over, but it ended with a bang not with a whimper! The screening of the last film, "Weekend with My Mother" (Weekend cu Mama) was completely sold out. The latest Stere Gulea feature was a story about addiction, abandoned children and complex mother-daughter relationships.

The plot followed the main character, Luiza, played by Medeea Marinescu, who is returning from Spain to reconcile with her long-lost daughter (Adela Popescu). Luiza finds that her daughter, Cristina, had become a drug addict who had abandoned her own two-year old daughter. Determined to mend her relationship, Luiza convinces Cristina to come with her to Spain and to retrieve her daughter from the foster home. However, the plan goes wrong when Cristina's boyfriend, villain Johnny (Andi Vasluianu), kidnaps the little girl. Cristina goes looking for her daughter but, in a final shocker, is found dead by her mother.

The Q&A at the end of the film was attended by the director, Stere Gulea, actor Andi Vasluianu and screenwriter Vera Ion. Many questions centred around the unexpected ending, which intrigued or shocked the audience. Mr Gulea also talked about his process of researching for the film, and the influence he had from Trainspotting. He also referred to his future projects, including a comedy about Communist nostalgia.

The Festival concluded with a wine reception offered by the Ratiu Foundation, where participants could discuss the films that were seen throughout the Festival and solidify the friendships that grew along its rich four days.

Third Day (III): Screening of "Elevator"

The last film screened on the Third Day, "Elevator" (2008) has earned a number of awards and accolades, including the Fresh Generation Award 2008 at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Best Romanian Debut at the Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF), Best Editing at the Romanian Filmmakers Awards (2009). Reputed Romanian critic Tudor Caranfil called this film "the event of the year in Romanian cinema".

There are many aspects that make Elevator a film worth watching: the great editing and directing skills of self-made director, George Dorobantu (who is a boat captain), the excellent quality of a film that was shot in a theatre cargo elevator on an amazing budget of only 200 euro, as well as the impressive acting skills of two teenagers selected directly from high school. Above all, it's the sheer emotions engendered by the story of two young people who, looking to escape the ordinariness of their city life, seek a romantic moment in the cargo elevator of an abandoned factory. Instead of a hot romance, they find themselves trapped in the elevator facing their own death by thirst and starvation. The film carefully chronicles their gradual demise, beginning with their conversations about a non-existent future and ending with visceral shots of their physical agony.

Given the brutality of the situation, the film's audience can only be grateful that the director did not choose to become overly naturalistic in its shots. Instead, his filming becomes increasingly stylised as the drama draws to a predictable close. The heightening desperation acquires a poetic quality as the screams become drowned in a beautiful and haunting soundtrack by Ada Milea. The physical suffering is compensated by increasing moments of tenderness between the two condemned teenagers. Perhaps the most original and intriguing touch comes at the end, when the film does not conclude, as we might expect, with the death scenes, but with a cute and upbeat conversation between the two, which is carried out in a surreal dimension of shared delirium. The ending is in an understated way a testimony of love trumping death as the two doomed youth become a postmodernist version of Romeo and Juliet.

One more thing: the film's premise becomes much more powerful by the fact that it is inspired from real events that happened in London, where two unidentified teenagers were found dead after three months in an abandoned elevator.

Third Day (II): The UK premiere of "Morometii"

The highlight of the third day of the Film Festival was undoubtedly the British premiere of "Morometii", the classical 1988 movie of Stere Gulea. Whether to see it again or to see it the first time, the audience gathered in large numbers in the screening room. "Morometii", as most people know, is based on the 1st book by novelist Marin Preda, and deals with the village world of the late 1930s. The protagonist, Ilie Moromete, battles with daily chores, rebellious children, a difficult household and taxes. Eventually, as his ungrateful sons flee with the family's horses and sheep, Moromete finds himself at the end of his straw. The presentation of this first UK screening was impeccable, except perhaps for the less felicitous translation, that often did not do justice to Preda's genius writing and the excellent script.

The film was followed by a short Q&A with Mr Stere Gulea, the director of the movie, and Mr. Victor Rebengiuc, the chief protagonist. They conveyed how the Communist propaganda of the so-called "archetypal Romanian peasant" distorted the film's message. The village of Ilie Moromete is now a lost world, but his struggles to cope with a difficult family and to make ends meet remain forever actual. Mr Gulea recalled how the Communists did not like the realism of the story, and the fact that Moromete was a real human being, rather than a stereotypical peasant. Mr Rebengiuc added that the Communists also resented the fact that the film (just as the book) showed peasants as better off than during their Communist period. In the 1930s, life was hard, but at least peasants felt free and were able to express what they believed; moreover, they had tracts of land that were later taken away from them by the forced collectivisation of the 1950s.

Third Day (I): Romanian Shorts Programme

The third day debuted with the presentation of four short films. The first one, "Tiger Danny" (Danut Pleaca pe Vapor) deals with the departure of a young man, Danut, to work on a cruise ship for a year. Hardly had they dropped Danut to the airport that his girlfriend, best friend and brother have 'gotten on with their life'. To their shock, Danut had missed his plane and has just returned from the airport.

The second feature, "Yellow Smiley Face" (Fata Galbena care Rade) is a funny short about an ageing couple whose son had left to the US. Now their son is trying to contact them through instant messenger. However, the two are computer illiterate and try to figure out how to use it by following a list of instructions.

The third film, "Alexandra" deals with a divorced couple who are trying to raise their little girl. The father, Tavi, has the right to visit his daughter on Saturdays only. He is paranoid that Alexandra might forget who her real father is and that his ex-wife might try to turn her against him.

The last film, "Water" (Apa) is the adaptation of a short story by D.R. Popescu. The plot is set during the Second World War in Northern Romania. Three Romanian soldiers are stuck in a trench in awful heat and no water to drink. They are at a stand off with the enemy Russians, who are in an opposite trench. Ironically, in between them stands a water fountain which none of the sides can access. Eventually, an unlikely relationship develops as both sides make a truce to obtain the much needed water.

End of Second Day: Exchange (Schimb Valutar) Review

The Second Day of the Film Festival has now passed. It was a day full of events, including the Working Lunch with Romanian actors and directors, the films "Hooked", "The Other Irene" and "Exchange", the documentary "Constantin and Elena" and the short "Waves".

This post takes a closer look at "Exchange" (Schimb Valutar), a film by established director Nicolae Margineanu. "Exchange" takes place in Romania's troubled 1990s. Its plot is centred around Emil, an unemployed worker that wishes to emigrate with his family to Australia. Emil's life takes a dramatic turn when, as he tries to exchange his family's fortune for a dollar equivalent, he decides to shun the official exchange houses to approach a dealer on the street. The deal proves disastrous as the man cons him and leaves him absolutely penniless. Ashamed of his situation, Emil cannot bring himself to tell his family the truth and instead wanders the streets homeless, despondent and revengeful. When eventually he discovers his conman, the anger and fury reach a break point, and Emil kills the him. As the situation spirals deeper and deeper, Emil finds himself imitating more and more of the scammer's lifestyle. Eventually, hunted by police, he discovers the means of escaping to his dreamland of Australia. Yet, by the time he boards the plane, it is no longer clear if Emil or the scammer's ghost are the ones embarking.

The film reads as an objective chronicle of the breakdown of a man's personality. Emil's persona quickly disintegrates in the absence of true remorse and self-questioning. In the very end, we realise that the exchange is not really about the ill-fated street deal, but about the internal process whereby Emil exchanges his self for the scammer's. The ambiguous ending - commented in the Q&A session afterwards - was apparently shot two months after the actual film. It serves to emphasise the extent of Emil's depersonalisation and loss of identity.

Second Day: Working Lunch with Actors and Directors

The Second Day of the Festival started with a Working Lunch hosted by the Ratiu Family Foundation at its headquarters in 18 Fitzhardinge Street.

The well-attended event featured a short Q&A with actor Victor Rebengiuc, actor and director Horatiu Malaele, director Stere Gulea, actor Andi Vasluianu and documentary director Andrei Dascalescu.

Mr Stere Gulea, director of classic film "Morometii" and new feature "Weekend with My Mother" spoke about the two generations of Romanian directors - the older one and the so-called New Wave. He talked about the challenge of his older generation, which can no longer make films as it was done twenty years ago, but cannot 'copy' the young generation of directors today. His answer to this paradox is the highly acclaimed Weekend with My Mother, which will be shown in the last day of the festival.

Mr Victor Rebengiuc entertained the eager audience with memories of the making of "Morometii", where he played the title role. He remembered the risk director Gulea took by casting him as a peasant, since he was, as he put it, a city "asphalt boy". The shooting of the film lasted for three months and a half, during which the actors became a part of the village community. Today, in the village the film was shot a street has been renamed "Morometii".

Mr Vasluianu talked about the two films he is acting in today, "The Other Irene" and "Exchange". He described the differences between the two, as the first is the drama of a couple falling out, while the other is about getting by and making money fast.

Mr Dascalescu discussed his experience about shooting a documentary. He confessed that he embarked on making the film because of the characters, and that the film grew out naturally of the fascinating real life behaviour of the two "actors" (which are in fact Dascalescu's grandparents). He made the film on his own money and only later on found some co-financing from a Spanish producer that was fascinating with the piece.

Mr Horatiu Malaele briefly referred to his future project, a film called "Happy Funeral" for which he has the script ready. Unfortunately, financing is missing at this time. He also talked about the big difference between acting and directing, with the latter involving responsibility towards tens of people.

The fascinating discussion concluded with a brief analysis of the current financing issues of Romanian cinema and Romanian directors. Mr Gulea explained that the only real source of financing now is the National Cinematographic Centre (CNC), which makes awards. There may be some opportunities of EU financing in the future, some participants opined, but this is not a reality right now.

The First Day: Horatiu Malaele's Moving Feature, Silent Wedding

The 6th edition debuted with the main feature film, Silent Wedding (Nunta Muta), directed by Horatiu Malaele. The film was introduced by veteran director Jack Gold, one of the members of the British Realist film tradition.

Prior to the feature film, the Ratiu Foundation presented the absolute premiere of ‘Legacy’, a short documentary film charting the activity of the Ratiu Foundation. This film was directed by Laurentiu Garofeanu, and scripted by author Mike Phillips.

Next, the audience was mesmerised by the feature presentation of Silent Wedding. We all laughed and cried at this deeply moving tragicomedy that combines fantastic, realist and dreamy elements in a powerful melange. Silent Wedding has been inspired by real events in the North of Romania during the Stalinist period. The film chronicles the story of a village inadvertently and tragically caught in the midst of history. Despite the villagers' attempt to continue their life as they know it, the result is predictable when their way of life comes into conflict with the Russian occupying forces. Theirs is a heroism without heroes - people that instinctively want to preserve meaning in front of a juggernaut they fail to understand.


Following the presentation of the film, the audience had the opportunity to ask questions to the director, Horatiu Malaele, and legendary actor Victor Rebengiuc. We learned that this was Malaele's first feature film (he is well known in Romania as an exceptional theatre actor). He shared some of his experiences making the movie, including how he blended a real story with memories of his childhood to produce Silent Wedding. When asked what motivated him to do the film, he humbly replied that he felt that there was a story to be told, and no other director had the courage to approach it.


Malaele shared some of his witty insights with the audience. He remarkably suggested that "Romanians are a tragic people with plenty of humour". He felt that his feature came in the absurd tradition that Romania is known for (with Ionesco, Cioran and the Dadaist movement being some of the country's best exports). Malaele also shared some of his experience making the film; remarkably, the film ran into budget problems that resulted in the actors - a true who's who of Romanian finest actors - accepting half pay and doing it for the sake of the film alone. A good example of this type of commitment was Victor Rebengiuc, who plays a minor, albeit pivotal, role in the film.

Malaele confessed that his film encountered a lot of criticism in Romania. Today, Romanian cinema is known for its gritty realism and minimalist approach (the so-called Romanian New Wave), and this movie is a slight step away from that. Yet there is room for a lot of genres in the expanding Romanian cinema, and, as Malaele pointed out, dreams are an important side of our culture. Creating, as Malaele plastically puts it, "white doves with a digestive tract" is a challenge and an art.

For more pictures of the event (including the reception afterwards at the Ratiu Foundation, please go to the Gallery section at the Romanian Cultural Centre.

New Mention of RFF in LondonTown

Here is a new mention of the Film Festival:

London Town

It all starts today!

The beginning of the Romanian Film Festival "All Change!" is here!

ALL CHANGE! has by all accounts the marks of a truly fabulous event, and we are not saying this just to blow our own trumpet. You can judge by yourself: we have an array of special guests from Romania who will attend the screenings and Q&A sessions, we have some of the newest and best Romanian productions, some of the films are presented for the first time in London, and the best and most dedicated audience.

Of course, the Opening Night of ALL CHANGE! is this Friday, 1 May 2009, starting at 18.20. Respected veteran film director Jack Gold, one of the members of the so-called British Realist film tradition, will welcome the Romanian guests and the audience in the Curzon Mayfair’s great projection room.

After this, you will see the absolute premiere of ‘Legacy’, a short documentary film charting the activity of the Ratiu Foundation through interviews with people ranging from the Foundation’s Trustees to internationally acclaimed personalities. This film was directed by Laurentiu Garofeanu, and was produced by ProFusion International Creative Consultancy, scripted by author Mike Phillips. The film will be available later on to the general public within our planned public library.

The Opening Film is the London premiere of Horatiu Malaele directorial debut in film, the stunning ‘Silent Wedding’. The projection will be followed by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see actor and director Horatiu Malaele and acting legend Victor Rebengiuc in a Q&A session hosted by Ramona Mitrica, Director of the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre.

We are planning to receive Horatiu in London with a spot of live wedding music before the screening – all this inspired by the film, but also by the Romanian expression “a primi cu surle si trambite” (literally, to welcome someone with the music of horns and trumpets). We hope you’ll enjoy this little extra surprise.

The winners of the three pairs of tickets of the Opening Night screening are: Emma Gibson, Kathryn Cassidy, Beatrice Boussard. The winners have been selected through a raffle from all the correct answers to the question in our first Festival competition.