- 15 January 2016 - 15 January 2016
- Etichete Cultural Romania Film Literature
As the year is about to begin in earnest, we celebrate Romania's Culture Day from noon to dusk with a series of events which exult the richness of traditions that make up the Romanian soul through poetry, film and music. Featuring Cristina Catalina, Levente Molnár, Dragoş Teglaş and Anda Teglaş.
Decipher an Enescu score at our piano in the Institute's music chamber; spend the afternoon in the cosy setting of our library, browsing the rich collection of art books or attempt an initiation into the grammar of the modern language which is closest to Latin.
As the sun sets, join us for the live streaming of 'At the Gates of the Sky', a bonanza of traditional gems orchestrated by the beloved folk bard, Grigore Leșe, and then experience the multilingual richness of Romania's poetic tradition with actors Cristina Catalina and Levente Molnár, reading exultant verses in Romanian, German and Hungarian.
At the evening's apex, meet the Romanians whose talents and enthusiasm make Britain a vibrant, inclusive society through the UK premiere screening of '13 Shades of Romanian', followed by a Q&A with the creative team behind it. And, before the curtain falls, sip a glass of Romanian wine in the Institute's gallery, surrounded by the memorable portraits of photographer Ion Paciu, included in our 'Romanians in Britain: The Poses of Ascent' exhibition.
Programme:
1pm/ Study and play: a discovery of Romanian culture
5pm/ Live streaming from the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest: 'At the Gates of the Sky', featuring Grigore Leşe
7pm/ Poetry readings with actors Cristina Catalina and Levente Molnár: a selection of poems by Mihai Eminescu, Ady Endre and Nikolaus Lenau
7:30pm/ Film screening: '13 Shades of Romanian' + Q&A with Senior Editor Dragoş Teglaş and Creative Director Anda Teglaş
8:30pm/ Wine reception
'At the Gates of the Sky', a project meant to reveal the bounty of past treasures, is a production that comprises music and poetry, bringing together some of Romania's most beloved musicians that have kept our spectacular folk tradition alive: Grigore Leşe, Zamfira Mureşan, Mihai Moldovan, a group of Aromanians from Cogealac, Constanţa county, folk musicians from Southern Oltenia, and a vocal-instrumental group from Maramureş, Northern Romania. The musical interventions will be interspersed with lyrical passages, with actor Ion Grosu reading a selection of poems by Romania's most famous and influential poet - Mihai Eminescu.
'13 Shades of Romanian' is a 3-episode documentary film that presents the stories of 13 Romanians living in Britain. The narrative, constructed through their eyes and brought to the audience by a handful of Romanian filmmakers living in London, as well as Richard Green, British travel journalist (who worked on the travel desk of the Sunday Times for 15 years and now freelances for several national titles) reveals the way Romanians live, work and integrate within the British culture. '13 Shades of Romanian' aims to construct a genuine, fresh and holistic view of Romanians in Britain, leaving aside all preconceived stereotyping stems.
Cristina Catalina is a Romanian-born actor and producer living in Britain who regularly works with devising ensembles and theatre-makers to research and develop new work, often new writing, devised, site-specific, locally responsive, outdoor and movement-based. Among the films she has worked on are: 'Chasing Robert Barker' (2015), 'Frankenstein's Army' (2013), 'Treacle Jr.' (2010), 'Eastern Promises' (2007), 'The Magic Flute' (2006) and 'The Fox Has Always Been the Hunter' (1992).
Levente Molnár divides his time between Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and London (UK). Known for his work on 'Son of Saul' (2015) - the winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2015 and the Golden Globe for best foreign-language film 2016, 'Chuck Norris vs Communism' (2015), 'Morgen' (2010) and 'Tetemre hívás' (2002), among other cinematic and theatre projects, he has been a member of the Hungarian Theatre of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) since 2002. He is a Jury member of the 'Comedy Cluj' IFF 2015: Short Films and a member of the Hungarian Filmmakers Association from Transylvania.
With an over-arching experience of over 8 years in TV, advertising and feature film, Dragoş Teglaş worked on countless memorable productions in the UK and across Europe. He's been passionate about films from a very early age and his journey took him from the local TV studios in Braşov to the national TV in Bucharest, Romania and eventually here in London, where at the end of 2013 he co-founded a film production company called This Is Insomnia.
After having spent over 8 years producing award-winning TV, online advertising and short films, Anda Teglaş joined This Is Insomnia as Co-Founder and Creative Director where she oversees every creative aspect of the development, production and post-production stages of the films produced in-house. She's had her first TV appearance back in Miercurea-Ciuc, Romania, at the age of 7, by hosting a weekly 10-minute show.
When: Friday, 15 January, 1-9pm Where: The Romanian Cultural Institute, 1 Belgrave Square, London SW1X8PH
Admission is free, but places are limited. Please reserve your seat on Eventbrite.
