More than 50 films and counting
That’s 24 awards including
Cannes Film Festival, Dok Leipzig and Locarno.
Meet our young bright things and their work
I just wanted to tell you what an incredible thing I think you’re doing. I don’t know how you came up with the idea, but it feels so unique particularly in view of everything else that’s happening in our documentary world.
Of all the events that have become so popular over the last couple of years, the insanity of pitching forums and fund raising seminars, and script development doctors and who knows what else, the heart of what we’re doing feels lost. I kept hearing about re-versioning and pre-sales, and being in that scene can really make one forget why you had a need to make documentaries in the first place. It feels like no one is really caring about the actual creative and emotional process of giving birth to a film, of creating and developing filmmakers.
Your workshop felt like an oasis to me, a safe place to do dangerous things, to take risks and try out ideas, to face failure and learn from it.
Ionas Dreams of Rain (2016)
Ileana Szasz (RO) – DOP
Maria Bălănean (RO) – Editor
In the middle of the night, Ionas, an old Romanian peasant, watches for the wild boars that could ravage his cornfield. He dreams of his father and believes that this dream will bring rain. But usually wild boars come with the rain… A short that takes us somewhere else, placing ourselves between the natural and the supernatural, sleep and death, the long time of the present and the snatches of the past.
Rebel, Rebel (2015)
Producer: Ilinca Micu
“REBEL, REBEL” offers fragmentary glimpses of the fascinating universe of two highly authentic teenage girls who prefer spending their time with boys and being separated from their parents. Delia and Silvia stand out from other kids their age.
Brick in the Wall (2013)
Director of photography: Ioana Țurcan
Editor: Iulia Matei
“Brick in the Wall” is a story about a family who’ve been trying to finish building their house for the past 30 years. The woman struggles to lead a normal life in the shadow of an uncompleted dream, while her husband very slowly continues a never ending construction. Why does it need to take a lifetime to build a home?
The Bed is Broken (2012)
Ana Vijdea (RO) – DOP
Dan Stefan Parlog (RO) – Editor
Two Romanian boys roam around an abandoned building, looking for metal to sell to the scrap dealer.
Quest (2010)
Director of photography: Adrianna Dunin
Editor: Bogdan Palici, Ionuț Pițurescu
Two nomad coopers, with a carriage for a house and a horse for a friend, fare from one village another, merrily striving to make ends meet. No cumbersome belongings, not even a watch, but they still have the time. Misplaced and disregarded, with skills hardly needed anymore, they keep on looking for means and meanings, or the lack of them. In this marginal existence, that would make Zola exalt, there are touching reminiscences of a long forgotten time. What time is it, what time?
Mohamed Tomescu (2014)
Director of photography: Norbert Fodor
Editor: Răzvan Ilinca
Passionate about hip-hop and raised by his grandmother in Vama village, in Suceava county, Mohamed Tomescu wants to change his name and get rid of its Syrian association, but he cannot face his father in this matter. His already cold relationship with his father is transformed into a weaker one as a result of this desire. With a cinema vérité approach, the camera makes its presence felt and the music plays an important part in the hip-hop improvisation scenes.
Japanese Quince Three (2011)
Director of photography: Radu Gorgos
Editor: Paula Oneț
Production Coordinator: Biljana Dolevska
At a certain age, is hard enough to remember what you did yesterday. At 90 it really doesn’t matter.You keep on going with either reluctance, or abandon. What seems important, are the little things at hand, a flower, a cat, a crystal glass, a tree, and scattered glimpses into the remembered past that always tend to help. A bitter-sweet look into the freshness of the fleeing moments embodied in our present perfect continuous life. No matter the age.
Summer with Mosquitoes (2010)
Director of photography: Marius Apopei
Editor: Tomas Potocny
Production Coordinator: Julianna Borzsei
Smell of flowers, sounds of carriages and caress of the wind. Few elements of a film that presents the story of a little girl. She has to leave her home village because there is no proper education for her. She leaves the innocent childhood behind herself and faces the cruel reality of being alone. The documentary made by an international team describes the everyday life of an old village and a small girl’s way of becoming adult.
Bar de zi and other stories (2007)
Director of photography: Dragan S Nikolic
Editor: Bogdana Pascal
Production Coordinator: Ruxandra Butica
Regular people living in a regular neighborhood. Through a series of portraits, the film traces the daily history of the Downhill City of Sibiu. Without spectacular plots and without romantic-like subjects, just samples of regular life.
Thriving or failing people, who live with or without regrets…
A puzzle that shapes us a specific world.
Don't Get Me Wrong (2006)
Director of photography: Sorin Gociu
Editor: Ligia Smarandache
They are not exactly friends, just bound to live together. Ocsy sweeps the church steps every day, always in a suit and tie, and has a chat with an extremely obedient God. Alex has a genuine passion for science, an adequate diet and a breakthrough invention on the way. They often argue, but their aim is one: to help mankind. Abel feeds everyone and, if need be, changes their diapers. Ignat moves stones from left to right, then from right to left.
The Aristoteles Workshop Documentaries
In the AW world: jury members, supporters and friends
Martin Blaney (Moving Pictures) * Michal Bregant (FAMU) * Treasa O’Brien (Open City London Documentary Festival) * Emmanuel Chicon (Visions du Réel) * Andrea D’Addio * Ibolya Fekete (The University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest) * Nicolas Feodoroff (Marseille Festival of Documentary Film) * Elisabeth Hulten (Arte France) * Miroslav Janek (FAMU) * Emilie de Jong (ARTE France) * Marie-Pierre Macia (Quinzaine de Realisateurs, Festival de Cannes) * André de Margerie (ARTE France) * Kumjana Novakova (Sarajevo Film Festival) * Daniel Psenny (Le Monde) * Martin Rabarts (Binger Filmlab) * Véronique Rabuteau (ARTE France) * Jean-François Pellier (ARTE France) * Miquel Ribeiro (Doclisboa International Film Festival) * Nick Roddick (Split Screen) * Jean Rozat (Arte France) * Leo Soesanto (Semaine de la Critique, Festival de Cannes; Les Inrock) * Thanos Stavropoulos (Thessaloniki International Film Festival) * Wessel Vanderhammen (IDFA International Film Festival) * Eva Vezer (Filmunio Budapest) * Agnès Wildenstein (Locarno International Film Festival) * Tom Wilson (ELLE & BBC) * Annemiek van der Zanden (The Netherlands Film Academy)
Iulia Blaga (hotnews.ro & Suplimentul de cultură) * Sorin Botoșeneanu (UNATC) * Adina Brădeanu (Oxford University) * Grig Bute (Caţavencii) * Alexandra Buzaș (Mediafax) * Nutu Carmazan * Manuela Cernat (UNATC) * Andrei Cretulescu * Dan Curean (Babes Bolyai University) * Laurențiu Damian (UCIN) * Sebastian Eduard (Jurnalul Naţional) * Mihai Fulger (Cinemateca Româna) * Tudor Giurgiu (Transilvania International Film Festival TIFF) * Roxana Grămadă (Realitatea TV) * Stere Gulea * Csilla Kato (Astra Film) * Gabriela Lupu (România Liberă) * Lucian Maier (Liternet.ro) * Vintila Mihailescu * Valentina Miu (MediaDesk România) * Titus Muntean * Irina Margareta Nistor * Mihai Orasanu * Răzvan Penescu (liternet.ro) * Carmen Popeneciu (iStyle) * Cristi Puiu * Razvan Radulescu (Karlsruhe School of Arts) * Horia Romanescu * Andrei Rus * Gloria Sauciuc (Cinemagia.ro) * Ligia Smarandache (Babes Bolyai University) * Alex Leo Serban * Oana Suciu (ICR) * Cristian Tabără (TVR)