- 7 April 2021
- Etichete Liviu Rebreanu ICR Londra ICR Ciuleandra Gabi Reigh
Bringing new resonances to a timeless Romanian writer and his literary works, RCI London is hosting a series of spectacular events dedicated to the renowned novelist Liviu Rebreanu, 10 days boasting a formidable intellectual energy as vibrant and immersive as the folk dance Ciuleandraitself. The syncretic season occasioned by a new translation into English of Rebreanu’s Ciuleandra is a gateway to the heart of Romanian culture, comprising talks, music, dance, public reading, film and theatre.
The impressively multi-art programme will start on 7 April with a lecture on Liviu Rebreanu’s work, literary topics and legacy given by writer and lecturer Mihai Ene, PhD (University of Craiova), and will continue the following day with the book launch of Ciuleandra’s English translation by Gabi Reigh, published by Cadmus Press. A discussion on the launch and its grand relevance for the international readership will take part between Gabi Reigh and George T. Sipos, PhD, who also signed the introduction. On this occasion, the talented actor Alin Balașcan will be giving a public reading of some excerpts from the book and the outstanding double bass player Michael Crețu will be presenting a new musical composition inspired by Maria Tănase’s Ciuleandra song.
On 11 April, a screening of Ciuleandra (1985), directed by the popular & prolific Romanian director Sergiu Nicolaescu, with English subtitles, will be broadcasted online. The immersion into Rebreanu’s biography and work, with a focus on the formidable Ciuleandra,will include a talk by the ethnochoreologist Cristian Mușa, PhD (Institute of Ethnography and Folklore Constantin Brăiloiu) on the ethnographic and choreographic symbolism of the dance and ritual, on 13 April, and will continue, the following day, with a fascinating virtual tour of Fanny and Liviu Rebreanu’s memorial house in Bucharest presented by the National Museum of Romanian Literature.
Radu Afrim’s “Forest of the Hanged” (Pădurea spânzuraților) theatre perormance, broadcasted on 16 April and available for 48h in UK only, will be the perfect and thrilling end of Rebreanu’s season showcasing the genuine power of a modern text and, ultimately, of a Romanian classic writer.
Many thanks to our partners for their invaluable support: Constantin Brăiloiu Institute of Ethnography and Folklore, National Museum of Romanian Literature, National Centre of Cinematography & National Film Archive and National Theatre Bucharest.
Programme:
7 April: Lecture on Liviu Rebreanu given by Mihai Ene (University of Craiova)
8 April: Book Launch “Ciuleandra” with translators Gabi Reigh and George T. Sipos
Actor Alin Balașcan reads excerpts and double bass player Michael Crețu presents a new piece
11 April: Film Screening “Ciuleandra” (1985) directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu - English subtitles
13 April: Talk by ethnochoreologist Cristian Mușa (Institute of Ethnography and Folklore Constantin Brăiloiu) on the Ciuleandra dance
14 April: Presentation (guided tour) of Rebreanu’s memorial house in Bucharest (National Museum of Romanian Literature)
16 April: Theatre Performance “Forest of the Hanged” (Pădurea spânzuraților) directed by Radu Afrim (National Theatre Bucharest) - English subtitles; available for 48 hours, in UK only.
All events are free and start at 7PM on RCI London’s Facebook page, YouTube channeland website.
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Liviu Rebreanu (27 November, 1885 - 1 September, 1944) was a renowned Romanian novelist, representative of critical realism. Born in Northern Transylvania, then part of Austria-Hungary, he eventually moved to Romania at the end of the 1900s.
His first published work, in 1912, is a collection of novellas gathered under the title Frământări (Troublings). During World War I, Rebreanu was a reporter for the newspaper Adevărul and published several short stories.
He gained wide recognition with the books Ciuleandra (1927), Răscoala (The Uprising, 1922) and Pădurea spânzuraților (The Forest of the Hanged, 1922) - inspired by the tragic fate of his brother Emil, sentenced to death for desertion from the Austro-Hungarian army.
The novel Ion, published in 1920, is the first modern Romanian novel and depicts the struggles over land ownership in rural Transylvania. For it, Rebreanu received the prestigious Romanian Academy Award.
Between 1928 and 1930, he was chairman of the National Theatre of Bucharest, and from 1925 to 1932 he was President of the Romanian Writers' Society.
His works have had a major influence on the Romanian culture. They are studied in school, have been the focus of ample reviews by important critics and have inspired film and theatre directors. Directed by legendary Liviu Ciulei, The Forest of the Hanged (1964) received the director award at Cannes; other notable adaptations include: The Uprising (1966, the Opera Prima award, Cannes), Ion/The Curse of Land, the Curse of Love (1979), both directed by Mircea Mureşan, and Ciuleandra (1984, directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu).
The play directed by Radu Afrim inspired by Rebreanu's Forest of the Hanged which premiered in December 2018 at the National Theatre in Bucharest is one of the most remarkable cultural events of the recent years.
