Romania - France | 2002 | 110min | dir. Nae Caranfil | cast: Mircea Diaconu, Gheorghe Dinica, Mara Nicolescu, Florin Zamfirescu, Marius Florea Vizante, Florin Calinescu | Cert. 15 In Romanian, with English subtitles.
Ovidiu (Mircea Diaconu) is a teacher and struggling writer who still resides with his parents. He falls in love with Diana (Viorica Voda), the sister of one of his students. In order to impress her he agrees to a scam thought up by the roguish Pepe (Gheorghe Dinica). The scam involves Ovidiu pretending to be married to Miruna (Mara Nicolescu).
The screenplay was published by LiterNet and it can be downloaded here (in Romanian).
Nae Caranfil's comedy won the Young European Jury Award, Mons International Festival of Love Films 2002; Public Prize, Paris Film Festival 2002; Special Jury Award, Wiesbaden goEast 2002; Audience Award, Würzburg International Filmweekend 2003.
Caranfil is a rara avis of Romanian cinema: a screenwriter and director who tells serious stories (Filantropica is probably the best and undoubtedly the sadest of his movies), pleasing audience's entertainment needs at the same time. Andrei Gorzo
Nae Caranfil is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. He made his feature film debut with E Pericoloso Sporgersi (1993) and continued with road movie comedy Asfalt tango (1996) (starring Charlotte Rampling) and with Dolce far niente (1998). Filantropica (2002) was a critical success and attracted lots of popularity for Caranfil. Some consider Nae Caranfil to be the best Romanian director of the 1990s.
Philantrophy is part of the Romanian Cinematheque, a year-round programme that brings the best Romanian films to London. Click here for May - July 2010 programme (Word file).
Partners: the National Centre for Cinematography in Romania (CNC)
When: 27 May, 7pm; Where: Romanian Cultural Institute London. Free entrance. To attend please email office@icr-london.co.uk or call 0207 752 0134. Early booking recommended.
