UK premiere screening of the latest documentary by Romanian director Alexandru Solomon. The event is part of A Conversation in Europe at the London International Documentary Film Festival with the Barbican.
Click here to see the full programme.
Alexandru Solomon is Romania's leading documentary filmmaker, winner of the Prize of the History Film Festival, Pessac, France; Grand Prix Mediawave Hungary; the Prize for Social Values at Documenta Madrid, and the Prize for the Best Director at the Hungarian-Romanian Doc Festival. Previous UK screenings of Solomon's work include The Great Communist Bank Robbery at the BBC Channel and the Voyages Festival at Cine lumiere, and recently the Dog's Life at the Eat Our Shorts Festival at the BFI London.
Cold Waves (Razboi pe calea undelor) is the unique story of a part of Europe where nothing could travel freely... except subversive radio waves. That was Radio Free Europe and it changed the minds and lives of several generations.
I grew up with it - says director Alexandru Solomon. Every evening, in an underground atmosphere, my father listened to Radio Free Europe as anyone else did. While Ceausescu's propaganda had less and less to do with reality, Free Europe's Romanian section provided - apart from news - some hope. In thousands of houses and blocks across the country, millions performed this daily ritual. And, the next day, the words of Free Europe were on everybody's lips.
While the Romanian population was lead by fear, the Romanian leaders were themselves afraid of Radio Free Europe. Dictator Ceausescu employed Carlos the Jackal, an international terrorist. They placed bombs at RFE's Munich headquarters, editors were attacked in Germany and France, three of the directors died after being X-rayed.
Cold Waves (Razboi pe calea undelor) uncovers this unknown episode of the final stages of the Cold War. It also brings together characters that have never met before: the listeners, RFE's personnel, the regime and its killers. Cold Waves adds pictures where one only heard voices.
Followed by Q&A with director Alexandru Solomon, journalist Nestor Ratesh from Radio Free Europe and film critic Adina Bradeanu.
The Cold Waves screening and the director's & speakers' participation in the Festival are supported by the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.
When: Wednesday 2 April, 6.30pm
Where: Barbican Centre Screen 2, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Tickets: £8.50 full price / £6.00 members & concessions ; Box office: 020 7638 8891
