Apocalypse on Wheels (2008)
Director: Alexandru Solomon
Running: 52 min.

screening co-presented by

The streets of Bucharest are busy with fast cars and no driver seems to follow any rules – the result is complete chaos. Director Solomon explores how the streets and the traffic in them could be seen as a metaphor for contemporary Romanian society.

2009 – Transylvania International Film Festival 2009 – Sofia International Film Festival
2010 – Wiesbaden Festival of Central and Eastern European Film

Those who missed Alexandru Solomon’s film at our festival, take notice: Alexandru Solomon’s documentary Cold Waves is being released on DVD courtesy of Paul Thiltges Distributions.

A disc worthwile getting simply for its added extras (for those who have seen it already), it is being released as the extended cut of the documentary.

The documentary is presented in 3 episodes of 52 minutes, subtitled in 8 languagesbonus material that wasn’t yet included or shown (another 40-50 minutes of deleted scenes with additional people, etc.), as well as a photo gallery. (English, German, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Czech, Polish, Romanian), and is complemented by a lot of

To purchase the DVD from the e-shop of Paul Thiltges Distributions
follow this link:

http://www.ptd.lu/dvd_coldwaves.htm

Courtesy of EYE Weekly, the festival’s official media sponsor, you can enter to win festival passes.

To do so, click below and fill out the form:

http://www.eyeweekly.com/static/51396

Good Luck !

As the festival is drawing nearer, ToRo announces the line-up of special guests for its upcoming “romaniancinemaNOW: the 2nd Annual Toronto-Romanian Film Festival“.

We must first make the unfortunate announcement that Igor Cobileanski will not be able to attend because of a scheduling conflict that has just very recently arisen.

ToRo is honoured to officially confirm the following guests of honour:

- Alexandru Solomon, director of Cold Waves will be present at the screening for a Q & A session with the public

- Maria Dinulescu (California Dreamin’), award-winning actress will be present at the festival’s closing-night screening of Hooked, to conduct a Q & A session

- Catalin Musat, director of The Flying Shepherd, part of our Doc.Day shorts programme, will also be present to discuss his award-winning film.

This year, ToRo is once again privileged to have as presenters our returning festival-friends, York University professor Tereza Barta and Western University professor Calin Mihailescu.

Cold Waves / Razboi pe Calea Undelor (2007)

Director: Alexandru Solomon
Screenwriter: Alexandru Solomon
Running time: 90 min.

screening co-presented by

How does fear and corruption bend down an entire society?
How easy does one give up his freedom?
Is there a way to avoid being an instrument of propaganda?
It might not seem a subversive act, but radio listening in Ceausescu’s Romania was a risky undertaking. Founded Radio Free Europe broadcast its music and pro-democracy propaganda across the Iron Curtain. As millions of listeners tuned in Ceausescu’s strong men worked to bring about its demise. Employing Carlos the Jackal to help bring about RFE’s demise, Ceausecu’s secret war included bombs and radiation attacks.
Romanian director Alexandru Solomon, who grew up listening to the station, uses a combination of wide-ranging interviews, archive and evocative re-enactment to relate the often unbelievable dramas taking place off-air. He explores the paralysing atmosphere of fear in 1980s Romania, and the failure of society to act collectively against the Ceausecu dictatorship. Meanwhile, the RFE editors didn’t always fight clean themselves…A chilling insight into the final chapter of the Cold War.
This is the unique story of a love and hate triangle built around something one cannot see, touch or weigh: radio waves.

Awards / Festivals
- Official Selection (Astra Film Festival Sibiu) 2007
- Official Selection (IDFA Amsterdam) 2007
- Official Selection (DOK Leipzig Film Festival) 2007
- Official Selection (Alpe Adria, Trieste) 2008
- Official Selection (Visions du Reel, Switzerland) 2008

** Q & A session with director Alexandru Solomon to follow screening.

“The Unveiling of Contemporary Romanian Cinema”

Inspired by the primacy of things present and organized by the ToRo Arts Group with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute, romaniancinemaNOW: The 2nd Annual Toronto-Romanian Film Festival will be running from February 13th to the 15th (2009) and will emphasize the extent to which “things peripheral,” often manifesting themselves on the borders of the mainstream and the commercial, continue to inspire a less-ironic, less-tragic and less-miserable understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the everyday.

Screenings will be held at:

Innis Town Hall – 2 Sussex Ave
*click for map

Bloor Cinema – 526 Bloor St.  (West)
*click for map

*click on each day for full program & film info
Friday, February 13 – Opening Night
19:00 – Opening Night – Bloor Cinema
23:00 – Opening Night Reception – TBA

Saturday, February 14 – Doc. Day – documentary screenings co-presented by
12:00 – Shorts Programme 1 – Innis Town Hall
15:00 – Doc.Day Shorts 1 – Innis Town Hall
18:00 – Doc.Day Shorts 2 – Innis Town Hall
21:00 – Doc.Day Feature – Bloor Cinema

Sunday, February 15 – Indie/Debuts. Day
12:00 – Shorts Programme 2 – Innis Town Hall
15:00 – Indie / Debut Feature 1 – Innis Town Hall
18:00 – Indie / Debut Feature 2 – Innis Town Hall
21:00 – Indie / Debut Feature 3 – Bloor Cinema

Tickets

Advance tickets ($8 student, $12 adult), as well as day and festival passes will be available until February 1st, 2009, at the UofT Tix box office, located at 7 Hart House Circle, by visiting the UofT Tix website, at www.uofttix.ca, or by calling the box office directly at 416-978-8849.

After February 1st, tickets will be $10 for students and $15 for adults, day and festival passes also reflecting this change in price.

PROGRAM
* Please be advised that ToRo Arts Group reserves the right to modify and/or alter the evening’s program
so as to meet all necessary legal and copyright requirements. All changes made will arrive with due noti-
fication.