Antoanela Safca, Author at

Meet the Artist – Clara Voda

We couldn’t wait to tell you about our very special guest at the March screening. The marvelous Clara Voda, who played Nicole in Domestic (Romania 2013), will be joining us for a Q&A session after the screening on the 19th of March.

Some of her film credits include:

‘The Death of Mister Lazarescu’, awarded Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival 2008
‘If I Want To Whistle I Whistle’, which won the Berlin Silver Bear and scored a European Academy Award nomination in 2010.

She is a key representative of the new wave of Romanian cinema and was awarded Best Actress in Romania several times, including in 2015 (UCIN Award for Best Actress).

As well as an impressive list of film credits, Clara also has extensive experience as a theatre actor. She performed in theatres around the world, including for Australian audiences during the Canberra Theatre Festival in 2000. During that visit, Clara felt a connection with all things Australian and she later moved to live with her family to Sydney.

Clara now lectures on Acting for Film and Scene Study at the New York Film Academy in Sydney and she has just finished working on her first Australian film, Pop-up, shot in Newcastle NSW and in Romania.

March Screening – the Australian Premiere of Domestic (Romania 2013)

Circle March the 19th in your calendars and get ready for the Australian Premiere of Domestic (Romania 2013).

Adrian Sitaru’s Domestic (Romania 2013) is an absurdist comedy about the relationships we take for granted: people and the animals they love, they eat, they ignore, they worry about. A perfect balance of tenderness and humour.

More about the film here.

And remember, if you came to our launch, just bring your pass along and you will get free entry to Domestic. For all the other movie enthusiasts passes can be bought online or on the night.

Launch Night

Last month EuRaw Stories launched into the cultural landscape of Melbourne. To those of you who were there on the night, thank you for joining us in exploring and celebrating the raw East of Europe. We nibbled, we listened to soulful music, we laughed and marvelled at the screen, we discussed and we danced. And so the adventure begins.

Don’t forget, your launch ticket includes entry to our next two screenings and they are incredible films, not to be missed!

Let the journey through the East continue.

Adrian Sitaru selected for Berlin Film Festival

Our March film Director, Adrian Sitaru, had his latest film at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

His film, ‘Illegitimate’, appeared in the Forum section, which focuses on avant-garde, experimental and fresh cinematic landscapes.

Come see his his previous film, ‘Domestic’, on March 19 at the Dock Performance space in Docklands, for a taste of his signature filmmaking.

Good luck Adrian!

Lost & Found – six glances at a generation

Are you ready for an awesome collection of shorts tomorrow night? Here is a taste of what ‘Lost and Found’ has in store for you:

The Ritual (fiction 15’09), Bulgaria, directed by Nadejda Koseva.

Georgi’s parents are preparing a wedding for him. A spirited celebration begins as guests arrive in his parents’ adorned home – but the crucial guests are not on hand yet.

Turkey Girl (fiction 20’05), Romania, directed by Cristian Mungiu (winner of Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2007 for “4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days’, best script at Cannes Film Festival 2012 for ‘Beyond the Hills’).

Tatiana’s mother is in hospital, waiting to be operated on. The family must gather all their financial resources to pay for it – and Tatiana’s beloved turkey must be sacrificed in the process.

Birthday (documentary 11’38), Bosnia-Herzegovina, directed by Jasmine Zbanic (winner of Golden Bear at Berlin 2006 for ‘Grbavica’).

This documentary portrays two ten year old schoolgirls, Dunja and Ines, who live in different districts of Mostar. They have never met, because the historic bridge over the the Neretva River, which divides the city, was destroyed in the war.

Shortlasting Silence (fiction, 20’23), Hungary, by Kornel Mundruczo (winner Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2014 for ‘Feher Isten’, nominated Palme d’Or, Cannes 2010 for Tender Son, Fipresci prize, Cannes 2008 for ‘Delta’)

After the death of his mother, a suicide prevention counsellor visits his sister in their parents’ country home. Memories of their earlier incestuous relationship are awakened.

Fabulous Vera (fiction 17’31), Serbia, directed by Stefan Arsenijevic (nominated for Oscar and winner of Golden Bear 2003 for Torzija).

One day, tram inspector Vera takes control of the wheel of the vehicle when the brakes suddenly fail and she finds herself racing dangerously across town. What will make the unstoppable tram turn to a halt?

Gene+Ratio (animation 12′), Estonia, directed by Mait Laas.

An architect tries to help his wife with the birth of their child and he finds himself on a fantastic journey, experiencing astonishing things between the stars and the tides. With six sequences, this film provides the transitions between each individual episode of Lost and Found.

Get Your Movie Pass on the Launch Night

Don’t forget to collect your 3-movies pass on opening night! This magical pass will give you access to our amazing March and April screenings, Domestic and Life is a Miracle.

And a very special offer for all our guests on the night – you can extend your ticket to a whole year entry to our movie club just by paying up the difference to $45. No, that is not a typo. Grab your one year pass on the night.

More about passes options on our Membership/Tickets page.

Get Your Dancing Shoes Ready for Saca La Mois DJ!!

A party without dancing is like… borscht without beetroot. We like our borscht with plenty of delicious beetroot! Melbourne’s Saca La Mois DJ!! is bringing the music to our launch party, you bring your shoes and your moves.

After touring Australia and the world, New Zealand, Europe, USA and Mexico to name a few, SACA LA MOIS DJ!! (a.k.a. Moses Iten) is stopping in the Australian heart of Eastern Europe, at the EuRaw Stories launch.

Saca La Mois DJ!! is also a producer with CUMBIA COSMONAUTS, and together with Christoph H. Mueller (Gotan Project) is part of the THE SWISS CONSPIRACY.

His mixes have been commissioned by national radio in Australia (ABC RN), Germany (Funkhaus Europa), Austria (FM4). Every Tuesday Moses hosts ‘Space Is The Place’ on Melbourne’s PBS 106.7 FM, where he selects quality grooves from his vast crates of vinyl and digital releases – shedding light on countless regional styles and sub genres from all over the globe, exposing Melbourne to unreleased and undefined new sounds sourced straight from producers and labels around the world.

Catch Saca La Mois Dj!! after the screening on the launch night.

Saray Iluminado at EuRaw Stories Launch

We’re pretty excited to announce that Melbourne-based band SARAY Iluminado will be gracing us with their tunes on our launch night.

Led by Bosnian-Australian composer, singer and pianist Nela Trifkovic, SARAY Iluminado plays traditional Bosnian and Herzegovinian music – Sevdah and Sephardic Jewish music from the Balkans.

The ensemble also includes: Australia’s leading klezmer and Sephardic violinist Ernie Gruner, and multi instrumentalists Kelly Dowall and William Thompson, both passionate virtuosi of Balkan, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean music. Kelly masters the Turkish ney flute, various frame drums and clarinet, while William plays the Turkish oud, the European lute and sings with Nela.

The band favours intimate tavern-style musical gatherings, where they share folkloric stories and songs of love and grief, hope and despair.

In only 2 years of existence, SARAY Iluminado has become a much loved festival act and received a professional mentoring grant from VCA, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Arts Victoria. The grant will enable them to record their first full length album, “Nightingales in the rose garden”, and continue their development.

Read more about SARAY Iluminado on their website at www.sarayiluminado.com

Come and see SARAY Iluminado play at our launch this coming Saturday.