The 23rd edition of the Astra Film Festival took place in Sibiu, from the 17th until the 23rd of October 2016; it opened with the special screening of Sieranevada, CristiPuiu`s most recent feature film.
For a week, Astra Film Festival hostedthe most recent Romanian documentaries and some events dedicated to the Romanian film industry, DocumentaryTank@AFF2016, where the Romanian filmmakers presented their projects as works in progress. Eliza Zdru andLetițiaȘtefănescu introduced their documentary The Manakia Brothers. Diary of a long look back. The film follows Eliza`s journey, in her attempt to find out and rediscover the history of the two Balkan filmmakers, using both interviews with specialists and members or friends of the two brothes and also archive footage. In the interview they gave the Aarc team, we talked about how they used the archive footage in their film. The Block was initiated by Maria Șalaru, who has studied anthropology, when she was preparing her PhD research about the changes that occurred in the urban environment of the ex-socialist countries. Maria used the shootings with the inhabitants of this block of flats in Piatra Neamț in order to get close to them and to be part of the social life of that block. The film had its national premiere at the Astra Film Festival, then it was also screened at the 2016 Urban Eye Film Festival.
After the screenin in Sibiu, Maria gave us an interview; she told us many things about the documentary as a research instrument.
Astra Film Festival gave a generous time to the Romanian documentary in this year`s schedule. This year the audience got the chance to see A Mere Breath (directed by Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan), Cinema, mon amour (directed by Alexandru Belc), The Aromanians, from The Famous Manakia to I`m Not Famous (directed by Toma Enache), Torna, Torna Fratre! (directed by Marian Voicu), The Red Empress – The Life and Adventures of Ana Pauker (directed by Radu Gabrea), God Save the Partisans as We Wait for Americans! (directed by Dragoș Zamosteanu), The New Gypsy Kings (directed by Liviu Tipuriță) and Pregnant in Romania (directed by Jesús Del Cerro).
At the Documentary Tank@AFF2016, Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan presented a case study about applying to the Creative Europe – MEDIA Romania funds. The director obtained such financing for her project about the illegal logging, Green GreenGreen.
On the same days dedicated to the industry, Paula Oneț spoke about the interactive documentary that she`s working on, 4GenWomen. Paula gathers material about families living under the same roof, trying to follow the relationships between great grandmother, grandmother, mother and daughter – at the moment only the family from Romania is available on the website. The online platform will contain both visual materials (interviews, sequences of
observational documentary, photographs, etc), as well as texts written by sociologists or anthropologists.
At the Romania Docs in Progress six projects were presented: The Northern Republic (directed by Manuela Morar), Teach’ (directed by Alex Brendea), Maia – A
Portrait with Hands (directed by Alexandra Gulea), Phoniexxx (directed by Mihai Dragolea and RaduMocanu), Cries and Whispers (directed by Andra Chirac) and In Between (directed by Maria Cinar-Jiga). You can find out more about the pitch in the AaRC report
The awards gala took place on Sunday, the 22nd of October, at the Thalia Hall of the Sibiu Philharmonics. The award for Best Romanian Documentary was offered to Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan for A Mere Breath. Botond Püsök received the Best Director Award for a Romanian documentary – Angela and Cristi Puiu received the Excellency Award.
Imagine: Valeriu Ciubotaru
rogress.
hD research about the changes that occurred in the urban environment of the ex-socialist countries. Maria used the shootings with the inhabitants of this block of flats in Piatra Neamț in order to get close to them and to be part of the social life of that block. The film had its national premiere at the Astra Film Festival, then it was also screened at the 2016 Urban Eye Film Festival. 
At the Documentary Tank@AFF2016, Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan presented a case study about applying to the Creative Europe – MEDIA Romania funds. The director obtained such financing for her project about the illegal logging, Green GreenGreen.
