On Thursday evening, many personalities of the Romanian cultural world, artists, filmmakers, film and theatre critics, participated at the event of
launching the book “Sora mea din Australia. Trecute întâlniri cu
Irina Petrescu” (“My Sister from Australia. Past Meetings with Irina Petrescu”), made by the critic
Magda Mihăilescu, which was presented at the Big Hall of the Romanian Cultural Institute. The event was presented by Mirel Taloș, the interim president of ICR, who had by his side the
journalist
Cristian Tudor Popescu, the actor
Dan Nuțu, the film critic
Angelo Mitchievici and the film director
Laurențiu Damian, the president of the Romanian Filmmakers Union (UCIN).
Tora Vasilescu,
Margareta Pâslaru,
Irina Margareta Nistor,
Valerian Sava,
Dana Duma,
Ștefan Velniciuc,
Ana Maria Sandu, Corina Șuteu,
Mihai Chirilov,
Mihai Fulger,
Bujor T. Rîpeanu, Doina Papp, Razvan Popa, Emil Banea, Carmen Zamfirescu attended this wonderful event of evoking Irina Petrescu, organized by ICR and UCIN.
The actor Dan Nuțu said that Irina Petrescu had such a charm and elegance that came from afar, “not necessarily from education, but probably from the genes”. “She was a young lady…in the book I called her a gazelle, when I actually meant a deer” the actor said. “Irina`s great beauty came from her soul and her talent. And her soul chose a matching face, it couldn`t have been otherwise. She had a face that brought nobility to the stage and the screen”, Laurențiu Damian, the UCIN president mentioned.
Magda Mihăilescu mentioned with regret that she started working on this book quite late, though she met the great actress in June 1964 for the first time. “Five years after she
passed away in 2013, I dared to start working on
that something that could be called a book, with my heart in my throat, not knowing if from up above, from
her little sky, she disagrees with me for deciding to do such a thing on my own, or if she delicately says
ok”, the author of the monography about the great actress said.
The journalist Cristian Tudor Popescu said that he met Irina Petrescu in 2000. “The way she entered the room will never fade in my memory: because she was sculpting the air around her. She was a combination between being imposing without being arrogant and being warm and sober at the same time. I don`t know how she could do that”, the journalist and film critic said. “She needn`t say anything, it was enough for Irina Petrescu to show up and even the weakest film she was in, got filled with meaning. She had an incredible ability to step on the line, she felt a lot, she had an inner organ which functioned as a detector code and error corrector. At times she would have to say stupid lines in her life, which were more numerous than the memorable ones and every time
she succeeded – which was unbelievable – in changing something in that line, by her attitude, by the expression of her face, so that you may believe her”, Cristian Tudor Popescu said.
“Sora mea din Australia” is an album-book, a monography, which includes different discussions, letters and confessions of the actress. The album brings together confessions signed by personalities that marked Irina Petrescu`s career: Liviu Ciulei, Mihai Măniuțiu, Dan Nuțu,
Virgil Ogășanu. The book also includes portraits written by the film director Laurențiu Damian and by the critics
Cristina Corciovescu,
Eva Sîrbu, Doina Papp, Marina Spalas.
The 223 pages volume which includes many unseen photographs from Irina Petescu`s life and career, was published by the Romanian Filmmakers, in exceptional graphic conditions, plasticized hard covers, album paper.
