---

---

Culture Power Tuesday 6 July 2010 19.00-21.00 TOMA ARNAUTOIU and the anti-communist armed resistance in Romania a presentation by Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu Followed by Q&A session with Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu, Christian Mititelu, and Mike Phillips. plus Private View of the photography exhibition ‘Toma Arnautoiu and the anti-communist armed resistance in Romania’ (see show details below). Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator

The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre,
Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108;
e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk
Entry is free but booking is essential.


This is the story of Toma Arnautoiu from the village of Nucsoara on the southern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains. He led the most enduring anti-communist partisan group in Romania, starting with 1949, when twelve men and four women from Nucsoara took to the mountains. They followed discharged lieutenant Toma Arnautoiu and his brother Petre, resisting for nine years by changing hiding places and requisitioning food from shepherds, foresters or even chalets, always leaving a receipt for what was taken. On several occasions, the group clashed with the troops chasing them or with Securitate agents posing as mountaineers. Of the initial 16, one surrendered, a few were caught, and a couple were killed. Relatives and villagers suspected of helping them were brutally questioned, detained and handed heavy sentences.

In May 1958 Toma’s group was finally betrayed by a former sympathiser. They were detained and interrogated for one year. A court martial sentenced the Arnautoiu brothers to be shot alongside 14 villagers who had helped them in various ways. The parents of the Arnautoiu brothers and Maria Plop, one of the women who joined the group and had a child with Toma, were handed heavy sentences and died in prison. Their sister and others who had helped them were imprisoned until 1964, when almost all political detainees in Romania were released.

The talk will be accompanied by the screening of a short introductory film by Monica Tanase and an exhibition of photographs from the Securitate archives about Toma Arnautoiu and his resistance group.

With this event, we will be presenting the book
‘50 Years since the Trial and Execution of the Members of the Anti-Communist Partisan Group led by Toma Arnautoiu’ Edited by Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu and Ioan Craciun (English version by Christian Mititelu), University of Bucharest, 2010. ISBN 978-973-558-479-5. The book will be for sale on the evening at the special price of £5.00.


Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu is currently the head of the Chamber Music department at the Bucharest Conservatoire. At the age of four she was adopted from an orphanage. After the fall of communism, aged 34, she set off to discover her roots, her search taking her to former staff of the orphanage who recalled a malnourished child, with no papers nor medical history being brought in by the police.

Ioana discovered she had been born in a mountain hide-out in the Carpathian Mountains where she had spent the first two years of her life, and that she was the daughter of anti-communist partisans, that her father had been executed and her mother had died in prison. She then began a methodical search through the archives: first at the Ministry of Justice, later at the authority holding the Securitate files (CNSAS), meeting some of the survivors, and going to court to have her father’s paternity officially recognized. Her father, incredibly, had in fact been Toma Arnautoiu. She published in a comprehensive volume the main documents concerning the interrogation records and trial of the Nucsoara partisans led by her father and selected from the archives the photographs in the accompanying exhibition.

// // // // // // // //

Photography Exhibition: Toma Arnautoiu and the anti-communist armed resistance in Romania
6 July to 6 August 2010, at The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre. Free admission. Opening times: Mon - Fri 12.00 - 18.00 (booking essential, by phone or e-mail).

The public will have the chance to see for the first time in Britain images and documents coming straight from the archives of the feared Securitate, the Romanian secret police, about the anti-communist resistance group led by Toma Arnautoiu. After the fall of the communist regime in December 1989, these archives have been kept shut away for a long time, with limited access, until the establishment in 1999 of a special commission to oversee them.
Armed resistance to communism in Romania is little known, even in Romania, and this exhibition gives the lie to the propaganda myth that communism was embraced with joy by all in Eastern Europe.

// // // // // // // //

Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience.

With the support of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy.
Image courtesy of Alina Mungiu-Pippidi.

// // // // // // // // ////

---

---

Culture Power Monday 19 April 2010 19.00-21.00 THE CORRIDORS OF POWER a talk by Razvan Orasanu The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk Entry is free but booking is essential. Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator Followed by a Q&A session

“My aim is to make you believe that anything and everything in the smoke and mirrors of government can be learned, internalized, dissected. I shall attempt to give you a glimpse of the workings of government in Romania and the UK. Expect biting comments, a touch of irony and an analytical view. Somebody once observed that sausage-making and policy making shouldn’t be seen from up-close... well, you are going to get as much of an up-close view as it is possible to digest in a single session with only 20 minutes of talk and 40 minutes of questions and answers.

There are four things this talk would like to show to you:
- There is nothing magical about political power – everything can be learned with specialized skills and a determined mind;
- The government is a machine working in its own strange ways – politicians vary in the degree of control over ‘the system’;
- The system is sensitive to citizen pressure, but only in a few particular ways which are going to be discussed;
- The things you can do to make government more accountable and responsive to YOU.
I shall be looking at this evening as a first step in a conversation that I hope will continue for years to come.” - Razvan Orasanu

Razvan Orasanu holds a BSc in Philosophy and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which he followed with graduate level courses in 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Harvard University Extension School, Joint Vienna Institute/ European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and International Monetary Fund Institute. While studying at the LSE, Razvan Orasanu was a Ratiu Foundation Scholar.
Razvan is an economist, editorialist for ‘Ziarul Financiar’ and ‘Capital’, former Senior Advisor on Economic Affairs for the Prime Minister of Romania (2005-2009). He helped structure Romania’s framework agreements with the World Bank and the EBRD and advised on stand-by loan negotiations with the IMF in 2005. Razvan was the President of the Authority for State Assets Recovery (AVAS), from January to October 2006.

// // // // // // // //

Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience.

With the support of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy.

// // // // // // // // ////

---

---

Culture Power Wednesday 5 May 2010 19.00-21.00 The Last Jew of Sighisoara a talk by Jessica Douglas-Home The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext 108; e-mail: bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk Entry is free but booking is essential. Hosted by Dr Mike Phillips OBE, British novelist, historian and curator

Followed by Public Discussion and Q&A session
with Jessica Douglas-Home, Mike Phillips and Romanian playwright Andreea Valean, the grand-daughter of Erich Raducanu, the last Jew of Sighisoara

plus Private View
of the photography exhibition ‘Old Synagogues of Transylvania – Portrait of a bygone community’, with images by Christian Binder

Transylvania, still a place with a very diverse ethnic make-up, used to be the home of a flourishing Jewish community. The turmoil of the 20th century, brought first by the extreme right and then by the communists, made this community all but disappear, its places of worship falling into disrepair. Erich Raducanu, known as the last Jew of Sighisoara, cared for his synagogue for over 50 years. He became an inspiration for the Mihai Eminescu Trust and is the subject of Jessica Douglas-Home’s talk. The Trust, chaired and founded by Jessica Douglas-Home, has started to protect and conserve Transylvanian synagogues, first in Sighisoara and now in Medias, after its successful restoration programmes aimed at Orthodox, Lutheran and Catholic churches. The evening’s presentation will include examples of the extraordinary buildings which the Trust has saved from oblivion.

Jessica Douglas-Home is a painter and writer. She has had several solo exhibitions. She has written articles for The Times, The Telegraph and The Guardian and has written two books: ‘Once Upon Another Time’, on her experiences in Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain before the fall of the Berlin Wall (Michael Russell Publishing, July 2000), and ‘Violet’, about musician and muse Violet Gordon Woodhouse (Harvill Press Oct 1997).

Jessica Douglas-Home founded the Mihai Eminescu Trust in 1986, during the last years of Ceausescu’s dictatorship, to help dissident Romanian academics keep in touch with western thought. In 1988, by alerting the world to Ceausescu’s plan to bulldoze Romania’s rural architecture, the Trust played a part in saving hundreds of beautiful medieval villages from destruction. After the dictator’s fall, the Trust turned its attention to the country’s cultural revival and rural regeneration. To date it has restored some 550 farm houses, barns, bridges, city buildings and churches. Its pioneering concept, the Whole Village Project, accords equal priority to restoration and locally inspired economic rebirth.

Andreea Valean is scriptwriter (‘Trafic’, Palm d’Or for short film, 2004; ‘The Way I Spent the End of the World’, Cannes Official Selection, 2006), playwright, and theatre director. She is the initiator of the dramAcum project that encourages the production of new Romanian theatre. For the first five years, dramAcum programme has been developed with the support of The Ratiu Foundation. Among other plays, Andreea is the author of ‘If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle’ - the basis for the new Romanian film of the same name, winner of the Silver Bear award in Berlin, in February 2010. Andreea’s latest work - ‘Don’t cry, we’ll all meet on the other side’, developed at Lark Play Development Centre in New York, is inspired by her grandfather. The play is about Stefan, a 90 year-old Jew going to New York to bring a man's body back to Romania to be buried in a small Jewish cemetery. However, in New York he discovers that the man is not dead, but an old friend that has to be forgiven in order to die.

/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Photography Exhibition: Old Synagogues of Transylvania – Portrait of a bygone community 5 May to 4 June 2010, at The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre. Free admission. Opening times: Mon - Fri 12.00 - 18.00 (booking essential, by phone or e-mail).

This collection of images from Transylvanian synagogues, taken by Christian Binder, presents their dereliction as a direct consequence of the disappearance of a once-thriving community.
Transylvania once had a vibrant Jewish culture whose remnants are a dwindling community and crumbling buildings. The synagogues, built in times of plenty, bear witness to a great cultural wealth that needs to be rediscovered. Through this exhibition, the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre would like to draw attention not only to the sorry state of the buildings themselves, but also to emphasise the Jewish-Romanian connections, and to discuss Jewishness in the context of Romania.

// // // // // // // //

Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

Culture Power is a programme initiated by the Ratiu Foundation, consisting of a number of presentations and constructive dialogue with an invited audience.

With the support of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy.
Photo: Walking in the citadel of Sighisoara, in the 1950s. Image from the collection of Erich Raducanu, courtesy of Jessica Douglas-Home.

// // // // // // // // ////

---

The Romanian Film Festival In London 7th edition, will take place from 2nd to 4th July 2010 Curzon Mayfair cinema, 38 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TY

ROMANIAN, ADJECTIVE

ROMANIAN, ADJECTIVE, the 7th edition of the Romanian Film Festival in London, is happy to produce another viewing of the country’s most exciting and serious new talents.

Thanks to Artificial Eye, we will open the festival with Corneliu Porumboiu’s POLICE, ADJECTIVE – a real treat for arthouse fans, in the company of the director.

Not ignoring the greats from the past, we will also introduce the classic SAND CLIFFS, along with new work – short and long – from last year’s cinematic crop. Special guests from Romania will be attending selected screenings and connected events: director Corneliu Porumboiu, screen legend Victor Rebengiuc, veteran director Dan Pita, Bafta-winning actress Anamaria Marinca, actress Ada Condeescu, anthropologist Vlad Naumescu, producer Dan Burlac, film critic Magda Mihailescu, author and journalist Liviu Antonesei, historian Stejarel Olaru, TV producer Marian Voicu, and Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu, guest speaker on the Romanian anti-communist resistance.

PROGRAMME:

Friday 2 July, at 18.15 – London Premiere
POLICE, ADJECTIVE by Corneliu Porumboiu (Gala Screening)
Followed by Q&A with director Corneliu Porumboiu

Saturday 3 July, at 15.00 – UK Premiere
SAND CLIFFS by Dan Pita
Followed by Q&A with director Dan Pita and actor Victor Rebengiuc

& at 17.45 – UK Premiere
MEDAL OF HONOUR by Calin Peter Netzer
Followed by Q&A with actor Victor Rebengiuc

Sunday 4 July, at 15.00 – UK Premieres
THE CAGE by Adrian Sitaru, MUSIC IN THE BLOOD by Alexandru Mavrodineanu, OLI’S WEDDING by Tudor Cristian Jurgiu (shorts); BIRDS’ WAY by Klara Trencsenyi and Vlad Naumescu (documentary)
Followed by Q&A with anthropologist Vlad Naumescu

& at 17.45 – London Premiere
IF I WANT TO WHISTLE, I WHISTLE by Florin Serban
Followed by Q&A with actress Ada Condeescu

Tickets: £12.50 / £9.50 Cineastes (Curzon Members)
Bookings: In person, online at www.curzoncinemas.com or by phone 0871 703 3989 (tickets will be on sale on the evening of Monday 21 June).
Venue: Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TY. Closest Tube stations: Green Park and Hyde Park Corner.

CONNECTED EVENTS:

Connected events are taking place at other venues. During the festival dates we are hosting Masterclasses, discussions and documentary screenings, all the films being UK premieres.

Thursday 1 July, at 18.00
Masterclass with Corneliu Porumboiu. Preceded by a screening of ‘12:08 East of Bucharest’, Corneliu Porumboiu’s debut feature film, courtesy of Artificial Eye.
Location: London Film School (LFS), 24 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9UB. Free admission. Limited seating. Book in advance at www.lfs.org.uk/qa/index.php

Thursday 1 July, at 20.30
Opening reception of ‘Romanian, Adjective’, the seventh edition of the Romanian Film Festival in London, preceded by screening of the documentary film ‘Ion Ratiu – The Gentleman with a Bow Tie’ produced by the Romanian Television (TVR).
Location: The Ratiu Foundation, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ. Admission by invitation only. RSVP by Wednesday 30 June at Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 or by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Please mention the name of the event in the subject line.

Friday 2 July, at 20.30
Drinks reception following the Gala Screening of ‘Police, Adjective’ by Corneliu Porumboiu.
Location: Curzon Mayfair cinema, 38 Curzon Street, London W1J 7TY. Admission by invitation and for ticket holders. RSVP by Wednesday 30 June at Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 or by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Please mention the name of the event in the subject line.

Sunday 4 July, at 12.30
Lunch Meeting with the Festival’s guests, and a screening of the documentary film ‘The Ministry of Truth’, produced by the Romanian Television (TVR), presenting the story of ‘Sand Cliffs’, a film banned by the Communist Party immediately after its release. Followed by a Q&A with Dan Pita, Victor Rebengiuc, and Stejarel Olaru.
Location: The Ratiu Foundation, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ. Free admission. Book your place at Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 or by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Please mention the name of the event in the subject line.

Monday 5 July, at 18.30
Special screening of documentary film ‘The New Wave of Romanian Cinema’ by Marius Doicov and Vincent Guyottot, part of the Curzon Doc Days strand. Followed by a panel discussion with film producer Dan Burlac, actress Anamaria Marinca, and film critic Magda Mihailescu.
Location: Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5DY. Ticketed event, £8.50/£7.50 cineastes. Book at www.curzoncinemas.com or Box Office 08717 033 988.

Tuesday 6 July, at 19.00
Culture Power Presentation by Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu on the anti-communist armed resistance in Romania. Followed by a Q&A with Ioana Voicu-Arnautoiu and Christian Mititelu.
Location: The Ratiu Foundation, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ. Free admission. Book your place at Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 or by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Please mention the name of the event in the subject line.

Wednesday 7 July, at 19.00
Screening of two documentary films about the anti-communist armed resistance in Romania, produced by the Romanian Television (TVR): ‘The Partisans of Freedom’ and ‘Operation Greece’. Followed by Q&A with Stejarel Olaru.
Location: The Ratiu Foundation, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ. Free admission. Book your place at Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 or by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Please mention the name of the event in the subject line.

NOTE: All TVR documentary films are part of the Reconstituiri (Reconstructions) series produced by Lucia Hossu Longin.

Visit www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk/filmfestival for other details and a special contest.
For any questions and press images, send us an e-mail at mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

The Romanian Film Festival in London is organised by
The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London, in collaboration with
The National Centre of Cinematography, Bucharest, Curzon Cinemas and Artificial Eye.

With the support of ProFusion International Creative Consultancy, ROMANi-ONLiNE.co.uk, The Romanian Television, and Diaspora Romaneasca.

NOTE: Image above is from ‘Police, Adjective’ by Corneliu Porumboiu

Organised by the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London, with the support of the National Centre of Cinematography, Bucharest, Curzon Cinemas, and Artificial Eye.

// // // // // // // //

---

The Ratiu Foundation and the Romanian Cultural Centre in London, together with Soda Pictures invite you to the launch of THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD Friday 28 May 2010, NFT 1 (at 18.30) and NFT 3 (at 14.30 and 20.30) BFI Southbank, London SE1 8XT • Box office: 020 7928 3232 • www.bfi.org.uk

"The Happiest Girl in the World" will run at the BFI Southbank from 28 until 31 May and from 1 to 10 June 2010. Please click here to book online . Also released in selected cinemas nationwide.

Hailed by Variety as a film with "terrific dialogue and pitch perfect performances", director Radu Jude"s debut full-length feature "The Happiest Girl in the World" is the latest offering from the so-called Romanian New Wave to be on release in UK cinemas. The film, "an utterly delightful little gem" (Little White Lies) brings again to the British screens that special mix of realism, absurd and dark humour, and acute observational skills witnessed is gems such as Cristi Puiu"s "Death of Mr Lazarescu", Corneliu Porumboiu"s "12:08 East of Bucharest", or Cristian Mungiu"s Palme d"Or winner "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days".

WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS FOR THE LAUNCH OF "THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD"
FOR 28 MAY 2010, AT 18.30, NFT 1!
For your chance to win a pair of tickets for the launch of this film at the National Film Theatre, all you have to do is to name director Radu Jude"s short films shown in London as part of the 2007, 2008, and 2009 editions of the Romanian Film Festival (hint: you can always find details of the festivals" programmes on our website).
Send your replies by 14.00 on Tuesday 25 May 2010 at mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk . Don"t forget to include in your message your FULL NAME and a TELEPHONE NUMBER where we can contact you. The winners will be selected through a raffle from all the correct answers received by 14.00 on Tuesday 25 May 2010, and will be notified in writing at the e-mail address provided.

THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD (Cea mai fericita fata din lume)
Romania / 2009 / 90 mins / Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by Radu Jude. Cast: Andreea Bosneag, Violeta Popa, Vasile Muraru.
Distributed by Soda Pictures (www.sodapictures.com ).

The latest high profile feature from the Romanian new wave, "The Happiest Girl in the World", an acerbic comedy that tells the story of Delia, a girl who wins a car in a competition and the subsequent arguments with her parents about what to do with it.
Combining rich irony with familial acrimony, the film's simple story magnifies the social tensions of a country embracing capitalism and all its shiny promises. The first feature from Radu Jude, "The Happiest Girl in the World" has attracted awards and acclaim from the festival circuit with its sharp dialogue and superb performances.

Image above courtesy of Soda Pictures.

// // // // // // // //

A release of	Supported by

---

NEW BOOK: ALONG THE ENCHANTED WAY A Romanian Story by William Blacker Hardback, 320 pages, John Murray Publishers (July 2009), ISBN: 9780719597909. Available in good bookshops and from Amazon.co.uk, Waterstones.com, and Play.com. RRP: £20

PRAISE FOR ‘ALONG THE ENCHANTED WAY’

“This is a wild and captivating story”
- Patrick Leigh Fermor, The Sunday Telegraph

“Blacker is an acute observer and he writes very well”
– John de Falbe, The Spectator

“A lyrical description of an almost vanished way of life”
– Wendell Steavenson, The Sunday Times

Synopsis:
Across the snow-bound passes of Northern Romania there is an almost medieval world. Life there is ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far from the frantic rush of modern life in every sense.
William Blacker lived side-by-side with the amazing people of Romania for many years, having accidentally stumbled upon this hidden universe. In Spring, as the pear trees blossomed, he ploughed with horses. In Summer he scythed the meadows and during the freezing winters he gathered wood by sleigh. By becoming part of this small, close community, Blacker was accepted into the community.

The Gypsies of Romania have always held particular fascination for the few travellers who venture into such remote parts of the world. They are considered untrustworthy, disliked and feared by the local villagers. Blacker was intrigued – and eventually fell in love with a Gypsy girl.

Change is afoot in rural Romania. William Blacker’s adventures in this fascinating country will soon be embedded in world history. From his carefree early days, tramping the hills of Transylvania to the book’s poignant ending, Along the Enchanted Way transports us back to a time many of us thought had all but vanished.

WIN ONE OF THREE COPIES OF ‘ALONG THE ENCHANTED WAY’!

To celebrate the launch of this book, the Romanian Cultural Centre in London has teamed up with John Murray Publishers in order to offer three readers the chance to win a copy of ‘Along the Enchanted Way’.
All you have to do is to provide the answer to this question: What is the name of the traditional drink specific to Maramures?
Hint: the attentive reader will see it mentioned further on in this message.


Send your replies by Thursday 1 October 2009 at mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk. Don’t forget to include in your message your FULL NAME and a TELEPHONE NUMBER where we can contact you. The winners will be selected through a raffle from all the correct answers received by the end of 1 October 2009, and will be notified in writing at the e-mail address provided.
Please note that the books won in this contest can be delivered free of charge to UK addresses only.

---

William Blacker lived in Romania from 1996 to 2004. He has contributed articles to various newspapers and magazines including the Daily Telegraph, Times, Ecologist and Art newspaper. He now divides his time between England, Romania and Italy. He has a child who lives in Romania. As a treat to our readership, William gave an interview to the Romanian Cultural Centre recently, which we present below. The Romanian version, translated from the English by Mihai Risnoveanu, was published in the August edition of “Timpul” cultural magazine from Iasi, Romania (on page 13). A PDF copy can be downloaded from www.timpul.ro/magazines/82.pdf.

---

William Blacker in Maramures, at the time of haymaking. Photo © William Blacker, courtesy of John Murray Publishers

INTERVIEW WITH WILLIAM BLACKER
by Ramona Mitrica, Director, Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre
Ramona Mitrica: First of all, congratulations for publishing ‘Along the Enchanted Way’. It is a wonderful book, with all the right ingredients that make for excellent reading: journeys of discovery, danger, passion, and horse-driven carts.
The action is set entirely in Romania, and it is a personal account of your life there. How much poetic licence did you take while writing it?

William Blacker: A lot less than some readers may think. Life in the Maramures when I first went there was very much as I described. The people lived almost entirely pastoral lives, such as those written about by Tolstoy or Hardy. Perhaps occasionally I did observe their world through 'rose-tinted spectacles', or through eyes mildly blurred by swigs of 'horinca', but in general there was no need to exaggerate.

As far as romanticizing the situation of the country people, I would much rather mildly romanticize than err in the other direction and suggest, as others do, that the peasants live in misery and poverty; that would have been both unfair and not at all accurate. For example, in the village of Breb where I stayed for many years most people lived in comfortable houses with large gardens and orchards, and with land for cultivating all the food they needed. When Romanians come to England they are appalled to see the conditions in which many English people live, in what seem to them to be tiny box-like houses all in a row, with even tinier gardens.

In the village my time was spent on the hills, in the hay meadows and the forests. I worked side by side with the villagers almost everyday, and became immersed in their traditional way of living. The people’s almost unfailing good-humour and easy manner made me sure that their lives were as contented and fulfilled as anyone’s.

RM: At a point in the book, you say that Romania “seemed like the wing of a mansion which had been closed up for a hundred years”. After almost twenty years since your first visit there, does this description still apply?

WB: Not so much anymore. The modern world has blundered in and, for better or worse, things have changed and are still changing. Nonetheless, anyone visiting the Romanian countryside for the first time will still find it an enchanting place, and there are still many corners of the mansion which remain unexplored.

RM: You are, by all standards, a very good friend of Romania, helping to preserve and restore its heritage. How did you get to be interested in Romania in the first place?

WB: In the late 1980's I had read a few articles in English newspapers about Romania. In particular there was one in 'Country Life' about the painted monasteries of the Bukovina. When I found myself in Prague in early January 1990, and with a car, I remembered the monasteries and decided to head east to visit them. As soon as I entered Romania, I saw what an exceptionally beautiful country it was, and how the people still lived the traditional and harmless way of life, the sort which so many people in the West want to emulate, but find so difficult to achieve. I was sure there was much to see and much to learn, and I was right.

I was also captivated by the beauty of the villages, both by their settings amongst the hills, forests and mountains, as well as by their well-preserved houses and barns. I had read in England of how the villages in Romania were being demolished on the orders of President Ceausescu, and so was enormously relieved to find that they were in fact almost all untouched and more architecturally-intact than any I had seen in all of Eastern Europe.

It was only after 1990 that the damage to these villages really began. Partly because some of the villages were abandoned by their previous inhabitants, party because of rampant and uncontrolled modernization. In an effort to help in 1996 I wrote a pamphlet about the plight of the Saxon villages of Transylvania. Happily, as a result of this little book large sums of money were raised to help preserve Romanian architecture. Most has been donated by the Packard Humanities Trust, and I am immensely grateful to them for their kindness and for the support of David Packard for Romanian architecture. There still, however, remains much to be done. It is vital that there are effective laws to protect historic buildings. At the moment the laws are not effective. Old buildings are being destroyed at an alarming rate. If this continues large swathes of the visual part of Romania’s history will be rubbed out. This would be a tragedy for Romania, as historic buildings can never be replaced. Romania wishes to be considered a modern country but modern countries protect their historic architecture.

RM: From reading the book, anyone can see that you bear a deep love for the Romanian countryside. What made you develop this passion to the point you lived there for some very good years? What was it like to live “off the fruit of the land”, just like a Romanian peasant?

WB: I had always loved the country, especially in England and Italy. Then, when I first visited Romania I was very happy to have found a place even more beautiful, and where the country people were more ‘alive’, and more involved with the natural world than in the West.

Concerning self-sufficiency - In the Maramures I was looked after by Mihai and Maria, they fed and housed me, and in return I helped them by working in the fields, the orchards, the woods and the distillery. We lived entirely off what we produced. Only sugar was bought. There was a great satisfaction in walking home tired from the fields in the evening, along the small paths, with our scythes, forks and rakes over our shoulders, chatting and exchanging jokes with other villagers. Everyone knew that on that day they had made a small step towards providing themselves with the food they needed for the year. I could not complete even half the work that the villagers could, but I felt a part of their lives, and I sensed that the hard work required in sun, rain and snow gave everyone a bond and a common purpose.

RM: You describe in the book episodes of rustic charm, but you haven’t shied away from presenting the troubled side of things, as well, things you lived through.

WB: Yes. I was just telling the story of my years there. I did not think it right to brush the unpleasant things under the carpet and pretend they never happened. Certainly some of the things Marishka and I experienced were upsetting, and sometimes hard to bear, but I was helped by many kind people, and I am glad to say life is now a lot easier.

RM: There are many people, both British and Romanians, who will be envious of the “simple life” you led, and many who would ask themselves “why did he go to live there, when many seem just to want to leave”?

WB: Indeed, I could never understand why there were not more foreigners living in Romania. For me it seemed the only place to be.

At the same time I found it difficult to understand why so many Romanians wished to leave, but equally I knew that I was in a privileged position. The pound was strong and went a long way in those days. I loved being there, but I understood why many Romanians wanted to go to earn better money abroad. It was very sad to see them go, and sad to see the way of life in the villages changing, but it was inevitable.

RM: You describe in your book, besides life in Maramures, life in a Saxon village where you settled. You also describe meeting the Roma Gypsy in Transylvania. I read your article in The Times ‘The Roma: Why we shouldn’t fear Gypsies’. Without giving any of the book away, can you please tell us what your involvement with this particular community was?

WB: I lived for some years with a Gypsy girl from a family of musicians. It was a delightful if slightly stormy period in my life. While living with her I worked with many Gypsies from the surrounding villages. They were skilful craftsmen and did much vital work repairing and preserving historic houses in Romania.

RM: And finally, what compelled you to write this story, and have you any plans for a follow-up?

WB: I saw that I was in the rare position of being a traveller from the late 20th century witnessing, day by day, life in a land which was in many respects just emerging from the Middle Ages. When I talked to people from England and Italy about my experiences, they always longed to know more.

And yes, I would like to write other books. I might write more about the Maramures; I certainly have plenty of material.

---

THE UK PREMIERE of the latest film from the creators of the Cannes 2007 Palme d’Or winner ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ TALES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE followed by an extraordinary Q&A session with directors Ioana Uricaru, Hanno Höfer, and Constantin Popescu. Thursday 29 October 2009, at 18.00 Renoir Cinema, The Brunswick, London WC1N 1AW Tube: Russell Square; Buses: 7, 59, 68, 91, 168, 188 Tickets from www.curzoncinemas.com or Box Office 0871 7033 991

Book the date in your diary for the most important Romanian film event of Autumn 2009!

• Tales from the Golden Age
Romania / 2009 / 131 mins / Romanian with English subtitles
Directed by: Cristian Mungiu (Palme d’Or, Cannes 2007), Ioana Uricaru, Hanno Höfer, Constantin Popescu

The final 15 years of the Ceausescu regime were the worst in Romania’s history. Nonetheless, the propaganda machine of that time referred without fail to that period as “the golden age”...

‘Tales from the Golden Age’ adapts for screen the most popular urban myths of the period. Comic, bizarre, surprising myths abounded, myths that drew on the often surreal events of everyday life under the communist regime.

The film is composed of several stories connected by the mood, narrative pattern and the details of the historical period: The Legend of the Official Visit, The Legend of the Party Photographer, The Legend of the Chicken Driver, The Legend of the Greedy Policeman, The Legend of the Air Sellers.

See the trailer and find more information, including a blog, on www.talesfromthegoldenage.com.

‘Tales from the Golden Age’ is released in UK cinemas by Trinity on 30 October 2009.

We are looking for media partners. If you want to make a contribution towards this major Romanian cultural event in Britain, please contact us on mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

The UK Premiere of ‘Tales from the Golden Age’ is organised by Trinity and the Ratiu Foundation, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Centre in London.
For more information and press images, please contact us on mail@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

The image above is from ‘The Legend of the Greedy Policeman’, courtesy of Trinity.

---

“To [many people], Transylvania means just one thing: Dracula. Never mind the centuries of epic struggle between opposing empires over this strategic territory. Never mind that the clash of cultures here has evolved into some of the most workable ethnic cooperation in Europe [...]. Never mind that Transylvania’s landscape is not shrouded in gloomy moss and bats, but beautiful hillsides dotted with plump sheep and curvaceous haystacks. Never mind all that: Let’s talk vampires.”

New Book: DRACULA IS DEAD How Romanians Survived Communism, Ended it, and Emerged since 1989 as the New Italy by Sheilah Kast and Jim Rosapepe Hardcover, 424 pages, 32 black-and-white photographs, 12 maps, Bancroft Press (November 2009). ISBN 978-1-890862-65-7

BOOK LAUNCH EVENT
Monday 23 November 2009, 19.00-21.00, Ratiu Foundation, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1U 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext. 108. ENTRY IS FREE but booking is essential (by e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk or calling Tel. 020 7486 0295, ext. 108). If you booked your place already please ignore this reminder

Join former US Ambassador to Romania Jim Rosapepe and his wife, award-winning journalist Sheilah Kast, for the launch of their new book – ‘Dracula Is Dead: How Romanians Survived Communism, Ended it, and Emerged since 1989 as the New Italy’, published by Bancroft Press.

The launch reception marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. Jim and Sheilah look forward to seeing you and personally signing your copy of the book. ‘Dracula is Dead’ will be available on the evening at the special price of £15.00 (regular price £18.99). If you are not able to attend the event but would still like to purchase a signed copy, go to www.DraculaIsDead.com to buy it online.

THE AUTHORS IN CONVERSATION
The authors will be in conversation with Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman of the Ratiu Foundation, on the subject of the book, their vision of Romania, and to explain the Count’s demise. The discussion will be followed by a Q&A with the audience.

EXTRA ROMANIAN FLAVOUR: LIVE MUSIC!
Romanian violin genius Bogdan Vacarescu, accompanied by accordionist extraordinaire Zivorad Nikolic, will bring a healthy dose of Romanian and Balkan groove to whet your appetite and make your feet tap.

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
“If they gave out gold medals for books, ‘Dracula is Dead’ would get one. It’s a fascinating, long overdue, and timely look at Romania, giving readers an unparalleled view of my country’s many, many layers.” – Nadia Comaneci, Olympic Champion and gymnastics coach

“Romania is a living legacy of Rome [...]. Jim and Sheilah are outstanding guides to this country, which is both familiar and exotic.” - Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State, 1997-2001

“Vivid travelogue, gripping memoir, and accurate analysis [...]. Highly recommended to all those who want to understand the human underpinnings of the struggle for freedom in East-Central Europe.” – Vladimir Tismaneanu, historian

SYNOPSIS
‘Dracula is Dead’ takes readers on a memorable tour of Romania – past, present, and future. Through a series of colourful vignettes, former US ambassador to Romania Jim Rosapepe and his wife, award-winning journalist Sheilah Kast, introduce us to the people, places, and history of Romania, transporting us to a vibrant country most of us know little about.

When people think about Romania, what most often comes to mind are images of Dracula’s fog-enshrouded castle in Transylvania, bleak orphanages, and an oppressed people reeling from Nicolae Ceausescu’s regime. In ‘Dracula is Dead’, the authors set the record straight, presenting a thriving nation that has overcome centuries of tyranny to emerge as a true success story with a bright future – that’s why they call it the New Italy. This compelling volume fills a void in the literature about Romania. On a larger scale, it explains the impact of the fall of Communism in Europe and helps us understand the growth of democracy throughout the world.

As Kast and Rosapepe write in their preface, “Many of Romania’s most difficult challenges in the twenty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany and the fall of the Ceausescu dictatorship in Romania have been similar to those encountered throughout the former Soviet bloc ... This is the story of all 350 million people in two dozen countries.” The authors write from their experiences in Romania over the past decade, including the years when Rosapepe served as US Ambassador (1998 to 2001). They experienced the inner workings of Romania – from the mines to the monasteries, from the hospitals to the software labs. They met Romanians from all walks of life at town meetings, on farms, in remote villages, and in schools and factories. They also spoke with American missionaries and Peace Corps volunteers, entrepreneurs, and Romanian Americans who came to Romania after the fall of Communism in December 1989. Many of their remarkable stories are included in this volume, in their own words.

The book features personages ranging from Ion Iliescu, both a leading figure during Communism and Romania’s first democratically elected president, to church leaders and the heads of the Jewish community, students, small-town mayors, and a colourful cast of real-life characters, including singing monks, IT entrepreneurs, and “The Mother-in-Law of the Year.”

Details on the book can be found on www.DraculaIsDead.com

---

New Photography Exhibition: EMERGENT LIGHT by Roxana Tohaneanu-Shields y 7 December 2009 - 31 January 2010. The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 Opening times: Mon - Fri 12.00 - 18.00. Admission free (booking essential, by phone or e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk).

Private View
Monday 7 December 2009 at 19.00. Entry is free but booking is essential.
Roxana Tohaneanu-Shields will be in conversation with Mihai Risnoveanu, Artistic Consultant of the Romanian Cultural Centre in London, on the subject of her photographs. The public is encouraged to take part in this open discussion.

“The ongoing contemporary debate about photography as an art form raises interesting questions about the status of photography. For artist photographers the medium of photography is indubitably a modern art form which deals with all aspects of life. My main interest in this debate is crystallised in two ways: theoretically through my philosophical enquiries into the Aesthetics of Photography and practically through my own work, especially my abstract photography.

Because a photograph needs to be ‘an image of something’, photography as an artistic process seems to be predetermined by the existence of a particular real subject. Sometimes I accept this predetermination and try to capture the magic of mundane urban scenes, but at other times I choose to rebel and create images where the real subject is not recognisable and appears to have a new existence. Most of my work is film based photography in an attempt to resist the digital ubiquity. Because of this rebellion my recent images seem to evade a clear categorisation. I play with inversed perspective, I avoid reference points by using close-ups and I use the natural light in a particular way.

The ‘Emergent Light’ photographs are a series of works where the light is the subject and the catalyst at the same time. Trying to capture the beauty and fluidity of light is attempted through traditional photography (no manipulation is allowed) and particular view points (usually close-ups). What the eye of my camera records is a fragment of a momentary reality – the splitting of light on the surfaces of often very mundane domestic objects. These images have a very painterly quality which betrays my interest in colour, texture and abstraction.” – Roxana Tohaneanu-Shields

Roxana Tohaneanu-Shields is a Romanian born artist who lives and works in the UK . Having graduated from Bucharest University in Philosophy in 1998 she took a further degree in Art and Philosophy at The University of Reading where she is currently researching for a PhD in Aesthetics. She has exhibited her work in a number of galleries and art museums including The Art Museum of Constanta, The Art Museum of Brasov, Gallery4allarts at the Independent Liverpool Biennial 2008, the Other Gallery London, The Ecology Pavilion in Mile End and The Stroud House Gallery. Roxana works in a variety of media but her principal interest is in photography.

// // // // // // // //

Organised by The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London
www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com; www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk

---

---	STEPdoc 2010, a mobility grant of £1,500 for emerging Romanian documentary film-makers

The new funding session for STEPdoc is now open. Applications are accepted until 15 September 2010 (postal mark).

STEPdoc mobility grant is a Ratiu Foundation programme which aims to help reinvigorate Romanian documentary film, stimulating artistic innovation.

STEPdoc consists of a mobility grant per year, worth £1,500, which allows a Romanian film maker at an early stage of his or her career one month of immersion in the UK documentary culture. The STEPdoc mobility grant is to be used for the individual research of a specific project set in the UK and / or for networking with a UK-based company in view of developing of a common film project.

The call for applications for STEPdoc mobility grant is launched in the spring of every year. The process of application for STEPdoc is open to documentary film-makers of Romanian nationality working on creative documentary projects that relate to Romania or involve Romanian subjects – without necessarily being shot in Romania. Preference is generally given to applications submitted by individual film-makers or independent producers. A proven commitment of the applicant to documentary form is desirable but not compulsory.

The selection of the winning project is made by the Ratiu Foundation Board of Advisors. The successful applicant is personally notified in writing, and announced publicly through press releases before the end of the year.

The application for STEPdoc consists of the following documents (in English):

• Letter of intention (see details below)
• Curriculum vitae and filmography of the applicant (max. 1 page each)
• When available, evidence of previous work (DVD)
• Documentation of the proposed project in development:
– synopsis (max. 1 page)
– treatment (max. 2 pages)
– argument / motivation letter (max. 1 page)
– research / networking plan for the duration of the mobility grant (max. 2 pages)
– further funding envisaged for the production of the film (max. 1 page)

Whilst in the UK, the grant recipient make their own accommodation and living arrangements. Advice, directions and suggestions on networking with UK-based film organisations and/or professionals is freely given to the grant recipient by the Board of Advisers. The Ratiu Foundation and STEPdoc are acknowledged by displaying the logo of the Ratiu Foundation in the credits of the films.

The grant recipient will be expected to submit a report upon the completion of the mobility grant.

Please send applications by post to the following address:

Nicolae Ratiu
Chairman
The Ratiu Foundation
Manchester Square
18 Fitzhardinge Street
London W1H 6EQ, England, UK

IMPORTANT
Please specify in your letter of intention the following:
- Name, Surname, Date of birth, Nationality, Address, Telephone, E-mail, Professional status, Work address (if applicable).
Also, please include the answer to the following questions:
- Have you been to the United Kingdom on a professional visit before? If yes, please give details.
- How did you find about STEPdoc?

The grant recipients, from the establishment of the grant in 2007 up to the present, are: Adina Pintilie and Corina Radu (2007), Matei Alexandru Mocanu (2008), and Miruna Boruzescu (2009).

For any further information about the STEPdoc mobility grant, please contact:

Ramona Mitrica
Director, Ratiu Foundation
e-mail: mail@ratiufamilyfoundation.com or go to www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com

// // // // // // // // ////

---

Bursa Gabriela Tudor Grant A UK-based Grant for Romanian Cultural Managers

Gabriela Tudor Foundation from Bucharest, in partnership with the Ratiu Foundation from the United Kingdom, is launching the call for applications for the ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant in Cultural Management for the year 2011. The Grant, with the value of GBP 2,500, is presented annually. It consists in a stay of four weeks in the United Kingdom.

The funds ensured by the grant cover the cost of travel Bucharest-London-Bucharest, local transport in the UK, accommodation during the duration of the grant, per diem, as well as a budget for tickets for shows, films, entry fees to museums and galleries.

The aim of the ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant is to keep alive the memory of one of the few visionary cultural managers in Romania. Gabriela Tudor – who passed away, alas too soon, in January 2009 – has significantly contributed to the development of the Romanian cultural scene through her initiatives and projects, and her direct support given to artists and cultural organisations.

Launched in 2009, the goals of ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant are to offer opportunities for European-level professional development and at the same time to contribute to the development and motivating of emerging Romanian cultural managers.

The winner of the first ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant in Cultural Management was Corina Bucea, manager al the Paintbrush Factory (Fabrica de pensule) of Cluj Napoca. Corina’s visit to the UK took place during June-July 2010.

The next ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant will take place in the United Kingdom during June-July 2011. The deadline for the applications is 30 October 2010.
In 2011, besides the four-week grant in the UK, with the value of GBP2,500, the Ratiu Foundation will also award five special grants consisting in a one-week professional visit to London.

All grants will be awarded on the basis of the applications received, the selection being made by: Irina Cios (cultural manager and Curator of the International Centre for Contemporary Art, Bucharest), Petra Bischof (cultural manager, The Swiss Cultural Programme), Ghislaine Boddington (CreativeDirector, Body>Data>Space; mentor of the ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant winner), Corina Bucea (Gabriela Tudor grantee for 2010), Ramona Mitrica (Director, the Ratiu Foundation), Cosmin Manolescu (Executive Director of the Gabriela Tudor Foundation). The fields of activity which have priority for 2011 are contemporary arts management, the private cultural sector, and cultural policies.

For more details and to obtain the application forms, please contact us at cosmin@gabrielatudor.ro , contact person Cosmin Manolescu, or access the pages www.gabrielatudor.ro and www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com

The ‘Gabriela Tudor’ Grant is offered by the Ratiu Foundation and Gabriela Tudor Foundation / United Experts, with the financial assistance of Swiss Cultural Programme in Romania.

Supported by Green Hours Jazz Cafe and IDILIS

X | Close The winner of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award 2009, Adam Michnik (centre) with Ion Ratiu’s sons: Nicolae (left) and Indrei (right) at the Cosmos Club in Washington D.C. earlier today. A PRESS RELEASE OF THE RATIU FAMILY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION 2 December 2009 THE ION RATIU DEMOCRACY AWARD 2009 On Thursday 3 December 2009, Adam Michnik, the well-known Polish democracy campaigner, will be presented the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award and deliver the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. He will be introduced by Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter. The welcoming remarks are by Woodrow Wilson Center President and Director, Lee Hamilton and by Ratiu Foundation Chairman, Nicolae Ratiu. BREAKING NEWS: With the occasion of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture 2009, the Ratiu Foundation produced a short film on this event, its significance, and how it came about five years ago. The film, which will also be screened prior to the lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center, can be viewed by the public on YouTube. A Facebook page of the event is available here. THE ION RATIU DEMOCRACY LECTURE 2009 “Democracy: Traps and Question Marks” by Adam Michnik Thursday 3 December 2009, 16.00 – 18.00 (US East Coast time) (London time: 21.00 – 23.00; Bucharest time: 23.00 – 01.00) Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Flom Auditorium, 6th Floor One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. The event is fully booked but it can be viewed live over the internet (webcast) through Wilson Center’s On Demand service. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the event’s page. Details on www.wilsoncenter.org/ratiu Adam Michnik is the Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s largest daily newspaper. Historian, essayist and political publicist, Michnik was one of the leading organizers of the illegal, democratic opposition in Poland between 1968-1989. By having Adam Michnik as this year’s awardee, The Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture 2009 can be seen as a celebration of 20 years from the reawakening of democracy in Eastern Europe. A list of selected articles in English by, as well as interviews with, Adam Michnik can be found on www.romanianculturalcentre.org.uk THE ION RATIU DEMOCRACY LECTURE – CONNECTED EVENTS RATIU FAMILY DINNER – Wednesday 2 December 2009 A special Ratiu Family dinner was held at the Cosmos Club in Washington D.C. on the evening of 2 December, in celebration of the Ratiu Foundation’s 30th anniversary. The guest of honour was Adam Michnik, the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award Winner for 2009. Among the dinner guests were: The Hon Zbigniew Brzezinski; HE Robert Kupiecki, Ambassador of Poland in Washington D.C.; representatives of the Embassy of Romania in Washington D.C.; Prof Eliot Sorel, M.D., Senior Adviser IRDL; members of the Board of the Ratiu Foundation USA; Dr Jerzy Eisler, historian; Dr Anatoli Mikhailov (winner of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award 2007); Dean Carol Lancaster, School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University; Christian Ostermann, Director, European Studies Program, Woodrow Wilson Center; Prof Charles King, Georgetown University; journalist Sheilah Kast; Judge Patricia Wald; Prof Mary King, political scientist; representatives of US charities working in Romania; leaders of the American-Romanian community, and American businessmen of Romanian origin. The evening was hosted by Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman of the Ratiu Foundation, as well as by the Foundation’s Trustees, Elisabeth Ratiu and Indrei Ratiu. MEDIA BREAKFAST BRIEFING – Thursday 3 December 2009 Prior to the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture (IRDL), the press is invited to a Media Breakfast Briefing on the subject of “NATO, the EU, and the Resurgence of an Assertive Russian Foreign Policy:  Challenges to Europe’s Democratic Governance as seen from Warsaw”. Joining Adam Michnik, recipient of the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award, are guest speakers Arch Puddington, Director of Research, Freedom House; Stephan Richter, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, the Globalist; Christian Ostermann, Director, European Studies Program, Woodrow Wilson Center. • 9.00-10.00, Woodrow Wilson Center, 6th floor Moynihan Board Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. Reservations are required for this event. You are welcome to forward this invitation to other interested members of the press. Please RSVP to Sharon McCarter at (202) 691-4016 or by e-mail at sharon.mccarter@wilsoncenter.org. THE WORLD YOUTH DEMOCRACY FORUM – Friday 4 December 2009 The World Youth Democracy Forum for D.C.-Area Students, convened and moderated by Prof Eliot Sorel, M.D., Senior Adviser IRDL, and Henry Hale, director of the Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, the George Washington University, will take place on 4 December 2009 at the Elliott School of International Affairs. Young people interested in world affairs will have the chance to meet Adam Michnik, the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award Winner. • 10.00, Elliott School of International Affairs, room 505, 1957 E St., NW, Washington D.C. For more information, please visit www.wilsoncenter.org/ratiu Participation in this event is by invitation only. This event will be captured on video and made available through the Elliott School website. NOTE: hours above are US East Coast times. // // // // // // // // The purpose of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award and Lecture is to bring visibility and international recognition to the ideas and accomplishments of individuals around the world who are working on behalf of democracy. This programme expresses the deep commitment to democracy of the late Ion Ratiu through his contributions as a Romanian politician as well as his interest in democratic change worldwide. Ion Ratiu (1917–2000) was the most outspoken and consistent voice of opposition to Nicolae Ceausescu, whose regime he opposed for years from London as the democratically elected leader of the World Union of Free Romanians. Journalist, broadcaster and author, he was also a successful businessman. The 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center is the fifth event in a series begun at Georgetown University in 2005 and held at the Woodrow Wilson Center since 2006. Past awardees include Sergio Aguayo (Mexico, 2005), Saad El-Din Ibrahim (Egypt, 2006), Anatoli Mikhailov (Belarus, 2007), and Eleonora Cercavschi (Moldova, 2008). The Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture is organised by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation in London, and the Ratiu Center for Democracy in Turda, Romania. With the support of the Embassy of Romania in Washington D.C., RH Printing, and DHL. // // // // // // // // For further press information on IRDL: mail@ratiufamilyfoundation.com; Tel. +44 20 7486 0295, ext. 108

X | Close Image above courtesy of Woodrow Wilson Center The Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture 2009 in Washington, D.C. to be delivered by Adam Michnik: “Democracy: Traps and Question Marks” Thursday 3 December 2009, 16.00 – 18.00 Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Flom Auditorium, 6th Floor One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. For RSVP, e-mail IonRatiu-Lecture@wilsoncenter.org “Democracy: Traps and Question Marks” will be broadcast live over the internet (webcast) through Wilson Center’s On Demand service. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the event's page. Details on www.wilsoncenter.org/ratiu On Thursday 3 December 2009, Adam Michnik, the well-known Polish democracy campaigner, will be presented the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award and deliver the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. He will be introduced by Zbigniew Brzezinski, former National Security Adviser to U.S. President Jimmy Carter, 1977-81. The welcoming remarks are by Wilson Center President and Director, Lee Hamilton and by Ratiu Foundation Chairman, Nicolae Ratiu. Adam Michnik is the Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s largest daily newspaper. Historian, essayist and political publicist, Michnik was one of the leading organizers of the illegal, democratic opposition in Poland between 1968-1989. He was a founding member of the Komitet Obrony Robotnikow (Committee for the Defense of Workers) in 1976 and a prominent activist during the Solidarity movement in the 1980s. He participated in the Round Table Talks of 1989, and was later elected to Poland's first non-communist parliament, where he served from 1989-1991. Michnik is the author of several books, including Letters from Prison and Other Essays (1987), The Church and the Left (1993) and Letters from Freedom: Post Cold War Realities and Perspectives (1998). The purpose of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture (IRDL) is to bring visibility and international recognition to the ideas and accomplishments of individuals around the world who are working on behalf of democracy. The event expresses the deep commitment to democracy of the late Ion Ratiu through his contributions as a Romanian politician as well as his interest in democratic change worldwide. The Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture aims to replicate for campaigning democrats today, whether in exile from repressive regimes or representative of today's emerging democracies, the life-changing experience in Washington, D.C., of the Romanian democrat, Ion Ratiu, in the 1970s and 1980s. Ion Ratiu (1917–2000) was the most outspoken and consistent voice of opposition to Nicolae Ceausescu, whose regime he opposed for years from London as the democratically elected leader of the World Union of Free Romanians. Journalist, broadcaster and author, he was also a successful businessman in shipping and property, while simultaneously operating as a kind of Scarlet Pimpernel, assisting in the rescue of many who fled from Ceausescu’s dictatorship. After fifty years in exile he returned to his homeland in 1990 to contest the presidency. Although he won a seat in Parliament, and was to serve his country for his last ten years, his failure to win the presidency was a disappointment to many. Even nowadays, on Romanian streets, Ion Ratiu is remembered fondly, often referred to as “the best president Romania never had”. “Had Ion Ratiu been with us for the Democracy Award at the Woodrow Wilson Center this December 2009 he would have literally been overjoyed, challenging all of us to join him in a ‘hora’ in the Freedom Plaza, celebrating twenty years from the fall of the Iron Curtain.” (Professor Eliot Sorel, MD, member of the Wilson Center Council, senior advisor to the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture) “My father, Ion Ratiu, often used to express his admiration for the Poles’ courage to never stop their fight against oppression. By awarding the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture to Adam Michnik, we are not only recognising his tireless work for democracy in Poland, but we also recognise the Polish people's merit as 'fire-starters' of the chain of events that put 1989 in the history books!” (Indrei Ratiu, Director Ratiu Center for Democracy) “By offering Adam Michnik the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award, the Ratiu Foundation wants to pay homage to a great democrat, a most worthy example of all those men and women all over the world who choose to take an active role in making democracy a way of life, often facing persecution. As well as a celebration of democracy’s reawakening in Eastern Europe twenty years ago, the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture represents for us the crowning of a year of events marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Ratiu Foundation, which was established in London, in 1979, by my parents, Ion and Elisabeth Ratiu.” (Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman Ratiu Foundation) The 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center is the fifth event in a series begun at Georgetown University in 2005 and held at the Woodrow Wilson Center since 2006. Past awardees include Sergio Aguayo (Mexico, 2005), Saad El-Din Ibrahim (Egypt, 2006), Anatoli Mikhailov (Belarus, 2007), and Eleonora Cercavschi (Moldova, 2008). // // // // // // // // The Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture is organised by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation in London, and the Ratiu Center for Democracy in Turda , Romania. With the support of the Embassy of Romania in Washington D.C. , RH Printing, and DHL. // // // // // // // // The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, established by Congress in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the living national memorial to President Wilson. The Center establishes and maintains a neutral forum for free, open, and informed dialogue. It is a nonpartisan institution, supported by public and private funds and engaged in the study of national and world affairs. Details at www.wilsoncenter.org The Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation is a charitable organisation established in 1979 by the leading Romanian dissident and democracy campaigner, Ion Ratiu, and his wife Elisabeth Ratiu. The goals of the Foundation are to further education and research in the culture and history of Romania in particular, and also to stimulate and support civil society in its understanding and application of democracy and democratic principles the world over. Details at www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com The Ratiu Center for Democracy is an independent, non-governmental Romanian foundation, registered in 2004 in Turda, Transylvania. Based on the life and work of Ion Ratiu, the Center’s vision is to promote the values and behaviours associated with the practice of democracy, encouraging citizens of all ages to reach their fullest potential in the service of their community. Details at www.ratiudemocracycenter.org For further press information on IRDL: mail@ratiufamilyfoundation.com; Tel. +44 20 7486 0295, ext. 108

X | Close Adam Michnik. Photo: Albert Zawada / AG Well-known Democracy Campaigner Adam Michnik is the 2009 Recipient of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award The Woodrow Wilson Center, the Ratiu Center for Democracy, and the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation are pleased to announce that Adam Michnik is the 2009 Recipient of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award. Historian, essayist, political publicist, Michnik was one of the leading organizers of the illegal, democratic opposition in Poland between 1968-1989. Michnik is a political activist and former member of Poland’s first democratic parliament. The Ion Ratiu Democracy Award will be presented at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC, on 3 December 2009, during the 5th edition of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture (IRDL). An introduction by Zbigniew Brzezinski, statesman and former US National Security Adviser, will precede Adam Michnik’s address. Registration details from www.wilsoncenter.org/ratiu/ Announcing the news, Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman of the Ratiu Foundation, said: “2009 is a year full of significance, as we celebrate 20 years from the fall of the Iron Curtain and the beginning of the democracy process in Eastern Europe. The revolutions that led to the fall of the communist dictatorships have been velvet, full of solidarity or, tragically, accompanied by bloodshed. Through his tireless campaigning and ability to withstand the pressures of a strong oppressive apparatus, Adam Michnik ensured – together with his colleagues in the Solidarity movement – the transition from communism to democracy in Poland, and proved that, in the end, the pen has been mightier than the sword. By continuing to campaign for transparency, accountability, and freedom of speech, Adam Michnik chose to serve not only his country, but also the promotion of democratic behaviour all over the world. In order to celebrate his achievements and to salute his efforts that lead to 1989 being the best year for democracy, the Ratiu Foundation, together with its Board of Trustees and Advisors, have decided to honour Adam Michnik and offer him the 2009 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award. We are all looking forward to the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture in December, an event that will crown the celebrations of the 30-years anniversary of the establishment of the Ratiu Foundation in London, in 1979, by my parents, Ion and Elisabeth Ratiu.” For over 40 years Adam Michnik has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to securing the rights and liberties of the Polish people and to the values of democracy. He was a founding member of the Komitet Obrony Robotników (Committee for the Defense of Workers) in 1976 and a prominent activist during the Solidarity movement of the 1980s. He participated in the Round Table Talks of 1989 and was later elected to Poland’s first non-communist parliament, where he served from 1989-1991. Michnik continues to promote democratic values as the Editor-in-Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s largest daily newspaper. While he retired from active political life in 1991, Michnik remains one of Poland’s most prominent and influential people. The purpose of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture is to bring visibility and international recognition to the ideas and accomplishments of individuals around the world who are working on behalf of democracy. The lecture strives to enrich the intellectual environment in which ideas about democracy and democratic change circulate, both within and beyond Washington. Organised and sponsored by Woodrow Wilson Center (Washington DC), the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation (London) and the Ratiu Center for Democracy (Turda, Romania), the event expresses the deep commitment to democracy of the late Ion Ratiu through his contributions as a Romanian politician and intellectual as well as his interest in democratic change worldwide. The 2007 Ratiu Democracy Lecture was awarded to Anatoli Mikhailov of Belorussia, who discussed Democracy as a Challenge. The 2008 Ratiu Democracy Lecture was awarded to Eleonora Cercavschi of the Republic of Moldova, who discussed children’s rights and education. Previous winners of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Award include Saad El-Din Ibrahim (Egypt) in 2006 and Sergio Aguayo (Mexico) in 2005. The 2009 Lecture will be held by the winner of the award, Adam Michnik. Ion Ratiu (1917–2000) was the most outspoken and consistent voice of opposition to Nicolae Ceausescu, whose regime he opposed for years from London as the democratically elected leader of the Free Romanian Movement. Journalist, broadcaster and author, he was also a successful businessman in shipping and property, while simultaneously operating as a kind of Scarlet Pimpernel, assisting in the rescue of many democrats from Ceausescu's dictatorship. After 50 years in exile he returned to his homeland in 1990 to contest the presidency. Although he won a seat in Parliament, and was to serve his country for his last ten years, his failure to win the presidency was a disappointment to many. Even nowadays, on Romanian streets, Ion Ratiu is remembered fondly, often referred to as “the best president Romania never had”. For further press information: Mihai Risnoveanu – mail@ratiufamilyfoundation.com ; tel: +44 20 7486 0295, ext. 108 // // // www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com // // // // www.ratiudemocracycenter.org // // //

X | Close Photo Exhibition: ‘Paul Neagu (1938-2004): A Portrait’ by Laurentiu Garofeanu Open until Tuesday 15 September 2009 The Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre, Manchester Square, 18 Fitzhardinge Street, London W1H 6EQ; Tel. 020 7486 0295 ext. 108 Opening times: Mon - Fri 12.00 - 18.00. Admission free (booking essential, by phone or e-mail at bookings@romanianculturalcentre.org.uk). To commemorate Paul Neagu (1938-2004) - sculptor, painter, poet, and larger-than-life character - the Ratiu Foundation / Romanian Cultural Centre in London have opened a special exhibition of portraits of Paul and his work, taken by photographer and film-maker Laurentiu Garofeanu during 2003-2004. Paul Neagu came to London in 1969 at the invitation of Richard Demarco. By that time he had already worked on the construction of dams in the Danube, and studied painting at the Nicolae Grigorescu Institute in Bucharest. In London he started his career by lecturing at Chelsea School of Art and Hornsey College of Art, and many of the young sculptors he taught subsequently achieved international recognition. Since gaining British citizenship in 1977 he has been widely recognised, not only for his input in British sculpture, but also as the author of a series of drawings, paintings and performances. In 1992 he obtained Romanian citizenship, and became a citizen of both Britain and Romania. His inspirations are said to come partly from works of Cubism, Marcel Duchamp, Brancusi, but his major influences can also be said to be the metaphysics of geometry, mythology, and eschatology. Focusing on his interest in the concept of movement, exploiting his background as a technician and engineer in his creations, he also explores themes of modern philosophy, using metaphor rather than logic as a tool. The exhibition was launched with a special Culture Power presentation in memoriam Paul Neagu, on 2 July, where ‘The Heart of the Tornado’, a documentary film by Laurentiu and Agniezska Garofeanu, was screened. The projection was introduced by art critic and writer Mel Gooding and followed by a lively Q&A with the film-maker, and with friends of Paul sharing some of their memories of this great man. This exhibition was made possible through a Ratiu Foundation grant.

X | Close Romanian and Moldovan High-school Students attend the Presidential Classroom, in Washington DC Fifteen Romanian and Moldovan high-school students from the cities of Bucharest, Falticeni, Turda, Calarasi, Onesti and Grigoriopol (in the Transnistrian enclave of the Republic of Moldova) are currently in Washington DC, attending the one week-long 2009 Future World Leaders Summit organized by the Presidential Classroom. The Presidential Classroom is the world’s leading provider of hands-on experiential education in the practice of government for high-school students from all over the world who attend a variety of programs organised by the Classroom throughout each year. The strength of this year’s Romanian/Moldovan contingent was made possible by scholarships provided by the Ratiu Family Foundation of the UK, by Dr Eliot Sorel of Washington DC and by the Presidential Classroom itself, directed by Romanian-born Ms Maria Darie. Nicolae Ratiu, Chairman of the Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation, says: “We are very glad to offer the Ratiu Foundation’s support to students from Romania and the Republic of Moldova so that they can attend the prestigious Presidential Classroom. Acting in the sprit of my father, Ion Ratiu, a great democracy campaigner and humanitarian, we believe that democratic attitudes and ideals should be nurtured and encouraged in the younger generation, in order to ensure a fair and honest future for all. By supporting this trip to the 2009 Future World Leaders Summit, we want to show our continued interest in educational and civil society programmes both in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova.” Dr Eliot Sorel of the George Washington University, an American of Romanian origin born and raised in Falticeni, Romania, says “My childhood dream of a united Romania will symbolically be realized for one week in my own city !!!”. Dr Sorel has worked particularly hard to achieve the exceptionally strong Romanian/Moldovan attendance at this year’s Presidential Classroom. During their one week stay in Washington DC, Romanian and Moldovan participants will not only attend classes in the US nation’s Capitol building, but will also have an opportunity to visit the capital’s historic sites as well as meet with members of the Ratiu Foundation’s US Board and other Washington residents interested in Romanian and Moldovan affairs. Two of the students of the Romanian/ Moldovan group, who are now the youngest Ratiu Scholars, are Simina Oprea and Daniela Caliga. Simina from Turda will be starting high-school this autumn; she is an excellent student and is also a member of the Ion Ratiu Debating Club. Since 2007 she is a registered volunteer with the Ratiu Center for Democracy, showing an active interest in civil society. Daniela Caliga is a student at Stefan cel Mare si Sfant High-school in Grigoriopol, Republic of Moldova. She is involved in various extra-curricular activities dealing with the effect of the complicated political and social conditions in Grigoriopol on students and their families. The Ratiu Foundation’s support for the presence of the Romanian/Moldovan group in the Presidential Classroom stems from its commitment to building civil society in Romania and also in the Republic of Moldova. This pledge was made in 2008 in Washington DC, with the occasion of the Ion Ratiu Democracy Lecture. During this event, Moldovan democracy and human-rights campaigner, Mrs Eleonora Cercavschi, was honoured with the 2008 Ion Ratiu Democracy Award for her work. The Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation is a UK-registered charitable body established in London in 1979 by Ion and Elisabeth Ratiu, in order to promote and support projects which further education and research in the culture and history of Romania. The Foundation offers 100 annual grants worth GBP 200,000, principally for projects, postgraduate courses, conference participations, travel grants, and other short term courses including academic research. The Ratiu Center for Democracy is an independent, non-governmental Romanian foundation, established in 2004 in Turda, Transylvania. Based on the life and work of Ion Ratiu (1917-2000) the Center’s vision is to promote the values and behaviours associated with the practice of democracy, encouraging citizens of all ages to reach their fullest potential in the service of their community. The Center also promotes “democracy as a way of life”, by incorporating democracy-learning into its activities wherever possible and addressing problems that are common to most societies in transition to democracy. // // // www.ratiufamilyfoundation.com // // // // www.ratiudemocracycenter.org // // //