ENESCU - Skinned Alive
a film by Toma Enache
December 15, 2024, at 19:00
Cinema "Florin Piersic" Cluj-Napoca
Don't miss the premiere screening of the film "ENESCU, Skinned Alive," directed by Toma Enache, a captivating story about genius, love, sacrifice, and immortal music!
The film "Enescu, Skinned Alive" continues its national tour, which began in November, and will be presented exclusively at gala premieres in several cities across the country in the presence of the director and some team members, offering audiences a unique cinematic experience.
"Enescu – Skinned Alive" narrates the extraordinary and tumultuous journey of one of Romania's greatest composers and violinists, George Enescu. The film explores his inner world, revealing not only his immense talent but also the intense personal battles he fought throughout his life. At the heart of the story is his passionate and often heartbreaking love affair with Princess Maruca Cantacuzino, a relationship that shaped his destiny and the course of his music. Through sensitive and profound direction, Toma Enache brings to the audience an emotional exploration of the soul of a genius, in a film that blends music, history, and personal drama.
Director Toma Enache was recently awarded the "Premio Cultura" at the cultural event "Leoni, Gattopardi di Sicilia," organized at Palazzo Donà dalle Rose, in Venice. This project was created and directed by Nino Graziano Luca in collaboration with Countess Chiara Modica Donà dalle Rose, under the patronage of the Cultural Commission of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the International Council of Dance UNESCO.
"Nineteenth-century literature brought us various examples of 'Romantic Love in Female Form,' but the history of everyday life also shows us the other side of the coin. In most simple cases, the presence of 'the male' was inevitable, at least for the narratives of the time (today we would also talk about other relational dimensions). In some cases back then, the bilateral 'woman-male' experience in love's suffering was clear. Think of the love between Heinrich Von Kleist and Henriette Vogel (a married woman who could not leave her husband) that pushed the two secret lovers to suicide, to the ultimate gesture, to live their forbidden love in eternity. In the story of the Romanian musician, despite knowing that the princess loved him, George Enescu is the epitome of a 'Romantic Male Love' that is not afraid to show all its sweetness, all its romance.
Toma Enache makes us experience its sweetness and romance in every moment of the film, directing a perfect cast of actors in every role. Above all, the protagonists are superb!" - Master Nino Graziano Luca, director of the Compagnia Nazionale di Danza Storica
Director Toma Enache emphasizes in an interview for London Director Awards: "Few musicians in history have been so unanimously acclaimed as George Enescu. The great cellist Pablo Casals described him as 'the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart,' and for Yehudi Menuhin, his student, he was 'one of the wonders of the world.'
Our film is for all those who love music, love stories, for all those who love people who dedicate themselves to their talent and sacrifice themselves to leave something great behind. As a matter of fact, this is also what Enescu's magnum opus, Oedip, is about."
The film features a remarkable cast, with Mircea Dragoman as George Enescu and Theodora Sandu as Princess Maruca, alongside well-known actors such as Cezara Dafinescu, Manuela Hărăbor, Adrian Titieni, Cristian Sofron, Kira Hagi, Pavel Ulici, Filip Ristovski, Erica Moldovan, Codrin Dănilă, and the late Constantin Codrescu. The costumes are created by Italian Stefano Nicolao, famous for his work on Oscar-winning productions, and the music includes works by George Enescu and original compositions by Sebastian Androne-Nakanishi, awarded "Composer of the Year 2022" at the International Classical Music Awards.
The soundtrack is performed by the National Orchestra of France, under the baton of Maestro Cristian Măcelaru, artistic director of the George Enescu Festival, and the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, conducted by Maestro Horia Andreescu. Violinist Alexandru Tomescu also adds a distinct touch to this sound production. The soundtrack also includes an original musical fragment performed by George Enescu on violin and Dinu Lipatti on piano.
On the film's Facebook and Instagram page, there is a complete list with the date and location of each premiere. Check the list and don't miss your only chance to see the film "Enescu – Skinned Alive" in your city!
About the film:
George Enescu, a brilliant composer and violinist, is at the peak of his career and dreams of composing an opera. He falls in love with Princess Maruca, who inspires and challenges him. Although she loves him passionately, Maruca is attached to her husband and children. Destiny frees her from marriage, but will it be enough for the two to be happy together? And the opera? Will Enescu ever succeed in composing it?
Title: "Enescu – Skinned Alive"
Duration: 120 minutes
Rating 12+
Soundtrack: National Orchestra of France, under the baton of Maestro Cristian Măcelaru and National Radio Orchestra of Romania, conducted by Maestro Horia Andreescu
Directed by: Toma Enache
Producers: Marta Maria Mocanu, Elena Enache
Release Date: November 2, 2024
FILM REVIEW/
ENESCU, Skinned Alive
Critic Gustavo Coletti for Times of Cinema:
"When I finished watching 'ENESCU, Skinned Alive,' I immediately searched for the biography, not of Enescu but of director Toma Enache, because I was surprised by the quality of the film. I think I finally understood George Enescu after watching the two-hour film. Toma Enache has directed four feature films, starting in 2013, and has staged many theater plays in Bucharest. He has always been appreciated for the quality of his projects.
The film's credits are visually fascinating. Statues disassemble as representations of an impending tragedy. I gained access to Enescu through the director: a brilliant violinist and composer, who plans to compose an opera, in love with a married princess, who is also a mother. A true story, very close to fiction.
I greatly enjoyed the reconstruction of a fascinating period, as we are talking about the early 20th century, especially in Romania. Attention to detail in costumes and set design does not go unnoticed, and the most intense moments create an eclectic vibe between cinema and theater, shining like explosions, sometimes seeming supernatural.
It is hard to find such respect for the spirit of classical narratives in modern cinematography. The style and atmosphere of the film remind us of the great masters of Italian or German cinema. Toma Enache makes no compromises in his pursuit of excellence."
ATHENS INTERNATIONAL ART FILM FESTIVAL
"ENESCU, Skinned Alive" is a triumph not only as a period piece or biographical film but also as a philosophical exploration of the human condition. It addresses eternal questions related to love, creativity, and meaning with grace and depth, inviting the audience to reflect on the issue of genius and the sacrifices involved in striving for perfection.
As George Enescu himself said, "The artist unveils to humanity the path to harmony, which is happiness and peace." Toma Enache's film does exactly that - through its beauty, depth, and moving tribute to an artist who lived and loved passionately, it reminds us of the power of art to illuminate the path to harmony both in life and in love.""
INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL OF ROME — PRISMA
"Like the notes of a symphony, every moment in Enescu's life interweaves with nuances, pauses, and tones that go beyond mere melody. Between one note and another, in the silent and profound space between them — the interval, the unspoken chord — there exists a vast range of hidden emotions and meanings that shape and give substance to his soul. Just as a symphony is made not only of notes but also of the distance that separates them, Enescu's existence is constructed between the shadows of his loves, his losses, and his endless quest for beauty and truth."
"Enescu, Skinned Alive" is more than just a film or a concert: it is an EXPERIENCE you need to live through. (Emil Călinescu, CINEMIL)
"Between Enescu's life and art, there were no boundaries. And Toma Enache captures exactly this invisible border (or lack thereof)!
Not since "Man of God" have I seen an entire auditorium left silent at the end, reading the credits line by line, with no one daring to break the silence even with the deserved applause of a gala...
It was as if we had died with Enescu, this man skinned alive in life, alive among us in death!" (Floriana Jucan - Q Magazine)
#EnescuSkinnedAlive #TomaEnache #RomanianFilm #Cinema #GeorgeEnescu
#ClassicalMusic #IndependentFilm
We look forward to meeting with ENESCU!
National Tour ENESCU - Skinned Alive, December:
03.12 Chișinău
04.12 Vatra Dornei
05.12 Baia Mare
06.12 Bistrița
07.12 Sighet
09.12 Satu Mare
10.12 Zalău
11.12 Timișoara
13.12 Sebeș
14.12 Galați
15.12 Cluj
17.12 Tulcea
18.12 Brăila
19.12 Slobozia
20.12 Constanța
21.12 Năvodari
22.12 Stejaru
23.12 Mangalia
27.12 Iași
For additional details regarding the event mentioned above, please contact the organizing entity: ,Association C.L.A. La Steaua, CIF ,12708800 BUCHAREST
