Toma Enache
He was born on November 1, 1970 in the Black Sea city of Constanta, Romania, to a family of Aromanian/Vlach emigrants. His grandparents were all born in Greece, his father in North Macedonia and his mother in Bulgaria. The cultural particularities of his roots will later reflect on his artistic work in theatre and cinema. He took his BA at the Theatre and Film Academy in Bucharest (1998) and then his MA in actor’s art at the same university. He has staged successful theatre plays performed hundreds of times in Romania and abroad.
Your project has entered in our festival. What is your project about?
The project is about George Enescu, the most important Romanian composer and virtuoso of all time. Few musicians in the history of music have been as unanimously acclaimed as him. He was described by the great cellist Pablo Casals as "the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart", while Yehudi Menuhin, his student, saw him as "one of the true wonders of the world".
Your project has entered in our festival. What is your project about?
The project is about George Enescu, the most important Romanian composer and virtuoso of all time. Few musicians in the history of music have been as unanimously acclaimed as him. He was described by the great cellist Pablo Casals as "the greatest musical phenomenon since Mozart", while Yehudi Menuhin, his student, saw him as "one of the true wonders of the world".
What are your ambitions with your project?
An important Romanian philosopher once said that you have really achieved something if you have changed the mood of others. I think George Enescu can change the mood of all Romanians, especially now, in a post-pandemic time, with many problems, with a disputed conflict at the border of the country... music, art in general, can give hope, can help one reach the truth. As an example, between George Enescu and Sir Yehudi Menuhin we probably find the most beautiful friendship between a disciple and a master. We have a lot to learn from George Enescu, musically, but also outside of music. A complex personality that needs to be discovered by as many people as possible, music lovers or not.
Tell us something about your shooting? What pleasantly surprised you?
First of all, I must thank everyone involved in this shooting because the whole team understood that we are going to do something historic, something that will honor the memory of an extraordinary man; also the extraordinary locations in Iași and all over Romania that really helped us to experience that exquisite atmosphere, such as: the library of the "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University (which is voted as the most beautiful library in the world, competing with others such as the one at Trinity College in Dublin, the Royal Portuguese Library in Rio de Janeiro or the National Library in Prague), the Queen Maria Museum, the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest, Bucharest National Opera and many other emblematic places, which amazed even us during filming.
For what group of spectators is your film targeted?
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 behind something great. This is what the opera Oedipus by George Enescu is about.
Why should distributors buy your film?
They should do it because it's a really special film; in a film market saturated with series and so many genres of films, there is still the sensitivity caused by the scent of other eras: the film takes place in the interwar period, such a special time, with beautiful costumes, with vintage cars, with extraordinary places and with extraordinary love stories, like the one between Maria Teșcanu Rosetti (Maruca) and George Enescu. And, of course, the central character of the film is the most important Romanian composer, a brilliant child who was a trailblazer.
Why did you decided to become a filmmaker?
I wanted to tell stories that many people would see and understand.
Who is your role model?
I could rather mention directors that I appreciate, they are many. I am fascinated by Italian and American cinematography; "Malena" is one of my favorite movies and the funny part is that back in my childhood, I was actually the kid riding a bike after a girl to get in her way as many times I could. I find it fascinating that, despite the fact that the context changes and the timeframe is different, we kind of stay the same: our feelings, worries and actions remain the same.
Where do you look for inspiration for your films?
In extraordinary people, in extraordinary events; there have always been things, truths that everyone knows about, but no one does anything about them. Moreover, they all want us to do something with them. I take as an example "I am not famous, but I am Aromanian", the first artistic movie in Aromanian that I directed; everyone kept asking why there are no Aromanian films yet, kept saying that an Aromanian film should be made and so on. The same with the Pitești experiment, a so well-known phenomenon that people had the impression that they had already seen a film on this topic, but there was none! I am the man who likes to take action, and I wanted to answer these questions through quality cinematographic products.
Which topics interest you the most?
As anyone can notice, my topics are very different. I cannot say one interests me more than another. I prefer subjects that bring to the surface long-hidden or long-awaited truths.
What do you consider your greatest achievement in your career?
It is very difficult for me to say. I know that everything I did, I did with passion and with the belief that it must be the most important film I've produced. I always try to do better, so it's natural that I always think that the last film is also the best one.
What do you consider most important about filming?
Very important but also very difficult is that the team manages to maximize the moment and place; there must be a very good connection between the entire technical team and the entire artistic team.
How would you rate/What is your opinion about current filmmaking?
Sensitive topic. There are also extraordinary films, which I appreciate, but as always... in fact, here I would also ask a question: do you think that if the public was to make a top 100 best films or 50 best films or even 10 best films, do you think that the majority of the selection will be from current filmmaking or from the past? I think that the 50s, 60s, 70s, and so on, even 2000s produced amazing movies, movies that can be considered classics. At least, that's what I believe.
What can disappoint you in a movie?
I don't watch movies that disappoint me. I would be disappointed by a film that doesn't say anything. A film that doesn't move me in any way.
Who supports you in your film career?
We're talking independent films, so you always have the support of friends, sponsors, the team, everyone actually supports an idea and the man who puts it into practice. Most of the time, the support came from people who had seen my films before. They appreciated my work and - to conclude - that is probably one of my greatest achievements.