BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ARCS Project - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://arcsproject.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for ARCS Project REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20180101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220416T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220416T110000 DTSTAMP:20240124T002814Z CREATED:20240123T234941Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T002814Z UID:10000138-1650103200-1650106800@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Tethered to the Unexpected DESCRIPTION:Join us for a poetry reading and discussion with poet Roxana Cazan about her latest book "Tethered to the Unexpected".Guest speakers: Clara Burghelea and Domnica RădulescuModerator: Otilia Baraboi Register HERE. Tethered to the Unexpected is a lyrical treat despite its grim truth. Roxana Cazan offers a loving\, lasting tribute to familial bonds though "some days the windows / don't withstand the rain." [...] Beyond a body in decline\, Roxana's unassuming voice explores her grandmother's life\, tethered to her own\, attempting to close the "distance / between home and crib."– Ken Hada\, author of Contour Feathers Read more about Roxana Cazan's book on her website.Buy the book HERE. Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC)\, Immigration Research Forum\, Bucharest Inside the Beltway\, Romanian United Fund\, and Romanians of DC\, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsRoxana CazanBefore teaching at the University of Oklahoma\, Roxana L. Cazan taught literature\, creative writing\, and women's studies courses at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. She is an interpreter and translator of Romanian and a poet. Her poems have been featured in Poets Reading the News\, The Windsor Review\, Cold Creek Review\, Construction Literary Magazine\, Glass Lyre Press\, Adanna Literary Journal\, Watershed Review\, The Portland Review\, Harpur Palate and others. Her full-length poetry books are The Accident of Birth (Main Street Rag 2017) and Tethered to the Unexpected (Alien Buddha Press 2022).\n\nRoxana’s scholarly work focuses on ethnic and postcolonial literature and women’s studies and has appeared in Neophilologus\, Women’s Studies Quarterly\, Comparative Literature Studies\, Studies in American Jewish Literature\, American Journal of Undergraduate Research\, and Demeter Press. A chapter is forthcoming in Remembering Kahina: Women\, Representation and Resistance in Post-Independence North Africa\, Routledge.\n\nShe is the co-editor of the anthology\, Voices on the Move: An Anthology by and about Refugees\, Solis Press\, 2020. Clara BurgheleaClara Burghelea is a Romanian-born poet with an MFA in Poetry from Adelphi University. Recipient of the Robert Muroff Poetry Award\, her poems and translations appeared in Ambit\, Waxwing\, The Cortland Review\, and elsewhere. Her second poetry collection\, Praise the Unburied\, was published with Chaffinch Press in 2021. She is Poetry Co-Editor of the museum of americana and Review Editor of Ezra\, An Online Journal of Translation. Domnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin\, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee\, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.\n\nRadulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels\, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009)\, Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.\n\nRadulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.\n\nRadulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books\, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy\, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile\, refugee art\, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays\, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life  is her first memoir and it has been released from  Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.\n\n  URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/tethered-to-the-unexpected/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Roxana_Cazan_-_April_16_Event-scaled.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220326T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220326T110000 DTSTAMP:20240124T002647Z CREATED:20240124T000540Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T002647Z UID:10000139-1648288800-1648292400@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Writing on the Walls at Night\, A Journey from Romania to the US DESCRIPTION:Join us for poetry reading and discussion with poet Claudia Serea about her latest book “Writing on the Walls at Night”Guest speakers: Clara Burghelea and Adina Dabija Moderator: Otilia Baraboi Register HERE In this new collection of prose poems\, Claudia Serea uses surrealism\, irony\, and black humor to express her experiences\, from growing up behind the Iron Curtain to immigrating to New York City. The first section of the book\, “There Were No Magic Beans\,” recalls her childhood in Romania under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s rule\, a world in which terror mixes with fairy tales\, nightmares\, and dreams. The second section\, “The Keepers of Moon Keys\,” introduces a cast of peculiar characters\, including folk tale protagonists\, witches\, ghosts\, a collector of clouds\, a bone music maker\, a man who paints the time\, and the Lord of Meanwhile. In “Dark Calligraphy\,” the poet conjures history\, remembering war and oppression through the eyes of a child. The reader is guided by a little girl and a museum custodian through the great traumas of recent history. In the last section of the book\, “The Russian Hat\,” Serea transports the reader into a metropolis as strange as the past she carries with her\, to the “museum of our lives\,” where “we are the curators\, the visitors\, and the paintings that paint themselves.” This astonishing place vaguely resembles New York City distorted by memories and dreams\, but it might as well be Las Vegas where “what happens in the poem stays in the poem.” In this collection\, Serea’s readers win “pound after pound of shiny poems\,” the magical beans they will use to escape again and again\, discovering hidden meanings with surprise and delight in each new reading. Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC)\, Immigration Research Forum\, Bucharest Inside the Beltway\, and Romanians of DC\, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsClaudia SereaClaudia Serea’s poems and translations have been published in Field\, New Letters\, Prairie Schooner\, The Malahat Review\, The Puritan\, Oxford Poetry\, Asymptote\, and elsewhere. She is the author of six poetry collections and four chapbooks\, most recently Writing on the Walls at Night (Unsolicited Press\, 2022). Serea’s poem My Father’s Quiet Friends in Prison\, 1958-1962 received the New Letters Readers Award\, and she was featured in the documentary Poetry of Witness (2015). Serea’s poems have been translated in French\, Italian\, Russian\, Arabic\, and Farsi\, and have been featured in The Writer’s Almanac\, as well as in several international festivals and anthologies. Her collection of selected poems translated into Arabic\, Tonight I’ll Become a Lake into which You’ll Sink\, was published in Cairo\, Egypt\, in 2021. Serea is a founding editor of National Translation Month\, and she co-hosts The Red Wheelbarrow Poetry Readings in Rutherford\, NJ. Clara BurgheleaClara Burghelea is a Romanian-born poet with an MFA in Poetry from Adelphi University. Recipient of the Robert Muroff Poetry Award\, her poems and translations appeared in Ambit\, Waxwing\, The Cortland Review\, and elsewhere. Her second poetry collection\, Praise the Unburied\, was published with Chaffinch Press in 2021. She is Poetry Co-Editor of the museum of americana and Review Editor of Ezra\, An Online Journal of Translation. Adina DabijaAdina Dabija is a writer and philosopher born in Aiud\, Romania. She now lives in New York\, where she practices acupuncture and hypnosis. Her first book\, poezia-papusa\, was awarded the Bucharest Writers’ Association Guild Prize in 1998. She published Stare nediferentiata in 2010 for which she was awarded Tomis prize in Constanta\, Romania. In 2011 she published Beautybeast (North Shore Press)\, her first collection of poetry translated into English by Claudia Serea\, and in 2012 her first novel\, Saman (Ed. Polirom). Adina is currently working on four books: Songs from My Garden\, a poetry collection\, Nine Seeds for Life\, a practical self-help book which combines narrative medicine from her native Romania with gardening and bio cognition for anyone suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder\, Rumi’s Field\, a novel on the mystical relationship between Rumi\, the 12th century Sufi poet\, and his spiritual companion Shams al Tabriz\, and Wise and Wild in America\, a book of interviews with exponents of the traditional American values such as self-reliance\, individual freedom and equality of opportunity to inspire the young generations. Some of her recent writings and interviews can be found at www.sol.center URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/writing-on-the-walls-at-night-a-journey-from-romania-to-the-us/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/303-Copy_of_Copy_of_Copy_of_Dor_Is_Longing_Untranslatable-3.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220312T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220312T113000 DTSTAMP:20250109T222336Z CREATED:20230907T022853Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250109T222336Z UID:10000077-1647079200-1647084600@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Space\, New Technologies and Sustainability DESCRIPTION:Celebrate International Women’s Month with us! Join us for this event honoring the work of women scientists and their pioneer spirit. \nOur first workshop features Dr. Ioana Cozmuta\, Romanian American world expert in materials\, microgravity and space. \nThis event inaugurates a special Speakers Series as part of the Heritage Language Program Grant\, awarded by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department to the Wenatchee School District and other local organizations\, ARCS among them\, to develop a year-long remote learning program for Heritage Language speakers of Romanian\, Russian\,  Spanish and Ukrainian. Other upcoming events will feature speakers representing the Ukrainian\, Russian and Spanish-speaking communities included in the grant. \nRegister HERE. \nEvent organized in partnership with World Affairs Council -Global Classroom\, the Ethnic Heritage Council\, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department and Wenatchee School District. \nMore about This Event: \nSince 1961\, when Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly to and successfully return from space\, humanity has made unprecedented leaps in the exploration of space such as setting foot on the surface of the Moon through the Apollo missions and permanently inhabiting the International Space Station for the past two decades! \nThe year 2010 marked yet another important transformation with SpaceX’s first successful orbital flight operated by a commercial company set to increase the frequency\, reduce the price and broadening opportunities to access space. Not only has space technology continued to advance rapidly; SpaceX’s success has laid the grounds for a wave of commercial companies and private investments currently building and expanding infrastructure in low earth orbit and beyond. \nThe benefits of space extend well beyond technological advancements. They impact every single aspect of our life on Earth from forecasting natural disasters and sustainable utilization of natural resources to enabling remote healthcare\, climate change monitoring and disaster management to name a few. The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has captured how space is supporting the Sustainable Development Goals under the Space4SDG’s branding. \nAs the New Space movement continues to grow so does its reach and impact on our day-to-day life. Next on the horizon is a new wave of companies developing technologies and manufacturing processes that will ultimately result in moving Earth manufacturing into space. From designing superior materials and products without gravity to leveraging on direct access to space solar power\, vacuum\, and ultra-low temperatures such a shift will be a strong correcting force to counterbalance pollution and greenhouse gas emissions\, severe degradation of Earth ecosystem services\, loss of biodiversity\, climate change\, etc. \nEnabling civil society the experience of flying into space it is foreseen that it will trigger a mass-scale shift in humanity’s own awareness and accelerate the path towards enlightenment through propagating the Overview effect – that miraculous sense of awe and deep respect towards the uniqueness of life on planet Earth\, our only home amongst the stars. \nIoana Cozmuta\n\n\nDr. Ioana Cozmuța is the founder and CEO of G-space Inc (https://www.zerogspace.com)\, a women-owned B-corporations and a reflection of Ioana’s passions: to discover and build opportunities for socio-economic benefit at the confluence of Space and Earth and to mentor and inspire the new generation towards a more prosperous future for humanity. Ioana holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Groningen\, the Netherlands and she is an alumnus of Caltech and Stanford University. During her career at NASA and in the industry spanning two decades\, Ioana has built a legacy on transforming the status quo\, opening new avenues for innovation\, collaboration\, space technology commercialization and public-private partnerships. The current fiber optics manufacturing in space has its origin in a paper published in 2017. Dr. Cozmuța is a TedEx Future Spoiler (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlsGhC3G1d8)\, a keynote/speaker and lecturer. She has co/authored over 200 scientific articles\, technical reports and newspaper interviews; webinars and podcasts. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/space-new-technologies-and-sustainability/ CATEGORIES:Education,TALKS (Romanian Explorers) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/302-Speakers_Series_OSPI_HL_Grant_._jpg.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220305T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220305T110000 DTSTAMP:20240124T002437Z CREATED:20240124T001717Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T002437Z UID:10000140-1646474400-1646478000@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Francophone Writers of Romanian Origin: Annie Lulu's Debut Novel DESCRIPTION:Did you know that Romanian is the 5th most widely spoken Romance language in the world\, after Spanish\, Portuguese\, French and Italian? Also\, there are strong historic links between Romania and France\, dating back to the 18th century\, and in 1991 Romania joined the International Organization of La Francophonie.  In March we are thrilled to celebrate the month of Francophonie and the French-speaking world with Romanian Congolese writer Annie Lulu\, and her special guest\, Romanian American writer and scholar Domnica Rădulescu.  Join us on March 5th at 10am PT| 1pm ET.Register here. You can buy the novel here. Event organized in partnership with Alliance Française de Seattle. Find out more about how the Alliance Française of Seattle celebrates the Month of Francophonie throughout March.  GuestsAnnie LuluAnnie Lulu was born in Iasi\, Romania. Her father is Congolese and her mother Romanian. She arrived in France at a young age\, then studied philosophy. She devotes herself fully to writing. "La mer Noire dans les Grands Lacs" (The Black Sea in the African Great Lakes)\, her first novel\, received the Senghor Prize\, the Littérature de l'Exil Prize\, and was a finalist for many prestigious literary prizes in the Francophone world (Prix Orange du Livre\, Grand Prix du Roman Métis\, Prix Ahmadou Kourouma\, Prix des Étonnants Voyageurs. Domnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin\, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee\, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.\n\nRadulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels\, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009)\, Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.\n\nRadulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.\n\nRadulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books\, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy\, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile\, refugee art\, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays\, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life  is her first memoir and it has been released from  Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.\n\n  URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/francophone-writers-of-romanian-origin-annie-lulus-debut-novel/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Annie_Lulu_-scaled.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220227T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220227T110000 DTSTAMP:20240217T011603Z CREATED:20230907T023803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240217T011603Z UID:10000078-1645956000-1645959600@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Mărțișoare Workshop 2022 DESCRIPTION:Join us for a spring celebration -Mărțișor\, March 1st. \nMărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year\, on March 1st\, also widely spread in Bulgaria and the Balkans. \nThe name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian). \nIt is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year. Read more HERE  \nRegister HERE in advance for this meeting. \nAfter registering\, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. \nThe workshop is destined for kids ages 7+\, or younger\, supervised by a parent. \nRomanian artist and musician Beatrice Iordan will lead the workshop. \nBeatrice Iordan is a puppet artist\, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant\, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”\, her theater company\, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves\, that we are our own mentor. \nYou can find out more about her from this article in Romanian. \nEvent organized in partnership with the Romanian NGO – Cu Alte Cuvinte\, and our community partners from Washington D.C. – Romanians of DC \n \nBeatrice Iordan\n\n\nBeatrice Iordan is a puppet artist\, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant\, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”\, her theater company\, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves\, that we are our own mentor. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/martisoare-workshop-2022/ CATEGORIES:Culture & Civilization,Heritage ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/299-Copy_of_Atelier_de_Mărțișoare-3.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220205T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220205T110000 DTSTAMP:20240124T003617Z CREATED:20240124T003038Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T003617Z UID:10000141-1644055200-1644058800@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Dream in a Suitcase: The Story of an Immigrant Life by Domnica Rădulescu DESCRIPTION:What is in the suitcase of a refugee escaping from a politically oppressive regime? Drawing on Domnica Rădulescu's recent memoir Dream in a Suitcase: The Story of an Immigrant Life\, this event is an invitation to explore the multifaceted fabric of dreams and cherished memories immigrants bring to the US. Join us for a dialogue between the author\, and her special guests who share similar stories of exile\, uprootedness and resilience.  Register for the event HERE. About the book:Dream in a Suitcase unravels a fast-paced journey of survival\, resilience\, and the power of love. The story offers a rich multicultural mosaic of a life divided not only between two cultures and languages\, that of the heroine's native Romania and her adoptive US but also between Chicago's urban culture and that of a small town in Virginia marked by a heavy confederate history. This book is deeply relevant for our times as it offers an opportunity for American-born audiences to develop a deeper understanding for all those who arrived in this country as refugees in search of freedom\, peace\, and different versions of the American Dream. Buy the book HERE. Endorsements: "An extraordinary memoir of fortitude and freedom\, a narrative that is vibrant and lyrical. Rădulescu takes us from Romania's dark dictatorial past to the world of literature and beauty\, back to the landscapes of her beloved native country\, then to her new home in America\, and always to the geography of the earth. This is an extraordinary read and a covenant to the power of truth and words."  Marjorie Agosin\, award-winning author of I Lived on Butterfly Hill. "Domnica Radulescu is a courageous writer. Dream in a Suitcase\, like her other novels\, is a breathless read." Andrei Codrescu\, NPR commentator\, award-winning poet\, and filmmaker. Find out more about Domnica Rădulescu's work:http://www.domnicaradulescu.com Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Immigration Research Forum\, Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC)\, Bucharest Inside the Beltway\, Romanians of DC\, Romanian United Fund\, and ARCHER\, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute in NY/USA GuestsDomnica RădulescuDomnica Rădulescu is an American writer of Romanian origin\, living in the United States where she arrived in 1983 as a political refugee\, having escaped the communist dictatorship of her native Romania. She settled in Chicago where she obtained a master’s degree in Comparative literature and a PhD in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago. She is the Edwin A. Morris Professor of Comparative Literature at Washington and Lee University.\n\nRadulescu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels\, Train to Trieste (Knopf 2008 &2009)\, Black Sea Twilight (Transworld 2011 & 2012) and Country of Red Azaleas (Hachette 2016) and of award-winning plays. Train to Trieste has been published in thirteen languages and is the winner of the 2009 Library of Virginia Fiction Award.\n\nRadulescu received the 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and is twice a Fulbright scholar.\n\nRadulescu also published fourteen non-fiction books\, edited and co-edited collections on topics ranging from the tragic heroine in western literature to feminist comedy\, to studies of exile literature to theater of war and exile\, refugee art\, and two collections of original plays. Two of her plays\, Exile Is My Home and The Town with Very Nice People were runners up for the Jane Chambers Playwriting award in 2012 and 2013. Dream in a Suitcase. The Story of an immigrant Life  is her first memoir and it has been released from  Austin Macauley Publishers in December 2021.\n\n  Roxana CazanBefore teaching at the University of Oklahoma\, Roxana L. Cazan taught literature\, creative writing\, and women's studies courses at Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania. She is an interpreter and translator of Romanian and a poet. Her poems have been featured in Poets Reading the News\, The Windsor Review\, Cold Creek Review\, Construction Literary Magazine\, Glass Lyre Press\, Adanna Literary Journal\, Watershed Review\, The Portland Review\, Harpur Palate and others. Her full-length poetry books are The Accident of Birth (Main Street Rag 2017) and Tethered to the Unexpected (Alien Buddha Press 2022).\n\nRoxana’s scholarly work focuses on ethnic and postcolonial literature and women’s studies and has appeared in Neophilologus\, Women’s Studies Quarterly\, Comparative Literature Studies\, Studies in American Jewish Literature\, American Journal of Undergraduate Research\, and Demeter Press. A chapter is forthcoming in Remembering Kahina: Women\, Representation and Resistance in Post-Independence North Africa\, Routledge.\n\nShe is the co-editor of the anthology\, Voices on the Move: An Anthology by and about Refugees\, Solis Press\, 2020. Alina ȘtefănescuAlina Ștefănescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham\, Alabama with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook\, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series\, Nov. 2020) and Dor\, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September\, 2021). Her debut fiction collection\, Every Mask I Tried On\, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). Alina's poems\, essays\, and fiction can be found in Prairie Schooner\, North American Review\, World Literature Today\, Pleiades\, Poetry\, BOMB\, Crab Creek Review\, and others. She serves as poetry editor for several journals\, reviewer and critic for others\, and Co-Director of PEN America's Birmingham Chapter. She is currently working on a novel-like creature. More online at www.alinastefanescuwriter.com. Otilia Baraboi\, Ph.D.Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania\, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction\, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania\, Switzerland\, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington\, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years\, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013\, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia\, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace\, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work\, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students\, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable\, community-building programs and partnerships\, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all\, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct\, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define\, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/dream-in-a-suitcase-the-story-of-an-immigrant-life-by-domnica-radulescu/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/DREAM_in_a_Suitcase_.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220122T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220122T110000 DTSTAMP:20240124T201858Z CREATED:20240124T200716Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240124T201858Z UID:10000142-1642845600-1642849200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Dor: A Mode in Translation DESCRIPTION:Join us for a conversation about dor\, a Romanian word that some find untranslatable\, and the complex relationships it acquires in exilic relations. What does dor carry as baggage? How does dor change when looking back towards a homeland in an Ovidian gaze? Is there an intentionality in exilic dor that shapes the various Romanian diaspora groups? Why and how do we re-cognize ourselves in longing? How is nostalgia politicized\, and how do translators deal with the larger context of so-called untranslatable concepts?  Our discussion will draw from Alina Ștefănescu's book "DOR" (order HERE https://www.alinastefanescuwriter.com/dor)  establishing a dialogue between the author and the personal experiences\, reflections and writings of our special guests Adriana Oniță\, Cristiana Grigore and Andrew Davidson-Novosivschei. Read more details about our guests in their bios below.    Register for the event HERE. Watch the recording of this event HERE.  A Few Things on the Word Dor\, from The Dictionary of Unstranslatables\, A Philosophical Lexicon (edited by Barbara Cassin (translated into English by Emily Apter\, Jaques Lezra & Michael Wood)   Event organized by ARCS in partnership with Immigration Research Forum\, Arizona American-Romanian Cultural Collaborative (ARCC)\, Romanians of DC and Bucharest Inside the Beltway\, with the support of the Romanian Cultural Institute. GuestsAlina ȘtefănescuAlina Ștefănescu was born in Romania and lives in Birmingham\, Alabama with her partner and several intense mammals. Recent books include a creative nonfiction chapbook\, Ribald (Bull City Press Inch Series\, Nov. 2020) and Dor\, which won the Wandering Aengus Press Prize (September\, 2021). Her debut fiction collection\, Every Mask I Tried On\, won the Brighthorse Books Prize (April 2018). Alina's poems\, essays\, and fiction can be found in Prairie Schooner\, North American Review\, World Literature Today\, Pleiades\, Poetry\, BOMB\, Crab Creek Review\, and others. She serves as poetry editor for several journals\, reviewer and critic for others\, and Co-Director of PEN America's Birmingham Chapter. She is currently working on a novel-like creature. More online at www.alinastefanescuwriter.com. Person not found Cristiana GrigoreCristiana Grigore is a writer\, research scholar and the founder of the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University\, an initiative that spotlights Roma peoples and expands Roma studies by examining topics such as identity and stigma\, mobility and displacement. Herself a Roma—a member of Europe's largest minority with approximately one million Roma living in the US— she has firsthand experience with internalized stigma and concealing one's ethnicity.\n\nUpon arriving in the United States in 2006\, Cristiana found a more conducive environment in which to express her Roma identity. She is writing a book that explores how her immersion in American culture enabled her to grapple more fully with her Roma/Gypsy ethnicity. Her writing was published by the New York Times and she writes periodic op-eds for Newsweek and other media channels. Her work has been featured by Vogue\, CNN\, Al Jazeera America\, PRI\, and Voice of America\, among other outlets.\n\nA Fulbright Scholar from Romania\, Cristiana graduated from Vanderbilt University with an MA in International Education Policy and Management in December 2012. She earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Bucharest in 2007. Most recently she is part of an advisory group for the National Gallery of Art on a topic related to Roma in the Arts.\n\n  Andrew Davidson-NovosivscheiAndrew Davidson-Novosivschei (b. 1987) is a teacher\, poet\, and translator from Arizona\, currently based in Bucharest. His Romanian-language poems have appeared in Poesis International\, Tribuna\, Poetic Stand\, and others. His English-language poems have most recently appeared in Apricity Press\, and his poem “the taste of freedom” was nominated for the 2021 Pushcart Prize. He has been invited to read his poems at festivals such as Poezia e la Bistrița\, 2021\, Bucharest International Poetry Festival (FIPB)\, Iași International Festival of Literature and Translation (FILIT)\, and reading groups such as Republica and the Blecher Institute. His translations have appeared in Asymptote Journal\, Trafika Europe\, and others\, and have been awarded grants from the Romanian Cultural Institute and FILIT. Otilia Baraboi\, Ph.D.Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania\, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction\, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania\, Switzerland\, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington\, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years\, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013\, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia\, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace\, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work\, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students\, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable\, community-building programs and partnerships\, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all\, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct\, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define\, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/dor-a-mode-in-translation/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Copy_of_Dor_Is_Longing_Untranslatable-3.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220115T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220115T110000 DTSTAMP:20240130T212129Z CREATED:20240130T212117Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T212129Z UID:10000158-1642240800-1642244400@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Archetypal Symbols In Romania and Worldwide with Artist Magda Nica DESCRIPTION:Symbols are graphic metaphors that help us understand the invisible world. Their meaning is magical\, although few are those who know how to read\, decode and translate their secret language. This workshop is an invitation to discover how symbols unite us at a subtle level\, in mysterious and profound ways. \n“To symbolize means\, in a way and at a certain level\, to live together” (Jean Chevalier) \nRegister Here for the event. \nYou can watch the recording of this event HERE. \nThis event is the first from a series under the umbrella of a larger collective project “THE EXQUISITE GORGE PROJECT II: Fiber Arts”\, developed by Curator of Education at Maryhill Museum of Art\, Louise Palermo. It features 13 regional fiber artists working with communities along 220 miles of the Columbia River from the Willamette Confluence to the Snake River Confluence. ARCS is proud to be one of the partner organizations in this majestic cross-cultural enterprise by supporting the participation of Seattle-based Romanian born artist Magda Nica. You can find out more details about this collaborative project here: https://www.maryhillmuseum.org/exquisite-gorge-project-2022 URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/archetypal-symbols-in-romania-and-worldwide-with-artist-magda-nica/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Education,Heritage,Visual Arts ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/295-Archaic_Symbols_In_Romania-4.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20220101T150000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20220513T160000 DTSTAMP:20230908T210952Z CREATED:20230907T024203Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230908T210952Z UID:10000080-1641049200-1652457600@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:ARCS Romanian Heritage Language and Culture School - Fall 2022 DESCRIPTION:Course Description \nThis class is tailored for students of Romanian origin nationwide who do not understand\, nor speak the language\, but who have been exposed to Romanian culture and are curious to find out more about their heritage. They will learn basic conversational skills in Romanian and will develop their pronunciation\, vocabulary\, writing and reading knowledge.They will gain confidence and will be able to connect with their Romanian family in meaningful ways.  No knowledge of Romanian required. Groups of 4-5 students / 60 min\, weekly. Tuition: 14 sessions for $ 350 (25$/h) – please scroll down for payment options. \nWe arre thrilled to partner with the Romanian United Fund to offer this class to children living in the Chicago area. \nCalendar and Holidays\nSpring Semestrer Dates:  Jan 28\, 5pm – 6pm CST\, May 13\, 2022  (our website posts the Pacific Time) \nInstruction Days: \n• Jan 28 \n• Feb 4\, 11\,18 \n• Mar 4\, 11\,18\, 25 \n• April 1\, 8\, 22\, 29 \n• May 6\, 13 \nHolidays:  \n• Mid-winter break: Feb 25 \n• Spring break: April 15 \nAbout Our School  \nARCS Romanian Heritage Language School offers innovative virtual classes and workshops for children\, youth and adults with Romanian background or with an interest to learn Romanian\, nationwide. Our teaching methods are based on the core principles of Heritage Language Education to nourish bilingualism and address holisitically the bi-cultural identity of our students through project-based activities\, play\, authentic sources\, critical thinking\, and meaningful interactions with their families and communities. Our students gain pride and confidence as heritage language speakers and learners of Romanian\, while developing a global understanding of the world. \nWe are the first Romanian secular community-based school to have developed a teaching curriculum according to the priciples of HERITAGE EDUCATION\, since 2016. We are looking for partners and happy to share our methodology with other communities in the Romanian diaspora. Our current students come from numerous regions in the US. We can accommodate to various time zones and have demonstrated experience teaching multiple levels and age groups. \nPlease write to Otilia Baraboi at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org to find out more about our programs and possible collaborations with your communities. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/arcs-romanian-heritage-language-and-culture-school-fall-2022-2/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/298-Introduction_to_Romanian_-_Chicago-3.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211204 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211223 DTSTAMP:20230908T210949Z CREATED:20230907T032642Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230908T210949Z UID:10000090-1638576000-1640217599@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Support ARCS Educational Partner Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University DESCRIPTION:On Roma Resilience: A Scholarship Fund for Students & Scholars (Roma Peoples Project in partnership with American Romanian Cultural Society) \nPlease support the RPP and American Romanian Cultural Society to launch an educational program for the Spring of 2022. Our goal is to develop a pilot project in which we involve a minimum of 10 students and scholars to receive knowledge and mentorship in Roma studies. The knowledge they will access is a combination of existing materials produced by the RPP over the past four years and customized lessons that provide an introduction to key ideas in Roma studies. \nThe global situation of Roma is one of the most neglected human rights issues of our time\, yet the topic remains largely absent or misunderstood within academia and society. Today’s students do not have access to the knowledge they need to include Roma in the decisions they will make as future professionals and leaders. While we are working to address this in a systemic\, structural maner\, and have universities teach Roma Studies in the classroom and cultural institutions provide knowledge on the topic\, we believe it is urgent to create these learning spaces now. For that we need to mobilize\, partner and be that solution ourselves by being involved and contributing to making this possibility a reality.  To build a future where knowledge of Roma is part of mainstream academia\, let’s create pathways for today’s students to be agents of change and access nuanced\, accurate and rigorously researched knowledge of Roma. \nTogether with the Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University\, we will select students and scholars\, Roma and non-Roma\, from a variety of universities and other community-based educational programs\, and will provide opportunities  for one semester  with the Roma Peoples Project team  to gain an introduction to Roma studies and receive mentorship in undertaking their own research projects in Roma studies. Our fundraising goal of $5\,000 will support 10 students to access this program\, although additional funds raised will provide the capacity to work with a larger group of students and scholars. \nThroughout this program\, ARCS will work closely with our partners at Roma Peoples Project to create educational opportunities for ARCS Romanian heritage students enrolled in the OSPI Heritage Language Grant\, a program developed in partnership with the Ethnic Heritage Council and World Affairs Council. \nABOUT THE ROMA PEOPLES PROJECT \nThe Roma Peoples Project at Columbia University is a platform for Roma and their allies to share knowledge and stories\, to understand the Roma peoples in a global context\, to develop kinship with other marginalized groups\, and to reflect on Roma experiences of survival and resilience. The Project has a track record of delivering educational content in Roma studies through public events\, seminars and campaigns to raise visibility of the Roma cause. \nFind out more HERE. \nSupport ARCS fundraiser for Roma Peoplese Project on Facebook. \n  URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/support-arcs-educational-partner-roma-peoples-project-at-columbia-university/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/293-On_Roma_Resilience_A_Scholarship_Fund_for_Students__Scholars_Roma_Peoples_Project_in_partnership_with_American_Romanian_Cultural_Society_Th1zKcl.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20211112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20211122 DTSTAMP:20250108T225156Z CREATED:20230831T201353Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250108T225156Z UID:10000032-1636675200-1637539199@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Romanian Film Festival - 8th Edition DESCRIPTION:THE ROMANIAN FILM FESTIVAL\, 8TH EDITION: “One Eye Laughing\, One Eye Crying: Back to Wonderland” WHEN: NOVEMBER 12-21\, 2021WHERE: Northwest Film Forum (online platform) \nBUY TICKETSBUY PASSES \nAfter a successful virtual edition in 2020\, the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle brings you back to Wonderland\, this time with exclusively new film productions from Romania and Europe\, showcasing the creative spirit and resilience of young\, or more established directors. Moreover\, the festival expands with a new branch in Detroit and a partnership with Arizona Romanian Film Festival. More details will be shared soon.  \nDaniel Ursache has worked his magic again designing the visual concept of the 8th edition of the festival. Get comfortable under the dim light of your home screen or projector for a two-week feast of films that you can watch together with your loved ones between November 12-21\, 2021. \nWe will offer you virtual opportunities to interact with local\, national and international special guests. Stay tuned to find out about our exciting partnerships\, line-up\, guest list\, and schedule.    \nIn the meantime\, please support our fundraising efforts. Let’s keep the story going for the 8th time!  \nIf you have a business or reprezent an organization\, please check out our sponsorhip package and let us know if you would like to benefit from our advertising opportunities.  \nFestival Official Partners and Co-Organizers: \n                          \nFestival Institutional Partners:  \n                     \nCulture & Politics Program (SFS) Georgetown University \n    \nCommunity Partners - Thank you for helping us spread the word about the film festival:  \n                                                              \n                                                                  \n  \nFILM FORMATS AND WATCH PARTIES: \nAll film programs in the 2021 festival will take place online between Nov. 12–21\, and are available to view ONLY in the U.S. You can purchase our films and watch them when it is most convenient for you\, during the period of the festival. You have between 2-5 days to finish watching a film after you start playing it. Few restrictions may apply to certain films\, please read the instructions carefully.  \n**All screenings in Romanian Film Festival in Seattle 2021 include a live discussion or filmmaker Q&A\, available on zoom and livestreamed on FB. All panels and talks take place over Zoom\, and will be automatically recorded and added to the end of the film playlist on Northwest Film Forum's Eventive virtual cinema for viewing throughout the fest. (Please note: all festival programs\, but the opening\, closing night mixers and other talks\, are available only to viewers in the U.S.) ** FilmsÎntregaldeby Radu Muntean\n2021\, Drama\, 104 min \n \n In Radu Munean’s latest feature film\, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Intregalde. As night... \n In Radu Munean’s latest feature film\, well-meaning urban professionals drive up muddy unpaved mountain roads on their annual humanitarian trip bringing aid to the remote village of Intregalde. As night falls and temperatures drop they take shelter in an abandoned sawmill with a jabbering senile old man. It tests their altruism in the face of having reached their own limits and questions the ethics of their motivations as benefactors. This film was recently selected in the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs section at Cannes. \n Read More\n \n  The Campaignby Marian Crișan \n2020\, Comedy\, 93 min  \n \n The Campaign\, also known as Berliner\, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature\, a political comedy\, starring Ovidiu Crisan\, Ion Sapdaru\, and Ioana Chitu\, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel... \n The Campaign\, also known as Berliner\, is Marian Crișan’s most recent feature\, a political comedy\, starring Ovidiu Crisan\, Ion Sapdaru\, and Ioana Chitu\, among excellent young actors. Inspired by Gabriel Andronache’s novel Ich bin ein Berliner\, the famous quote from President J.F. Kennedy\, the film follows the mishaps of a Romanian politician (Ion  Sapdaru) running for the European Parliament in hopes to escape charges of corruption once elected and given immunity. His car breaks down near a farm. He immediately sees the opportunity to make the villagers into his voters by adopting the façade of a commoner\, the “old friend” of the farmer. Compromise doesn’t pay very well\, but well enough for Viorel (Ovidiu Crisan). Filmed in Crisan’s native Salonta\, under the mater cinematographer Oleg Mutu\, The Campaign / Berliner was nominated for several “Best Film” awards at international festivals and won the main competition at the Moscow International Film Festival in 2020. Crisan had previously won the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film with Megatron at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. In 2010\, he won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival with his first feature film Morgen\, which was also the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards.  \n Read More\n \n No Rest for the Old Lady by Andrei Gruzsniczki\n2021\, Comedy drama\, 99 min \n \n No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship\, faith\, respect for... \n No Rest for the Old Lady is Andrei Gruzsniczki’s drama which was premiered at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year. Tackling fundamental issues of life—friendship\, faith\, respect for the dead\, religious rituals\, as well as the routine of everyday life— Gruzsniczki’s film tells the story of Emil (Mircea Andreescu)\, a nonbeliever\, who is challenged by the faith of his best friend Titi (Valer Dellakeza) and his confession: Emil’s late wife has moved in with Titi and haunts him. This delicate\, impeccably acted comedy-drama gives viewers an honest glimpse into the life of the elderly.  Nominated for the Tiatan Award at the Beijing International Film Festival\, No Rest for the Old Lady adds to Gruzsniczki’s list of awards\, among which is the 2008 Main Award\, FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF\, and the 2009 Best Romanian Film at Transylvania IFF for The Other Irene; and the 2013 Special Jury Award at Rome IFF for Quod Erat Demonstrandum. \n Read More\n \n Occasional Spiesby Oana Giurgiu \n2020\, Documentary\, 119 min  \n \n Occasional Spies follows newly recruited young Jews living in Palestine return to their home countries of Romania\, Yugoslavia\, Slovakia and Austria\, helping the local resistance to fight the German invaders... \n Occasional Spies follows newly recruited young Jews living in Palestine return to their home countries of Romania\, Yugoslavia\, Slovakia and Austria\, helping the local resistance to fight the German invaders during World War Two. The film highlights the little known history of these heroic acts\, not through grand gestures\, but through the voices of genuine people. By using both genuine archival and recreated photos based on retellings\,the film amplifies the fears and hopes of these young Jewish heroes navigating an increasingly hostile and violent Europe- one they used to call home. \n Read More\n \n  Mia Misses Her Revengeby Bogdan Theodor Olteanu\n2020\, Comedy\, 82 min \n \n Mia\, a young actress\, finds herself back at her parent’s home after her boyfriend slaps her on the face. She struggles with her own feelings and trauma surrounding the event\,... \n Mia\, a young actress\, finds herself back at her parent’s home after her boyfriend slaps her on the face. She struggles with her own feelings and trauma surrounding the event\, turning to friends and family to process her feelings\, as well as developing her own plan for revenge. Mia Misses Her Revenge tackles the complicated intersection of personal turmoil and uncertainty in a world full of strong opinions and the inherent need to broadcast them. \n Read More\n \n Unidentifiedby Bogdan George Apetri\n2020\, Drama\, 123 min  \n \n Detective Florin Iespas\, despite facing his own personal issues\, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect\, Florin faces more obstacles as... \n Detective Florin Iespas\, despite facing his own personal issues\, decides to take on a seemingly dead-end case. While making progress and even finding a suspect\, Florin faces more obstacles as his colleagues dismiss his work and persist that he give up. He is forced to take his own measures\, and the case ends up putting up much more than just one suspect on trial. \n Read More\n \n  Servants by Ivan Ostrochovský\n2020\, Drama\, 80 min \n \n This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program... \n This chilling drama set in a seminary explores the tortuous choice students must make in 1980 totalitarian Czechoslovakia. Will Michael and Juraj choose to capitulate to the Communist Party-approved program the seminary tutors try to shape them into or endure draconian surveillance by the secret police? \n Read More\n \n  Poppy Field by Eugen Jebeleanu\n2020\, Drama\, 81 min \n \n Poppy Fields follows the life of gendarme Cristi as he tries to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho\, hierarchal workplace and increasingly religious society. While... \n Poppy Fields follows the life of gendarme Cristi as he tries to navigate his pluralistic identity as a gay man in a macho\, hierarchal workplace and increasingly religious society. While his long-distance boyfriend visits Bucharest\, Cristi is ordered to deescalate a homophobic protest at a local movie theater. In turn\, Cristi struggles with his own inner demons and how his largely secretive double-life affects those he loves most. \n Read More\n \n Holy Fatherby Andrei Dăscălescu\n2020\, Documentary\, 85 min \n \n Andrei and his girlfriend\, soon to be parents\, are both looking for role-models they have never had in their own lives. Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation\, taking care... \n Andrei and his girlfriend\, soon to be parents\, are both looking for role-models they have never had in their own lives. Holy Father presents a story of reconciliation\, taking care of unfinished business\, parenthood\, healing wounds from growing up in a broken family to rewrite the history and break the pattern. The documentary is emotional\, powerful\, insightful and inspiring\, capturing Andrei’s search for his long-lost father who became a monk on  Mount Athos in Greece. \n Read More\n \n  Kids Rockby Claudiu Mitcu\n2021\, Documentary\, 88 min  \n \n Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old\,  members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film\, the brave Nicholas... \n Claudiu Mitcu’s documentary Blană Bombă (Kids Rock) follows four boys between 11 and 13 years old\,  members of the rock band Blană Bombă for an entire year. In this coming-of-age film\, the brave Nicholas Butacu (drums)\, Rareș Stănescu (guitar)\, Rareș Rădulescu (bass guitar)\, and Zoran Ion Stănescu (lead singer) are observed both on the path of artistic transformations and on the road from childhood to adolescence. Warmly received by adolescents as well as by the public at large\, the documentary was invited to Transylvania IFF and to Alba Iulia Music and Film Festivals as well as to prominent concert halls in Romania. \n Read More\n \n Wild Romaniaby Dan Dinu & Cosmin Dumitrache\n2021\, Documentary\, 123 min \n \n This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary\, 10 years in the making\, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water\, in forests and wetlands\, through the seasons\,... \n This exquisitely filmed award-winning documentary\, 10 years in the making\, shares the abundance and beauty of Romania’s natural diversity above and below water\, in forests and wetlands\, through the seasons\, in day and night. It focuses on the Carpathian Mountains and Danube Delta enhanced by a sweeping musical score. We are challenged to preserve and steward this treasure for future generations. \n Read More\n \n Salix Capreaby Valeriu Andriuță\n2018\, Short\, 30 min  \n \n Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow” tree) is the type of tree that was supposed to cover a large meadow area in a small village in the Republic of Moldova. As part... \n Salix Caprea (“Goat Willow” tree) is the type of tree that was supposed to cover a large meadow area in a small village in the Republic of Moldova. As part of a donation from foreign investors\, a couple of thousands of trees were planted by the Americans. After a couple of years\, during a visit along with delegation from the state\, they wanted to see the growth of the trees. In a comedic investigation\, the mayor and the police officer discovered the area all empty and the “goat willow” trees were all gone\, eaten by…the goats. \n Read More\n \n  The Dead Nation by Radu Jude\n2017\, Documentary\, 83 min \n \n In this documentary essay\, Radu Jude juxtaposes Romania’s fascist past via the experience of Legionnares\, as well as the country’s increased anti-Semitism during the WWII. Using excerpts of Jewish doctor... \n In this documentary essay\, Radu Jude juxtaposes Romania’s fascist past via the experience of Legionnares\, as well as the country’s increased anti-Semitism during the WWII. Using excerpts of Jewish doctor Emil Dorian’s diary written during the same period\, Dead Nation highlights the disparity between the Jewish experience during the war as a victim\, and the political propaganda of the war’s perpetrators. \n Read More\n \n  Cradleby Paul Mureșan\n2020\, Animated Short\, 4 min  \n \n The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it  reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful\, darkened graphic\, accompanied by... \n The young director Paul Mureșan’s short animation Cradle touches people’s hearts as it  reveals how much damage long-lasting wounds can do if left unaddressed. The powerful\, darkened graphic\, accompanied by the suave\, almost whispering music of a lullaby\, depict the consequences of domestic abuse and alcoholism. Launched in 2020\, Muresan’s animation has already won three major awards: in 2020 it was selected at Warsaw IFF and at Oberhausen International Short Film Festival\, and in 2021 received the Special Mention and the Best Short Film award at Transylvania IFF.  \n Read More\n \n I Am Dorinby Valeriu Andriuță\n2020\, Short\, 23 min \n \n Morale battle\, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree\, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled... \n Morale battle\, dilemmas in assuming someone else’s identity to take the final exam in earning a bachelor’s degree\, this is Dorin’s ethical struggle. The night before the exam is filled with twists and turns\, negotiations\, losing sleep and getting into promiscuous situations as a preamble of the day of the exam. \n Read More\n \n Waiting for Augustby Teodora Ana Mihai\n2014\, Documentary\, 88 min  \n \n Georgiana assumed a mother figure role for her six siblings\, while their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide financially for the family. Fifteen and the head... \n Georgiana assumed a mother figure role for her six siblings\, while their mother was in Italy as a migrant worker to provide financially for the family. Fifteen and the head of the household\, that is one of the real stories of many others caught up in making life work\, captured beautifully by Teodora Ana Mihai\, who wished to tell “the story behind the story”. \n Read More\n \n  31 Hoursby Claudiu Mitch\n2021\, Short\, 21 min \n \n Ștefan\, the only surgeon available\, takes on one final patient after working a 31-hour shift. In what should have been a simple procedure the 8-year old boy dies on the... \n Ștefan\, the only surgeon available\, takes on one final patient after working a 31-hour shift. In what should have been a simple procedure the 8-year old boy dies on the table. In this powerful short\, the corrupt Romanian healthcare system is put under close scrutiny upon the backdrop of sorrow\, payoffs and threats. \n Read More\n \n  Fragileby Ioana Mischie\n2021\, Documentary Shorts\, 60 min  \n \n Fragile\, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary\, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora\, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration... \n Fragile\, Oana Mischie’s creative documentary\, gives voice through the amazing interpretation of actress Ioana Flora\, to several Romanian women who suffered abuse and trauma. Written by Ioana Flora in collaboration with Rucsandra Pop\, the script compiled real stories under one theme: “women are not made to be broken.” An accomplished actress and gifted creator\, Ioana Flora impersonates different characters with kindness and respect\, understanding and empathy. Conceived both as a mini-series and as a feature film in the form of an anthology\, this ingeniously created gem won the Fulbright Alumni Grant and was co-financed by the US Embassy in Bucharest and 8 nonprofit associations in Romania. \n Read More\n \n The Exit of the Trainsby Radu Jude & Adrian Cioflâncă\n2020\, Documentary\, 175 min \n \n In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film\, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been... \n In Radu Jude’s latest documentary film\, he explores the history of the Iasi pogrom through written testimonials and images of the Iasi Jewish community. Given that this event has often been minimized or denied altogether\, recollecting the horrific violent acts during the pogrom and the actions of both civilians and the Romanian military is no small feat. However\, the film is not as straight-forward as it may seem- as the images are not necessarily of the victim or their family of the voice-over. In collaboration with historian Adrian Cioflâncă\, Jude explores how collective memory is shaped and can also be distorted. \n Read More\n \n Chers Amisby Valeriu Andriuță\n2017\, Short\, 20 min  \n \n A school age child is waiting anxiously outside the school in the cold weather. He is waiting for his mother to pick him up and he is waiting for his... \n A school age child is waiting anxiously outside the school in the cold weather. He is waiting for his mother to pick him up and he is waiting for his “verdict”. Inside\, the staff and teachers\, in a school council meeting\, are discussing issues concerning operations and preparation for the winter holidays. Real issue of a poor small village school\, low budget\, mother struggling to pay for food\, embarrassed by her son’s actions. \n Read More\n \n  No Singing After 8by Alex Pintică\n2021\, Musical Short\, 20 min \n \n In this delightful short musical\, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives so invite another attractive couple over for dinner. A disgruntled neighbor returns throughout the... \n In this delightful short musical\, Andrei and Roxana yearn for some spice in their romantic lives so invite another attractive couple over for dinner. A disgruntled neighbor returns throughout the evening to enforce the “no singing after 8” rule in their apartment block.  \n Read More\n \n  The Pastor's Womenby Oana Tenter\n2019\, Documentary Short\, 27 min  \n \n The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her... \n The vibrant world of Pentacostal Roma in Romania is seldom seen outside that community. This short documentary explores the life of a pastor’s wife as she works tirelessly for her family and to improve her Roma community. She supports them all as a pillar of courage\, love and hope. We see\, too\, this life from her six daughters’ perspectives. \n Read More\n \n The B Mouseby Ioachim Strobe\n2021\, Animated Short \n \n In the quiet city of Genopolis\, Dr. Fronius\, a professor of psychology\, begins a series of experiments\, intending to overturn Darwin's theory. \n In the quiet city of Genopolis\, Dr. Fronius\, a professor of psychology\, begins a series of experiments\, intending to overturn Darwin's theory. \n Read More\n \n GuestsRadu MunteanRadu Muntean graduated from the Theater and Film Academy in Bucharest in 1994.\n\nFilmography:\n-2001 - FURIA / THE RAGE   Best Film Debut Award by The Romanian Cineastes Union and the award for the Best Cinematography at the Transilvania International Film Festival. \n-2006 - HÎRTIA VA FI ALBASTRĂ / THE PAPER WILL BE BLUE In Competition\, Locarno International Film festival\, Awards at festivals like Sarajevo IFF\, Eurasia\, Las Palmas IFF\, Cottbus IFF and Festival International de Film Francophone de Namur. \n-2008 - BOOGIE was selected for the Director’s Fortnight in Cannes -2010 - MARȚI\, DUPĂ CRĂCIUN/ TUESDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival\, in Un Certain Regard section. The film was then sold in more than 30 countries and received awards in festivals in Sarajevo\, Mar Del Plata\, Gijon\, Namur\, Essone\, Bastia.\n-2011 - VORBITOR / VISITING ROOM\, a documentary produced by HBO Romania and co-directed with Alexandru Baciu. -2015 - UN ETAJ MAI JOS/ ONE FLOOR BELOW Official Selection of Cannes Film Festival\, Un Certain Regard section. The film was then selected in other important film festivals like TIFF Toronto\, London BFI\, Karlovy Vary\, Viennale\, Rio IFF\, Melbourne IFF\, Seville European Film Festival(Best Actor and Best Screenplay). \n-2018 - ALICE.T  - In Competition\, Locarno International Film festival. Award for Best Actress \n-2021 - ÎNTREGALDE  - Director’s Fortnight in Cannes\, Toronto International Film Festival\, New York Film Festival\, Busan IFF \nVlad IvanovInternationally acclaimed actor Vlad Ivanov will be one of our  special guests on November 13\, at 10 am PDT on zoom.  Winner of the LA Critics Award for his brilliant portrayal of Dr. Bebe in 4 Months\, 3 Weeks\, 2 Days (Cristi Mungiu)\, Vlad Ivanov’s versatility has established him as one of Europe’s great character actors. It’s his ability to portray both the kindly neighbour-next-door character and the deceptively evil one that marks him out as a special actor.  In 2005\, Vlad was awarded a Medal For Cultural Merit\, presented by the President of Romania.\n\nOther notable films include Police\, Adjective (Corneliu Porumboiu)\,  Tales From The Golden Age (Hanno Hofer); The Concert (Radu Mihaileanu); The Whistleblower (Larysa Kondracki) and Principles of Life (Emilian Velicanu). He featured in three films in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival: Maren Ade’s Toni Erdmann\,  Graduation (Cristi Mungiu) and playing the role of Samir in Dogs (Bogdan Mirică). Vlad recently appeared as Cristi in Palme D’Or-nominated film The Whistlers.  \nValeriu AndriuțăValeriu Andriuță is a Romanian director\, actor and script writer. In 2016 Valeriu embarked on his directorial project\, a trilogy of shorts inspired by Moldova\, his birthplace. His directorial debut was Chers Amis in 2017\, a short film selected for a large number of festivals. It won numerous awards including ADAMI Media Prize for diversity and was Nominated for Best Short Film at GOPO Awards. The second part of his trilogy\, Salix Caprea\, followed and won The Moldavian Film Union Award. I am Dorin\, his latest project\, brings his Moldavian trilogy to an end\, this short was premiered at 42th International Moscow Film Festival in 2020. Last but not least\, Valeriu is best-known for his part as the priest in Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills (2012). He appeared in most of Cristian Mungiu's films\, whilst also being cast in projects for important directors such as Sergei Loznitsa\, Florin Serban\, Ercan Kesal\, Pavel Lungin\, Marian Crisan and Daniel Sandu (HBO Series - Tuff Money).\n\nFilmography as director:\n\nChers amis | 20 MIN\, short (2017) | Romania\n\nSalix Caprea | 30 MIN\, short (2017) | Moldova\n\nJust one more | 15 MIN\, short | Romania\n\nI am Dorin | 23 MIN\, short | Moldova/Romania\n\nSelective filmography as actor:\n\nLove 1\, Dog - by Florin Serban\, Sarajevo IFF 2018\n\nDonbass - Sergei Loznitsa\, Un certain regard\, Cannes 2018\n\nA Gentle Creature - by Sergei Loznitsa\, Official Selection/ Cannes 2018\n\nGraduation by Cristian Mungiu\, Cannes 2018\n\nOrizont by Marian Crisan\, Locarno IFF 2015\n\nBeyond the Hills by Cristian Mungiu\, Cannes 2012\n\nOccident by Cristian Mungiu\, Cannes 2002 \nMarian CrișanMarian Crișan was born on the 8th of September\, 1976\, in Salonta\, West Romania. He received his bachelor Degree in Film and TV Directing at UNATC Bucharest in 1999. He directed the short films “Family Portrait” - 2006\, “Amateur” - 2007 and “Megatron” - 2008. The latter\, “Megatron”\, won the Palme d’OR for Best Short Film at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival\, 61th edition. In 2010\, his first feature film “Morgen” won the Special Jury Prize at the 63rd Edition of the Locarno Film Festival\, Best Director and FIPRESCI award at the 51st Thessaloniki Film Festival and was the Romanian entry for the 84th Academy Awards®. In 2012\, his second feature film “Rocker” was premiered at the 60th edition of San Sebastian IFF.  "Orizont"\, was screened in competition at Tallin Black Nights IFF.\, 2015 In 2016\, he directed the  TV mminiseries "Valea Muta/ The Valley of Silence" for HBO Europe. His last feature The Campaign (2020)\, premiered in Competition at Moscoww IFF\, 42th edition and received the KeenEye Prize for Best film. \nAndrei DăscălescuAndrei Dăscălescu is an established Romanian documentary film director\, cinematographer and editor. His first two feature documentaries\, Planet Petrila (2016) and Constantin and Elena (2008) have won prestigious awards (including awards at IDFA and Sarajevo Film Festival)\, have been selected in major international film festivals across the world (IDFA\, San Francisco\, Vancouver\, Krakow\, DocLisboa\, Docaviv\, Sarajevo\, Montpellier etc.). Andrei was nominated 4 times and won "Best Documentary Award" in 2018 at the Gopo Awards (the Romanian equivalent to Academy Awards) with his documentary\, Planet Petrila. His third documentary\, Holy Father (2020) premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival\, where it won the Jury Award. It also won the Audience Award at Astra Film Festival (Sibiu\, Romania)\, the Best Director Award at Qara Film Festival (Almaty\, Kazakhstan) and has been screened at festival such as Black Nights Tallinn\, Magnificent 7 Belgrade\, Go East Wiesbaden\, Trieste Film Festival\, Zagreb Dox and others). He is the founder and owner of FilmLab production company since 2007. \nOana GiurgiuA law and journalism graduate\, Oana Giurgiu directed television documentaries before working in film on Cristi Puiu’s 2005 Cannes Un certain regard winner\, “The Death of Mr Lăzărescu” and then on Kornél Mundruczó’s 2008 Cannes FIPRESCI winner\, “Delta”.\n\nShe produced three of Tudor Giurgiu’s films: “Love Sick” (Berlinale 2006\, Panorama); the 2012 Romanian box office hit “Of Snails and Men” (Warsaw IFF); and “Why Me?” (Berlinale 2015\, Panorama). She also produced Peter Strickland’s “Katalin Varga” (Berlinale 2009\, Silver Bear\, European Discovery of the year at European Film Academy Awards) and Cristi Puiu’s “Sieranevada” (Cannes 2016). Oana co-produced Hungarian titles “Eden”\, dir. Agnes Kocsis (Rotterdam IFF 2020) and “Spiral” (in post-production)\, dir. Cecilia Felmeri and the Slovak “The Servants”\, dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky (Berlinale 2020\, Encounters)\, and the Turkish “Before two Dawns” (in post-production)\, dir. Selman Nacar (working progress awards at Meetings on the bridge\, Istanbul IFF 2020\, and Antalia 2019)\, produced the greatest Romanian box office hit in recent years\, “Moromete Family: On the Edge of Time”\, which received ten Gopo Awards in 2019.\n\nAfter working on several television documentary productions\, she made her directorial debut with a feature-length historical documentary\, “Aliyah DaDa”\, screened in Astra Sibiu\, Jerusalem Jewish IFF\, alongside other Jewish festivals and screenings worldwide\, and recognized as Best Romanian Documentary at the Gopo Awards 2015\, now she just launched her new documentary “Occasional Spies”\, Special mention of the Jury at Astra Film Festival 2021. \nAdrian CioflâncăAdrian Cioflâncă is a historian\, director of the „Wilhelm Filderman” Center for the Study of Jewish History in Romania and a member of the Collegium of the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives. He is also a researcher with the "A. D. Xenopol” Institute of History (belonging to the Romanian Academy). He was a member of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania (2003-2004) and expert in The Presidential Commission for the Analysis of the Communist Dictatorship in Romania (2006)\, and a co-author of the Final Reports of the two commissions. Since 2005\, he is a member of the Romanian Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. A “Tziporah Wiesel” Fellow of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington (2009)\, between 2010-2012\, he was a department director in The Institute for the Investigation of the Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile. Adrian Cioflâncă edited\, in collaboration\, eight volumes; the last one: “Discurs și violență antisemită în România modern” (Discourse and Antisemitic Violence in Modern Romania)\, Hasefer\, București\, 2020. He also authored studies in fields like the history of the Holocaust\, history of communism\, political violence\, cultural history\, the theory of history. Consultant for several movies and theatrical plays; co-director with Radu Jude of the documentary The Exit of the Trains (2020).\n\n  \nCristina A. BejanCristina A. Bejan is an award-winning Romanian-American historian\, theatre artist\, and poet. A Rhodes and Fulbright scholar\, she currently teaches history at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Bejan received her Masters and DPhil (PhD) in Modern History from the University of Oxford and her BA in Philosophy (Honors) from Northwestern. A playwright and spoken word poet (Lady Godiva)\, her creative work has appeared in the US\, UK\, Romania\, and Vanuatu. Bejan runs the arts group Bucharest Inside the Beltway. She has published two books (history and poetry)\, a play in the anthology "Voices on the Move" (eds. Domnica Radulescu and Roxana Cazan)\, and 64 articles and the African continent introduction for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's "Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos Vol. 3." \nIvan OstrochovskýThe Slovak director Ivan Ostrochovský was born in 1972 in Zilina. After several documentary shorts and series\, Ivan directed his feature documentary debut Velvet Terrorists (2013)\, which premiered at Berlinale 2014\, where it won the Taggespiegel Reader's Award.\n\nIvan's feature debut\, Koza (2015)\, celebrated its world premiere at Berlinale 2015. It was selected by the festival director to be a nominee for the Best First Feature Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2015 European Film Awards and was the Slovak Oscar Entry for 2016.\n\nIvan is also the co-writer of Censor\, the latest project by Peter Kerekes\, which was presented in the Works in Progress sections of Karlovy Vary IFF and Odessa IFF\, winning awards for best project at both. His latest film Servants (2020) was presented in a World Premiere at the brand new Berlinale competition section Encounters. He is also a co-owner and producer at sentimentalfilm and Punkchart films. \nAndrei GruzsniczkiGraduate of the National Film University in Bucharest in 1994\, he became first AD of Romania's most acclaimed director Lucian Pintilie\, for his Next stop Paradise and Niki and Flo. Also\, he wrote and directed feature films\, short films\, and TV productions. His debut "The Other Irene" won The Main Award and FIPRESCI Award at CinePecs Moveast IFF 2008; was The Best Romanian Feature at Transylvania IFF 2009; Best Actor at the Festival International du Film d'Amour de Mons 2010. The second feature film\, "Quod Erat Demonstrandum" got the Special Jury Award at Rome IFF in 2013. Andrei's third feature film "Zavera" was released in competition at Cairo IFF (2019). "No Rest for the Old Lady" – was selected at Glocal in Progress (2019) and presented at MIA Film Co-production market (2018); world premiere at Moscow IFF (2021).\n\n“După 40 de zile” / “No Rest for the Old Lady” (2021)\n“Zavera" (2019)\nshort film “O faptă bună” / “A Random Act of Kindness" (2015) “Quod Erat Demonstrandum" (2013)\n“Cealaltă Irina” / “The Other Irene" (2008) \nIoana FloraOne of the most appreciated Romanian actresses\, appearing in films\, television\, on stage\, also having been awarded for many roles. Being a mother of two\, Ioana has been actively involved in children’s performances\, personal development workshops for both children and adults and training programs in film and theatre. \nIoana Mischie Ioana Mischie is a Romanian-born transmedia artist (screenwriter/director) and transmedia futurist\, awarded for filmmaking\, cinematic virtual reality\, and innovative concepts. She has successfully collaborated as a writer/director with Channel 4 in the UK (for two doc webseries with a record of views in the UK) and with the Oscars-awarded Legende Films (for the short fiction 237 Years). Her short film\, Cumulonimbus\, was nominated at the Gopo Awards 2018 for Best Short Film and was selected by Gus Van Sant as a finalist of the Coppola Shorts. Co-founder and Head of Storyscapes\, an NGO focusing transmedia storytelling and expanded narratives initiated in 2012. In between 2015 and 2020 collaborated as an arts-based research collaborator of CINETIc \, an Eastern European center focusing on the interaction between neuroscience and groundbreaking audio-visual paths. Starting with 2020\, the protagonist of this bio took a leap of faith to design a fresh transmedia initiative conceived as a transdisciplinary\, trans-generational and trans-real hub. \nBogdan FarcașBogdan Farcaș is a film and theater actor. He starred in the film Malmkrog by renowned director Cristi Puiu\, which won many awards at various film festivals. You can also see him in international productions such as Walking with the enemy\, Backdraft 2\, The Hard way. Bogdan received the Special Jury Award for Best Actor (which he shares with co-star Dragoș Dumitru) when Unidentified premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival. \nBogdan George ApetriA former lawyer in Romania\, Bogdan George Apetri moved to New York where he graduated from Columbia University's Film Program with an MFA degree in Film Directing. His student films screened and won awards at prominent short film festivals across the world (Clermont-Ferrand\, Rotterdam\, Palm Springs\, Cottbus\, Montreal\, Aarhus\, Rhode Island\, Woodstock\, etc). He was a National Finalist at the Student Academy Awards in 2006.\n\nIn 2010\, he directed and wrote the feature film Periferic (Outbound). Funded in part by Romania's National Center for Cinema\, the film was shown at some of the best festivals across the world (Locarno\, Toronto\, Rotterdam\, New Directors/New Films) and won numerous international awards (Thessaloniki\, Warsaw\, Viennale) including the FIPRESCI Award (The International Federation of Film Critics Award) twice. It was picked up by MK2 in France.\n\nIn 2020 he directed his second feature film\, Neidentificat (Unidentified). Awarded a special Jury Prize in Warsaw\, it went on to gather a FIPRESCI Award at the TIFF Transylvania International Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Anonimul Film Festival in Romania.\n\nIn 2021 he released his third feature film\, Miracol (Miracle). It premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and was picked up by the prestigious Memento International Sales film company. \nCosmin DumitracheCosmin Dumitrache\, videographer with over 15 years of experience\, joined the project Wild Romania in 2014 and along with Dan Dinu founded NTD Film\, under whose direction he produced several films\, some of which were selected or won at film festivals around the world. Over time he also filmed for large productions which aired on NatGeo Wild. He is a frequent collaborator of environmental NGOs that he worked alongside with on various conservation and education projects. \nDan DinuDan Dinu has been photographing nature for over 20 years\, having dedicated half of this period on the project Wild Romania. He is the founding member and president of Forona (Nature Photographers’ Organization in Romania) and a collaborator with many nature conservation NGOs. In 2013 he started working on documentary films\, being part in local productions as well as large projects for NatGeo Wild and BBC. \nBogdan Theodor OlteanuWithout any formal education\, Bogdan Theodor Olteanu followed a convoluted path to filmmaking. He was a rugby player at a top club in Romania\, an investigation journalist at a leading daily newspaper\, a sports marketing consultant\, a political communication consultant. Meanwhile\, he wrote short stories and founded a cultural magazine – SUB25.\nHis film and theatre work deals mainly with the ever-changing landscape of urban youth. He observes generations of young people in search of identity\, caught between extreme libertarian values and a Balkan background. Born and raised in Bucharest\, Bogdan places all of his stories in that city\, the country capital and a melting pot of Russian\, Oriental and Western European influences. His first feature\, Several Coversations about a Very Tall Girl\, was nominated four times for GOPO – Romanian Film Industry Awards:\nBest Debut\, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Silvana Mihai)\, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Florentina Năstase)\, Young Talent (Tudor D. Popescu\, editor).\n\nFilmography:\n2018\, Câteva conversații despre o fată foarte înaltă / Several Conversations about a Very Tall Girl\, feature film\n2015\, Dumneavoastră\, tu / I do not know which Maria\, short film\n2015\, Lampioane chinezești / Chinese Lanterns\, short film\n2014\, Duminică dimineața / Sunday Morning\, short film \nClaudiu MitcuClaudiu Mitcu\, born 1976 in Romania\, graduated The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. He worked as a editor for the public television station in Romania for 8 years\, and in 2004 started with friends a production and post-production company\, We are basca. He directed several documentaries\, The Merry Circus and Australia produced by HBO Romania\, The Network co-produced by Parada Film and HBO Romania\, The Village called Sands\, Two of us\, Maria\, Easter Memorial and produced documentary films Party and Contest in Ciupelnita\, Dream Images\, short films\, Tie\, Bad Penny\, My Name is Costin\, and co-produced the short film Kowalski and Ramona by Andrei Cretulescu awarded in Cannes 2015 at Semain de la Critique with the Canal + Award. He is also the director for Kids Rock (2021) and 31 Hours (2021). \nAlina ȘerbanAlina Șerban is an independent Roma artist – award-winning actress\, playwright\, director and activist. After acquiring a drama degree at the Academy of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography in Bucharest\, Serban attended the Tisch School of the Arts in New York and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Some of her most important artistic achievements are: pioneering Roma feminist political theatre in Romania and becoming the first Roma woman director to have a play included in the permanent repertoire of a state theatre in Romania. For her main role in Gipsy Queen\, Alina Serban earned the Best Actress Award at the Actors Guild Awards in Germany in 2020. She also starred in Alone at My Wedding and she became the first Romanian Roma actress to participate at the Cannes International Film Festival. She won several international awards\, including Best Actress. As far as her film work is concerned\, she made her debut in filmmaking with the short Letter of Forgiveness\, the first film project about the Roma slavery\, directed by a Roma. The film received a Special Mention at Transilvania International Film Festival and it is now in the international festival circuit. She also took part in the artistic decision making process as a script consultant for three European film projects focusing on the experiences of Roma women. \nRaluca Negulescu-Balaci Raluca Negulescu-Balaci is the Executive Director of UiPath Foundation\, a global non-profit organization\, founded by UiPath in January 2019\, to empower underprivileged children from Romania and India to reach their potential through equal access to quality education. Previously\, Raluca coordinated comprehensive educational programs under the umbrella of the Policy Center for Roma and Minorities for 9 years. In 2007\, she worked as a Junior Consultant in a World Bank-supported national program\, focused on enabling 250 disadvantaged communities in Romania to keep up with fast-technological challenges.  In 2013\, Raluca was a Legislative Fellow in the US Department of State professional program “Building grassroots democracy in minority communities” and she received the Annual Human Rights Award of the Embassy of France in Romania\, for her local women empowerment initiative – Mothers' Club. Raluca is a fellow of Aspen Institute Romania’s Young Leaders Program and a member of the Global Shapers Community\, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. \nEugen JebeleanuEugen Sergiu Jebeleanu is a Romanian film and theatre actor\, director. He was born in 1989 in Timisoara\, Romania. He graduated from National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography. In 2007\, he plays first role in the movie Cu un pas inainte. He works in Romania\, Germany and France. Since 2010\, he has been staging fables that deal with social issues\, political and social subjects\, in order to question the notions of social norms\, identity and freedom. In 2010\, he founded Compania 28 with Yann Verburgh. Within this company\, between 2010 and 2015\, he wrote and directed several shows. Since 2016\, he has been associated with the National Theater of Sibiu. He recently took his first steps in cinema\, in directing his first feature POPPY FIELD (2020). He currently also works with the Théâtre de la Ville for the Chantiers d'Europe and with the Actoral Festival. \nAlina HaliliucAlina Haliliuc is Associate Professor of Communication at Denison University\, where she teaches in the areas of public persuasion\, rhetorical criticism\, and cultural studies. Her scholarship examines how public language is implicated in subject-formation under conditions of socio-political change\, such as post-communist Romania. She analyzes cultural texts ranging from public debates to museums and memorials\, film\, and popular music. Her work can be found in Text and Performance Quarterly; The Journal of Popular Culture; Communication\, Culture & Critique; Film Criticism; Media and Culture Journal; Review of Communication; Gender Forum\, as well as anthologies in rhetorical and cultural studies. \nMariangela Mihai Mariangela Mihai is a Romanian anthropologist and filmmaker whose work builds on decolonial\, feminist\, and sensory ethnographic methods to understand Indigenous resistance on the India-Bangladesh-Myanmar-China borderlands. Her research\, filmmaking\, and pedagogy\, explore the challenges and promises collaborative mediamaking\, poetry\, autoethnography\, and feminist filmmaking offer to epistemic and social justice. She is co-founder of Ethnocine\, a feminist ethnographic filmmaking collective committed to an intersectional\, decolonial\, feminist lens that pushes the boundaries of non-fiction cinema. With Ethnocine\, Mariangela co-produces Bad Feminists Making Films\, a podcast featuring feminist filmmakers from around the world; and hosts academic panels\, workshops\, Webinars\, and film symposia for students\, faculty\, artists and activists interested in using filmmaking for research and social justice. Her films have screened at international film festivals\, universities\, museums\, and other public and art institutions in Athens\, Bangkok\, Chiang Mai\, Paris\, New York\, Yangon\, New Orleans\, Los Angeles\, and San Jose. Select films include Nobel Nok Dah (2015)\, an intimate view into the lives of three refugee women from Burma\, whose migratory paths cross in Thailand and eventually meet as they resettle in New York; and For My Art (2016)\, a two-channel video installation exploring the sensorial landscape of transition-era Burma through the figures three generations of women performance artists\, and I Am A Whi­­sper\, My Dear (2021)\, an experimental documentary exploring Indigenous LGBTQ activism on the South/Southeast Asia borderlands. Mariangela holds a BA in Anthropology from Emory University\, as well as a Master and PhD in Anthropology from Cornell University. Currently\, she serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Media and Film Studies in the Culture and Politics Program at Georgetown University\, where she teaches courses in Transnational Queer Mediamaking and Transborder Feminist and Indigenous Resistance.\n\n  URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/romanian-film-festival-8th-edition/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Film ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/288-2021_ARCSsite1920x1080.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210925T110000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210925T120000 DTSTAMP:20250109T094731Z CREATED:20230907T033120Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250109T094731Z UID:10000087-1632567600-1632571200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:College Admissions - Tips from Parents and Academics DESCRIPTION:This Zoom webinar offers the opportunity to hear from parents and academics from the Romanian-American community about their experiences helping students apply to college or being part of selection committees. Your will learn about the choices that need to be made starting with Middle School in order to plan a successful college admission experience. Our special guests will be university professors Ileana Marin (University of Washington) and Dan Nicolae (University of Chicago)\, together with Honorary Consul of Romania and FB program manager Iulian Calinov. They will provide tips about what makes a strong application\, such as proof of extracurricular committment (eg. volunteering)\, personal statements and essays\, awards\, community service\, courses taken\, and standardized test scores. \nSpecial guests: Ileana Marin\, Ph.D. (ARCS Chair of the Board/University of Washington Affiliate Faculty\, REECAS)\, Iulian Calinov (ARCS Board member / FB Programs Manager/Honorary Consul of Romania in WA State); Dan Nicolau (RUF Vice-President of the Board/Chair of Statistics at the University of Chicago and Professor\, Departments of Statistics\, Human Genetics and Medicine). Read their bios bellow. \nRegister HERE in advance. \nFind out more about the Romanian American National Heritage Award (5th edition) HERE. \nProgram co-organized by ARCS\, Alianța and RUF-Romanian United Fund. \nIleana Marin\, Ph.D.\nileana.marin@arcsproject.org \n\n\nIleana Marin teaches interdisciplinary courses at the University of Washington in Seattle and at the Center of Excellence in Image Studies at the University of Bucharest. Her long-standing academic career on both sides of the ocean has given her the opportunity to establish contacts between Romanian and American scholars\, artists\, and institutions. She\, thus\, initiated the first UW Exploration Seminar to Romania\, and to Eastern Europe\, and opened the fund for Romanian Studies\, hoping that Romanian language will be taught regularly in Seattle. With a BA in Romanian and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from the University of Bucharest (2000)\, and one in Textual Studies from the UW (2011)\, Ileana is a strong believer in the power of education and bilingualism. In ARCS\, she advocates the expansion of the Romanian language programs in the US and for disseminating the most recent Romanian cultural achievements. On her agenda as president\, Ileana Marin has two major tasks: board development and recruitment to ensure the successful implementation of ARCS mission through meaningful programs. \n\nDan Nicolae\nDan Nicolae is the Vice President of Romanian United Fund. He also serves as Chair of Statistics at the University of Chicago and Professor\, Departments of Statistics\, Human Genetics and Medicine. \n\n \nIulian Calinov\niulian.calinov@arcsproject.org \n\n\nIulian Calinov was born in Bucharest Romania. Iulian holds a masters degree in Electrical Engineering from the Politehnica University of Bucharest and a Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Finance jointly from Bucharest School of Economics and Université du Québec à Montréal. Iulian has worked as an Assistant Professor with the Politechnica University of Bucharest for 6 years after graduation\, teaching Control Theory\, Digital Control\, Microprocessor Systems\, Electric Drives and Microeconomics. After a brief stint as a Treasurer for Philip Moris in Romania\, Iulian moved to the United States to work for Microsoft in Redmond\, WA in 1998. Currently\, Iulian is a Program Manager with Facebook\, and serves the Romanian community in Seattle as a Honorary Consul on Romania as well as the Secretary of Romanian American Society of Washington State. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/college-admissions-tips-from-parents-and-academics/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:College Admission Workshops,Education ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/286-Volunteer_FB_event_cover-3.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210806T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210806T203000 DTSTAMP:20240217T004709Z CREATED:20230831T202653Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240217T004709Z UID:10000033-1628278200-1628281800@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:OME: Film Screening and Live Discussion DESCRIPTION:In celebration of the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples\, join us for a live discussion on OME\, a documentary on the life of the Huaorani\, and their struggles defending their ancestral lands\, with director Raúl Paz Pastrana\, co-producer Luminița Cuna (author of "Barefoot in the Amazon")\, and moderators Vivian Hua (Northwest Film Forum) and Otilia Baraboi (ARCS\, The Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest). \nRegister HERE or follow us LIVE on Facebook \nFilmed in the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon in the Yasuni biosphere\, “OME: Tales From a Vanishing Homeland” offers incredible access to the unique and ancient way of life of the Huaorani\, one of Ecuador’s most isolated indigenous groups. OME explores the intricacies of the Huaorani way of life\, highlighting their connection to land and family\, while raising questions about their future survival as oil companies encroach upon Ome\, their homeland. “OME” has won multiple awards and was funded by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA and the Hispanic Scholarship fund. \nRunning Time: 30\nUSA & Ecuador // Color // HD // Spanish and Waoterero with English subtitles. \nAwards and Screenings:\n\n2019 Earth Day Film Festival\, Chico CA\n2018 Eugene Environmental Film Festival\n2018 The Lyric Theater\, Fort Collins CO\n2018 Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)\, New York City (QWFF) WINNER “Best Cinematography Award”\n2016 Ethnografilm Festival\, Paris France\n2015 Moscow International Documentary Film Festival\n2015 Cayman Islands International Film Festival\n2015 Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival\, Milwaukee WINNER “2015 Spirit of Activism Award”\n2014 IFFEST Document.Art\, Bucharest\, Romania WINNER Next Generation Award (EX AEQUO)\n2013 CINE Golden Eagle Award WINNER\n2013 International Documentary Association (IDA) Nominee for the DAVID L. WOLPER STUDENT DOCUMENTARY AWARD\n2013 Louisville’s International Festival of Film SCREEN PREVIEW\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n  \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Raúl Paz Pastrana\n \n \n \n Raúl Paz Pastrana is a Mexican immigrant filmmaker\, cinematographer\, and multimedia creator. His work intersects contemporary art\, political documentary\, and visual ethnography to explore themes of belonging\, alienation\, and the concept of “home.” His films have screened at museums and festivals worldwide including at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the U.K.\, The American Museum of Natural History\, New York City\, MASS MoCA Museum in Massachusetts\, Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI)\, New York City\, and at the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) in Mexico among many more.  \n Raúl’s work has received support from the Princess Grace Foundation\, the Ford Foundation-Just Films\, The Perspective Fund\, ITVS\, Catapult Film Fund\, The Jerome Foundation\, New York Council on the Arts\, The Tribeca Film Institute\, The Colorado Humanities\, and the Sundance Institute among others. He is a Camargo Foundation Cassis France Artist Alumni\, an IFP/Gotham Filmmaker Labs fellow\, a Firelight Media Documentary Lab Fellow\, and a New America National Fellow. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Luminita Cuna\n \n \n \n She is a Cluj-Napoca native and Brooklyn resident who has been traveling extensively to the Amazon region and has been living and working with indigenous communities in the Amazon since 2006. She has been an ally to indigenous peoples for more than 15 years\, supporting their efforts to uphold their human rights and to protect their territory. \n Luminita is the founder of Maloca\, a grassroots support organization that works with indigenous communities living in the Amazon basin. She has been fundraising and campaigning on various indigenous issues\, helping indigenous communities get solar energy\, incorporate technology in their territory defense and become aware of their rights and how to use them in protecting their forest. \n Luminița wanted to bring awareness on the rich cultures of the Amazon indigenous peoples\, as well as to unveil the fascinating world of the rainforest; this is how her book “Barefoot in the Amazon” came to life. Luminița also co-produced the documentary Ome: Tales from a Vanishing Homeland\, winner of the 2017 Queens International Film Festival for best cinematography. The documentary brings forward the fight of an Amazonian community to protect their home\, one of the most biodiverse area in the world. \n When she is not trekking the Amazon\, Luminița is an IT project manager. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Credits: Leo Carmona\n \n \n \n \n \n Vivian Hua\n \n \n \n Vivian Hua (華婷婷) is a writer\, filmmaker\, and organizer who is fascinated by synthesizing divergent schools of thought. She is the Executive Director at Northwest Film Forum\, a co-founder of the civil rights film series\, The Seventh Art Stand\, and Editor-in-Chief of the socially-conscious long-form arts publication\, REDEFINE. Much of her work unifies her interest in the metaphysical with her belief that art can positively transform the self and society. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Otilia Baraboi\, Ph.D.\n \n \n \n Before coming to Seattle in 2000 from Romania\, Otilia worked as a literary journalist and published short-fiction\, translations and articles. She holds university degrees in French and English literatures from Romania\, Switzerland\, and the US. She has a Ph.D. on the politics of translation from the University of Washington\, where she taught French language and literature for 17 years\, and where she is currently co-teaching a course on Romanian literature and film. In 2013\, she co-founded ARCS and was President of the Board for five years before becoming ARCS’ first Executive Director. For Otilia\, ARCS has been a wonderful opportunity to remain connected with the vibrant culture of her birthplace\, while contributing to the artistic and cultural vitality of the Pacific Northwest. As part of her work\, Otilia has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and ARCS community-based school for Romanian heritage students\, as well as more than 300 cultural and educational events over the past 9 years. Her priorities are to create sustainable\, community-building programs and partnerships\, as well as develop ARCS' brand identity in accordance with its mission and values. Most of all\, Otilia hopes that her work will have a direct\, long-lasting impact on the ways in which future generations will define\, celebrate and pass on their heritage. Otilia is also the President of the Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest and a board member of Romanian United Fund. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/ome-film-screening-and-live-discussion/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Film,TALKS (Romanian Explorers) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/282-EHC_Newsletter_-2-jpg.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210622T140000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210622T170000 DTSTAMP:20240217T011132Z CREATED:20240217T010803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240217T011132Z UID:10000167-1624370400-1624381200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Romanian Embroidery DESCRIPTION:Together with our partners at the Maryhill Museum of Art\, we invite you to join us for an introduction to Romanian embroidery through some of the most beautiful examples from the museum collection. This child-friendly event will help you begin to identify simple Romanian patterns and show you how to make your own patterns using graph paper and colored pencils. We will review basic stitches\, such as the running stitch\, back stitch\, cross stitch\, bullion stitch\, and satin stitch. (If you’d like to try them\, have a hoop\, material\, and needle and thread already loaded.)Free virtual program; advance registration required. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/romanian-embroidery/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Culture & Civilization,Heritage ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/280-Copy_of_Instagram_-_June_12th_Explorers.png.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210612T110000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210612T120000 DTSTAMP:20250109T185501Z CREATED:20230907T035159Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250109T185501Z UID:10000082-1623495600-1623499200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:The Sky is the Limit: Romanian Women Explorers DESCRIPTION:Join us for a conversation about courage\, resilience\, and the importance of role modelling in education\, with Romanian explorers Diana Dragomir (Astronomer and Physics & Astronomy Professor) and Gina Bădescu (Anesthesiologist and Mountain Climber). \nPlease register in advance at this link or join us on our FB channels. \nEvent organized in partnership with Romanians of DC. \nInstructors\nCredits: Sarah Ballard \nDiana Dragomir\nDr. Diana Dragomir is an astronomer and a Physics & Astronomy professor at the University of New Mexico. Diana often wonders what the view and sky look like on planets around other stars\, and whether anyone over there might be wondering the same thing. She spends a lot of her time and research getting a little bit closer to answering these questions. \n\nGina Bădescu\nDr. Gina C. Bădescu is an anesthesiologist from Everett in Washington State. She received her medical degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest. She discovered her passion for mountain climbing later on in life\, after a bicycle accident that left her severely injured. In 2018 she climbed Lhotse (8\,516 m)\, the 4th highest mountain in the world. She is now training for another expedition in the Himalayas. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/arcs-romanian-heritage-language-and-culture-school-fall-2022-4/ CATEGORIES:TALKS (Romanian Explorers) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/278-Linkedin_2.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210601T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210601T180000 DTSTAMP:20240129T201343Z CREATED:20240125T200227Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240129T201343Z UID:10000146-1622566800-1622570400@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Story Time – An Evening of Children’s Tales DESCRIPTION:We have the pleasure of inviting you to “Story Time – An Evening of Children’s Tales” featuring authors and illustrators originally from Romania and the Republic of Moldova. The virtual event is being organized to mark Children’s Day\, celebrated on this day in Romania and Moldova and will feature Valentina Popa from New York\, Angela Chirilă from Denver and Doina Cociuba-Terrano from Olympia (WA). It is brought to you by Romanians of DC\, Authentic Society for Language and Romanian Culture\, Bucharest Inside the Beltway and the American Romanian Cultural Society. You may register for the zoom event HERE or you can follow the live broadcast on the Facebook pages of the hosting organizations. The event will be in English with the exception of Valentina’s story which will be available on Zoom in both Romanian and English (on separate audio channels). Special Guests:Angela Chirilă is a Moldovan Denver-based artist and author who studied English and Italian at the State University of Moldova. After finishing her studies\, she lived in Rotterdam\, the Netherlands and then moved to the United States where she has lived for the past nine years. Since she was little\, she loved books and art and now she is passionate about creating stories and drawing illustrations. Angela is also a preschool teacher and has worked with kids for the past ten years. Her inspiration comes from interacting with young children every day. Her main wish is to inspire others through her children’s books and her art and to bring a strong and positive message to the world. “What Makes Us Happy” by Angela Chirilă was published in March 2020 and sends a positive message\, not only for kids but for adults too. It reminds us about the little things that make us happy (a hug\, a kiss\, a ladybug\, a sunset in the sky). What makes us happy is a very important question that each of us should ask every day and also we need to show our kids how important is to pay attention to the little things that matter the most. Ultimately the book is a reflection of Angela’s philosophy that we need to be more present in the now and appreciate every moment and also teach our kids to do the same. Doina Cociuba-Terrano\, a native of Arad\, Romania\, has been painting ever since she was in kindergarten. After graduating from an arts vocational high school she studied Arts and Literature at the North University of Baia Mare\, Romania. While at university and after graduating in 1978 she went on to exhibit her work in a number of group shows. She had her first solo exhibition in 1990 followed by a two more in 1994 and 1998. She moved to the U.S. in 1999\, opened her own business\, Ocean Gallery and art school and has worked ever since as educator\, freelance artist and published book illustrator. Doina began illustrating children’s books back in 2010 and two of her books have been selected for various awards for the quality of their illustrations and the originality of their stories. She wrapped up illustrating her most recent book just a few days ago when she submitted the graphics to the publisher. Brenda Carlsen\, a third generation Romanian\, grew up in Regina\, Saskatchewan\, Canada and played along the shores of Wascana Lake\, where hundreds of geese called their home during the summer. She currently lives in Washington State where she pursued a career as a nurse. Brenda has always loved writing stories and has had a vivid imagination even when she was a child; it has carried on through adulthood and is now reflected in her writings. She has been a member of the Society of Book Writer’s and Illustrators (SCBWI) since 2015 and has attended awesome conferences and conventions.  “Wascana's Amazing Journey” is an inspiring story of a Canada goose. While flying to the warm south for the winter with his friends and family\, one of his wings becomes injured. Jojo\, a young boy\, discovers the injured goose\, and with patience and playfulness\, Wascana's wing becomes strong again. Wascana's Amazing Journey spreads the message of healing\, kindness\, compassion and friendship. Valentina Popa is working in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. She has studied Romanian and French language and literature at the State University of Moldova and has received her Master Degrees in International Relations from the Academy of Public Administration of Moldova and in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University in New York. Her post-graduate studies in Emerging Markets and Country Risk Analysis were completed at Folke Bernadotte Academy in Sweden. A Laureate of numerous national popular music contests\, she subsequently appeared on various stages in Moldova and abroad\, in exclusively benefit concerts\, besides her husband\, tenor Luciano Lamonarca. She currently resides in New York City\, with her husband and son\, Sebastian\, her inspiration for her book.  “Look Who’s Talking! / Uite cine vorbește!” by Valentina Popa is a bilingual English / Romanian poem book featuring Baby Seby’s imaginary monologues. Written in rhyme\, the poems are sweet and heartwarming\, exuding love and humor. During the first months as a new mom\, Valentina was imagining the potential monologues that may occur in her baby boy’s little head as he was becoming aware of the surrounding world and his own existence. Inspired and overwhelmed by that all-encompassing love\, those reflections came to her in rhymes\, so she collected them into this illustrated book for moms and their babies. For the customs illustrations\, Valentina partnered with an internationally renowned illustrator\, Ms. Stela Damaschin-Popa\, winner of the highest distinction in the field\, the Hans Christian Andersen award\, also called “The Little Prince Nobel”. Proceeds from the sale of the book are donated to an impactful charity\, “The Moldova Project”\, whose vision is “for every child in Moldova to have a family\, a safe home\, an education and the opportunity to be happy”. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/story-time-an-evening-of-childrens-tales/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/storytime.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210424T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210424T110000 DTSTAMP:20250109T130218Z CREATED:20230907T032550Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250109T130218Z UID:10000081-1619258400-1619262000@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Romanian Explorers Celebrating Earth Day DESCRIPTION:Join us for a discussion celebrating Earth Day with our special guests Luminița Cuna (writer\, explorer) and Ioana Cozmuța (researcher at NASA). Find out more about their pioneer spirit\, amazing careers and fascination for uncharted territories on Earth and out of space. \nLuminița Cuna founded Maloca Communities\, a grassroots support organization that supports indigenous communities in Brazil’s Amazon region to have greater control over the decisions that impact their communities. \nYou can support their activity by making a donation on their website. \n \nWatch Raul Paz Pastrana’s documentary OME\, co-produced by Luminița Cuna\, to find out more about the devastating impact of oil companies on the Amazonian forest. \n \nRegister HERE in advance for this meeting. \nAfter registering\, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. \nOrganized by ARCS in partnership with Romanians of DC. \nInstructors\nLuminita Cuna\nShe is a Cluj-Napoca native and Brooklyn resident who has been traveling extensively to the Amazon region and has been living and working with indigenous communities in the Amazon since 2006. She has been an ally to indigenous peoples for more than 15 years\, supporting their efforts to uphold their human rights and to protect their territory. \nLuminita is the founder of Maloca\, a grassroots support organization that works with indigenous communities living in the Amazon basin. She has been fundraising and campaigning on various indigenous issues\, helping indigenous communities get solar energy\, incorporate technology in their territory defense and become aware of their rights and how to use them in protecting their forest. \nLuminița wanted to bring awareness on the rich cultures of the Amazon indigenous peoples\, as well as to unveil the fascinating world of the rainforest; this is how her book “Barefoot in the Amazon” came to life. Luminița also co-produced the documentary Ome: Tales from a Vanishing Homeland\, winner of the 2017 Queens International Film Festival for best cinematography. The documentary brings forward the fight of an Amazonian community to protect their home\, one of the most biodiverse area in the world. \nWhen she is not trekking the Amazon\, Luminița is an IT project manager. \n\nIoana Cozmuta\nDr. Ioana Cozmuța is the founder and CEO of G-space Inc (https://www.zerogspace.com)\, a women-owned B-corporations and a reflection of Ioana’s passions: to discover and build opportunities for socio-economic benefit at the confluence of Space and Earth and to mentor and inspire the new generation towards a more prosperous future for humanity. Ioana holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from the University of Groningen\, the Netherlands and she is an alumnus of Caltech and Stanford University. During her career at NASA and in the industry spanning two decades\, Ioana has built a legacy on transforming the status quo\, opening new avenues for innovation\, collaboration\, space technology commercialization and public-private partnerships. The current fiber optics manufacturing in space has its origin in a paper published in 2017. Dr. Cozmuța is a TedEx Future Spoiler (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlsGhC3G1d8)\, a keynote/speaker and lecturer. She has co/authored over 200 scientific articles\, technical reports and newspaper interviews; webinars and podcasts. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/global-competence-certificate-for-romanian-heritage-speakers-2nd-edition/ CATEGORIES:TALKS (Romanian Explorers) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/275-Copy_of_Copy_of_Red_Poppies_Photo_Anzac_Day_Wishes_Facebook_Post_2.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210414T170000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210414T180000 DTSTAMP:20240125T200022Z CREATED:20240125T005613Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240125T200022Z UID:10000145-1618419600-1618423200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Dor by Mari Calai - Virtual Book Launch DESCRIPTION:"Dor" it is being said\, is one of those untranslatable Romanian concepts. Roughly meaning “longing\,” Dor is the title of Mari Calai’s latest book. As Lynn Radeka noted\, “the book is a visual journey through images that evoke a sense of longing\,” in other words\, "Dor" is Mari’s visual attempt to illustrate this very Romanian concept. We invite you on Wednesday\, April 14 at 8 pm EST / 6 pm MST / 5 pm PST to the virtual launch of "Dor" and to a discussion with the author about what led her to write and illustrate this book with her amazing photography. The event is being organized by Romanians of DC with the support of Bucharest Inside the Beltway from Denver and ARCS – American Romanian Cultural Society from Seattle. The event will take place via Zoom and broadcast live on Facebook. To join the zoom event please register here. Mari CalaiMari Calai has been an artist for the past 10 years. Born and raised in Romania\, and for the later part of her life living abroad from Italy\, to the United States and South Korea\, she has been traveling the world exploring different cultures\, and that is what inspires her the most. She is an international award-winning photographer and an avid painter with her most recent exhibitions in Seoul\, South Korea and Washington\, DC. As a mixed media artist\, her work is sublime and marked by a nostalgic realism. Her previous book\, "Adagio\," an illustrated story of her children’s childhood\, was widely praised in Korea\, where it was published and was the subject of two photo exhibitions in Seoul. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/dor-by-mari-calai/ LOCATION:Online CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/274-DOR_Event_2021_D8N4l5s.jpeg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20210227T100000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20210227T110000 DTSTAMP:20240217T011504Z CREATED:20230907T040626Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240217T011504Z UID:10000094-1614420000-1614423600@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Mărțișoare Workshop 2021 DESCRIPTION:Join us for a spring celebration -Mărțișor\, March 1st. \nMărțișor is an old tradition celebrated all over Romania every year\, on March 1st\, also widely spread in Bulgaria and the Balkans. \nThe name Mărțișor is a diminutive of March (Martie in Romanian). \nIt is believed that the person who wears the red and white string would enjoy a prosperous and healthy year. Read more HERE  \nRegister HERE in advance for this meeting. \nAfter registering\, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. \nThe workshop is destined for kids ages 7+\, or younger\, supervised by a parent. \nRomanian artist and musician Beatrice Iordan will lead the workshop. \nBeatrice Iordan is a puppet artist\, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant\, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”\, her theater company\, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves\, that we are our own mentor. \nYou can find out more about her from this article in Romanian. \nEvent organized in partnership with the Romanian NGO – Cu Alte Cuvinte\, and our community partners from Washington D.C. – Romanians of DC \n \nBeatrice Iordan\n\n\nBeatrice Iordan is a puppet artist\, museum pedagogue at the Museum of the Romanian Peasant\, and she plays the cobza in the band “Trei Parale”. She also does shadow theater with “Hopa Trop”\, her theater company\, paints angels and – more than that – she believes that power and inspiration lie in ourselves\, that we are our own mentor. URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/martisoare-workshop-2022-2/ CATEGORIES:Culture & Civilization,Heritage ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/273-Copy_of_Copy_of_Atelier_de_Martisoare-2.jpg.webp END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20190518T173000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20190518T183000 DTSTAMP:20240131T015918Z CREATED:20240124T203953Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240131T015918Z UID:10000144-1558200600-1558204200@arcsproject.org SUMMARY:Readings from the Heart of Europe DESCRIPTION:"In the deeps are the violence and terror of which psychology has warned us. But if you ride these monsters deeper down\, if you drop with them farther over the world's rim\, you find what our sciences cannot locate or name\, the substrate\, the ocean or matrix or ether which buoys the rest\, which gives goodness its power for good\, and evil its power for evil\, the unified field: our complex and inexplicable caring for each other." – Annie Dillard\, "Teaching a Stone to Talk." We are thrilled to share the news about Readings from the Heart of Europe\, a group initiated by various scholars from the University of Washington and representatives from the local Central and Eastern European community\, including ARCS. Our first meeting was on May 18\, 2019 when we discussed the master work of a Romanian Jewish author\, Max Blecher.  You can read our blog here.  More About Readings from the Heart of EuropeWHAT?Conceived of by a Seattle-based group of avid readers deeply convinced of the value that literature – storytelling – can bring to our lives\, Readings from the Heart of Europe proposes to focus on texts of the highest quality\, even if they are not (yet) widely recognized as such in our overwhelmingly Anglo-American-centered society.  Each month’s text will be available in a published English translation. The texts featured in Readings from the Heart of Europe are drawn from the among the greatest 20th and 21st-century masterpieces of Austria\, Belarus\, Bosnia\, Bulgaria\, Croatia\, Czech Republic\, Estonia\, Hungary\, Latvia\, Lithuania\, Moldova\, Montenegro\, North Macedonia\, Romania\, Serbia\, Slovakia\, Slovenia and Ukraine.    WHY?In a world of ever-proliferating\, ever-accelerating\, artificially driven mass distraction\, individuals are at heightened risk of losing their center.  Reading from the Heart of Europe invites you to join other adventuresome readers in an ongoing series of monthly readings and discussions in which we propose to explore great works of imaginative literature whose unifying purpose is to strengthen that center.  As revitalizing as a strenuous workout\, more outwardly directed than meditation\, and as deeply satisfying as a reunion with a wise and benevolent old friend\, encounters with these exceptional books can change and shape lives.  These books and their writers present few illusions.  Throughout the 20th century their societies endured the catastrophic consequences of ideologies of the right and the left\, emanating from West and East – whether of ethnic and national tribalism or egalitarianism at gunpoint.  Now\, in the 21st century\, new and resurgent economic and religious dogmas add new layers of rigidity and polarization for the uncertain to cling to.  What better guides to consult now than the testimonies of some of the world’s most exceptional writers\, whose lived experience has given them immunity to ideologies of any stripe\, and whose work explores the spectrum of human experience with striking immediacy.  WHEN?As the pandemics takes over our social lives\, we will find inspiration and build new friendships online. We will meet on zoom generally on Saturday afternoons or Sunday mornings. Past eventsMondegreen by Volodymyr RafeyenkoFeb. 26\, 2023 at 05:00 PM (online)Registerhere. Join us for a discussion of Mondegreen by Volodymyr Rafeyenko\, translated by Mark Andryczyk.Buy the book here. \n The novel tells the story of Haba Habinsky\, a refugee from Ukraine’s Donbas region\, who has escaped to the capital city of Kyiv at the... \n The novel tells the story of Haba Habinsky\, a refugee from Ukraine’s Donbas region\, who has escaped to the capital city of Kyiv at the onset of the Ukrainian-Russian war. His physical dislocation—and his subsequent willful adoption of the Ukrainian language—place the protagonist in a state of disorientation during which he is forced to challenge his convictions. Written in a beautiful\, experimental style\, the novel shows how people—and cities—are capable of radical transformation and how this\, in turn\, affects their interpersonal relations and cultural identification. \n Read More\n \n  Bessarabian Stamps: Stories by Oleg WoolfSept. 25\, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us for a discussion of Bessarabian Stamps: Stories by Oleg Woolf and translated from the Russian\, by Boris Dralyuk\, Phoneme Media\, 2015.Buy the book here. \n Reminiscent of Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles\, Oleg Woolf’s Bessarabian Stamps — a cycle of sixteen stories set mostly in the village of Sănduleni\, in the Republic of... \n Reminiscent of Bruno Schulz’s Street of Crocodiles\, Oleg Woolf’s Bessarabian Stamps — a cycle of sixteen stories set mostly in the village of Sănduleni\, in the Republic of Moldova— is a vivid\, surreal evocation of a liminal world. Sănduleni’s denizens are in permanent flux\, forever shifting languages\, cultures\, and states\, in every sense of the word. With a warm\, Bessarabian irony recalling one of Eastern Europe’s long-forgotten regions\, the Stampsexplore what it means to live on the edges of empires\, which rise and fall while Sănduleni abides. \n Read More\n \n  Where You Come From by Saša StanišićMay 22\, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us for a discussion about Saša Stanišić's latest book\, Where You Come From\, translated by Damion Searls\, Tin House\, 2021.Buy the book here. "Inventive\, funny and moving. . . . Damion Searls’s translation does justice to Stanišic’s dry wit and linguistic playfulness\, and captures the tense undercurrents building throughout the book". —The New York Times Book Review Winner of the 2019 German Book Prize  About the Author: Saša Stanišic was born in Višegrad (Yugoslavia) in 1978 and has lived in Germany since 1992. His debut novel\, How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone\, was translated into thirty-one languages; Before the Feast was a bestseller and won the renowned Leipzig Book Fair Prize. The Same Night Awaits Us All by Hristo KarastoyanovApril 24\, 2022 at 11:00 AM (online)Register here.Join us for a discussion with special guest Hristo Karastoyanov\, author of The Same Night Awaits Us All\, translated from the Bulgarian by Izidora Angel\, Open Letter Books 2018. Buy the book here. “Karastoyanov’s novel is set in Bulgaria in the 1920s\, but also invokes the spirit of John Lennon\, and brings to mind Dostoevsky’s Demons with its anarchists and assassins\, lighthouses\, zeppelins\, and synthesis of modernist narrative techniques and Balkan storytelling.” —Berliner Zeitung Winner of the 2014 Helikon Award for Bulgarian Novel of the Year Prize  About the Author: Hristo Karastoyanov is a multi-award winning contemporary Bulgarian novelist\, playwright\, and political essayist whose work has been translated into English\, Turkish\, and German. All seven of his novels have been shortlisted for the prestigious Helikon Award. The Orphanage by Serhiy ZhadanMarch 27\, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Our March reading honors the work of one of Ukraine’s most successful novelists and poets\, Serhiy Zhadan.  Buy the book here. The Orphanage (Internat)\, originally published in 2017\, is Zhadan's highly acclaimed war novel\, depicting life in an unspecified frontline region in the early periods of the war in Donbas\, telling the story of ordinary lives during the most dangerous days in Europe’s recent history.  Chosen as one of “Six Books to Read for Context on Ukraine” by the New York Times  Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the “20 Best Books of 2021” “A nightmarish\, raw vision of contemporary eastern Ukraine under siege. . . . With a poet’s sense of lyricism . . . [Zhadan] unblinkingly reveals a country’s devastation and its people’s passionate determination to survive.”—Publishers Weekly\, starred review Soviet Milk by Nora IkstenaFeb. 27\, 2022 at 05:00 PM (online)Register here. Join us to discuss Soviet Milk written by Nora Ikstena and translated from the Latvian by Margita Gailitis\, Peirene Press\, 2019. Buy the book here. \n This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to follow her calling as a... \n This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to follow her calling as a doctor. But then the state steps in. She is deprived first of her professional future\, then of her identity and finally of her relationship with her daughter. Banished to a village in the Latvian countryside\, her sense of isolation increases. Will she and her daughter be able to return to Riga when political change begins to stir? \n Read More\n \n The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus KivirähkJan. 30\, 2022 at 05:00 (online)Register here: https://washington.zoom.us/j/95068638451Join us for our first meeting in 2022! We will discuss Andrus Kivirähk's The Man Who Spoke Snakish (translated into English by Christopher Moseley)\, with special guest Professor Guntis Šmidchens\, director of UW's Baltic Studies Program.  Buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Spoke-Snakish/dp/0802124127/ About the book:A best seller in the author's native country of Estonia\, where the book is so well known that a popular board game has been created based on it\, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is the imaginative and moving story of a boy who is tasked with preserving ancient traditions in the face of modernity. Set in a fantastical version of medieval Estonia\, The Man Who Spoke Snakish follows a young boy\, Leemet\, who lives with his hunter-gatherer family in the forest and is the last speaker of the ancient tongue of snakish\, a language that allows its speakers to command all animals. But the forest is gradually emptying as more and more people leave to settle in villages\, where they break their backs tilling the land to grow wheat for their "bread" (which Leemet has been told tastes horrible) and where they pray to a god very different from the spirits worshipped in the forest's sacred grove. With lothario bears who wordlessly seduce women\, a giant louse with a penchant for swimming\, a legendary flying frog\, and a young charismatic viper named Ints\, The Man Who Spoke Snakish is a totally inventive novel for listeners of David Mitchell\, Sjón\, and Terry Pratchett. When the Birches Leaf Out Up There by Breda SmolnikarDec. 12\, 2021 at 11:00 AM (online)Register  Here. Join us for our December reading\, When the Birches Leaf Out Up There by Breda Smolnikar. \n After you register\, you can pick up a free copy of Breda Smolnikar's book When the Birches Leaf Out Up There at the University of Washington Allen Library information desk... \n After you register\, you can pick up a free copy of Breda Smolnikar's book When the Birches Leaf Out Up There at the University of Washington Allen Library information desk (in the ground floor lobby) weekdays through Friday\, December 10\, anytime between 9am and 5pm. Please give your name to the staff person at the desk to receive your free copy. \n Read More\n \n White Shroud by Antanas ŠkėmaNov. 7\, 2021 at 05:00 PM (online)Register for a zoom link Here. Join us for our November reading\, White Shroud by Antanas Škėma. Widely acclaimed as Lithuania's great modernist novel\, White Shroud by Antanas Škėma will be our book for discussion on Sunday\, November 7\, at 5:00pm Pacific time over Zoom\, with our special guest Prof Violeta Kelertas (U. of Illinois-Chicago)\, one of America's leading experts on Lithuanian literature. E-book and print editions are available at Amazon.   Or direct from the publisher\, Vagabond Voices in Scotland. "A Spare Life": A Conversation with Author Lidija Dimkovska & Translator Christina E. KramerJune 27\, 2021 at 10:00 AM (online)Once you register HERE by filling out this form you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings. Our next discussion will feature the novel "A Spare Life" by the Macedonian writer Lidija Dimkovska (published in Macedonian 2012; in English 2016). We are very pleased to announce that the author\, Dimkovska\, and the novel's translator\, Christina E. Kramer\, will attend as special guests. You can purchase "A Spare Life" on Amazon Please note the time for this two-hour online event:10am-12pm- Pacific Time Zone7:00pm-9:00pm- if you're logging in from a Central European Time Zone. About the author:Poet\, novelist\, and translator Lidija Dimkovska was born in 1971 in Skopje\, Macedonia and lives in Ljubljana\, Slovenia. In her native language she has published six books of poetry\, three novels\, and one American diary\, and has edited three anthologies. Her books have been translated in more than fifteen languages. She has participated in numerous international literary festivals and has been a writer-in-residence in London\, Berlin\, Vienna\, Graz\, Salzburg\, Krems\, Tirana\, and Split. Since 2017 she has been president of the jury for Slovenia’s Vilenica International Literary Prize. The American Poetry Review featured her work in a special supplement in 2003. In 2005 she attended the International Writing Program in Iowa\, and Ugly Duckling Press published her first collection of poetry in English\, Do Not Awaken Them with Hammers\, in 2006. in 2012 Copper Canyon Press published her second book of poetry pH Neutral History\, which was shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award\, and in 2016 Two Lines Press published her novel A Spare Life\, longlisted for the Best Translated Book Award. Dimkovska’s translator\, Christina E. Kramer\, has received a National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship for her third novel\, Grandma Non-Oui. About the translator:Christina E. Kramer is a professor emerita at the University of Toronto\, Canada. She has published numerous articles relating to Balkan linguistics and Macedonian grammar (Univ. of Wisconsin Press). She has translated a number of novels\, including A Spare Life by Lidija Dimkovska\, Freud's Sister by Goce Smilevski\, and three novels by Luan Starova My Father's Books\, The Time of the Goats and The Path of the Eels. Her translation of Fear of Barbarians\, by Petar Andonovski\, will be published in August 2021. The Tiger's Wife by Téa ObrehtMay 23\, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our May reading\, The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht. Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings.You can get the book HERE.  About the novel:“Spectacular . . . [Téa Obreht] spins a tale of such marvel and magic in a literary voice so enchanting that the mesmerized reader wants her never to stop.”—Entertainment Weekly  "Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend\, loss\, and love\, Téa Obreht\, the youngest of The New Yorker’s twenty best American fiction writers under forty\, has spun a timeless novel that will establish her as one of the most vibrant\, original authors of her generation." (Amazon) Read more about the book Here. About the author: Téa Obreht was born in Belgrade\, in the former Yugoslavia\, and grew up in Cyprus and Egypt before eventually immigrating to the United States. Her debut novel\, The Tiger’s Wife\, won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction\, and was a 2011 National Book Award finalist and an international bestseller. Her work has been anthologized in The Best American Short Stories and The Best American Non-Required Reading\, and has appeared in The New Yorker\, Harper's\, The Atlantic\, Vogue\, Esquire and Zoetrope: All-Story\, among many others. She was the recipient of the Rona Jaffe fellowship from the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library\, and a 2016 fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She was a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree\, and was named by The New Yorker as one of the twenty best American fiction writers under forty. She splits time between Wyoming and Texas\, and currently serves as the Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at Texas State University in San Marcos.  Chronicle in Stone\, by Ismail KadareApril 25\, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings. Join us for our April reading\, Chronicle in Stone\, by Ismail Kadare from Albania. You can get the book HERE.  About the novel:"Masterful in its simplicity\, Chronicle in Stone is a touching coming-of-age story and a testament to the perseverance of the human spirit. Surrounded by the magic of beautiful women and literature\, a boy must endure the deprivations of war as he suffers the hardships of growing up. His sleepy country has just thrown off centuries of tyranny\, but new waves of domination inundate his city. Through the boy’s eyes\, we see the terrors of World War II as he witnesses fascist invasions\, allied bombings\, partisan infighting\, and the many faces of human cruelty—as well as the simple pleasures of life. Evacuating to the countryside\, he expects to find an ideal world full of extraordinary things\, but discovers instead an archaic backwater where a severed arm becomes a talisman and deflowered girls mysteriously vanish. Woven between the chapters of the boy’s story are tantalizing fragments of the city’s history. As the devastation mounts\, the fragments lose coherence\, and we perceive firsthand how the violence of war destroys more than just buildings and bridges." (Amazon) Read more about the author at this link.  S.: A Novel about the Balkans\, by Slavenka DrakulićMarch 28\, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our March reading\, Slavenka Drakulić's "S.: A Novel about the Balkans".Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings:https://forms.gle/oJgxYmbFkpQoF9aa8Where you can get the book:https://www.amazon.com/S-Slavenka-Drakulic/dp/0670890979"S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . The writing is taut\, precise\, and masterful." —The Philadelphia EnquirerAbout the novel:"Set in 1992\, during the height of the Bosnian war\, S. reveals one of the most horrifying aspects of any war: the rape and torture of civilian women by occupying forces. S. is the story of a Bosnian woman in exile who has just given birth to an unwanted child—one without a country\, a name\, a father\, or a language. Its birth only reminds her of an even more grueling experience: being repeatedly raped by Serbian soldiers in the "women's room" of a prison camp. Through a series of flashbacks\, S. relives the unspeakable crimes she has endured\, and in telling her story—timely\, strangely compelling\, and ultimately about survival—depicts the darkest side of human nature during wartime. "S. may very well be one of the strongest books about war you will ever read. . . .The writing is taut\, precise\, and masterful." (Goodreads) Sweet Darusya by Maria MatiosFeb. 28\, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our February reading\, "Sweet Darusya\, A Tale of Two Villages"\, by Maria Matios from Ukraine\, with special guests\, co-translators Michael M. Naydan and Olha Tytarenko. Once you register by filling out this form - you will receive a zoom link that will allow you access to all our meetings:https://forms.gle/oJgxYmbFkpQoF9aa8 Get the book on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Darusya-Tale.../dp/1947980939 About the novel: "Matios’s novel Sweet Darusya\, initially published in Ukraine in 2003\, has been read\, studied\, researched\, and written about worldwide—mostly in academic circles. The question remains\, however\, why it took over a decade for its English translation to appear. In my opinion\, not only the complexity of the text made it a daunting task for a skilled translator to undertake but also the challenge of communicating in another language a deeply seeded trauma of Ukraine and its people\, masterfully portrayed by Matios." Natalia Cousineau\, World Literature Today About our special guests:Michael NaydanHe is Woskob Family Professor of Ukrainian Studies at The Pennsylvania State University and works primarily in the fields of Ukrainian and Russian literature and literary translation. He received his BA and MA degrees from The American University and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He has published over 50 articles on literary topics and more than 80 translations in journals and anthologies. Of his more than 40 books of published and edited translations\, some of his most recent include Nikolai Gumilev’s Africa (Glagoslav Publishers\, 2018); Yuri Andrukhovych’s cultural and literary essays\, My Final Territory: Selected Essays (University of Toronto Press\, 2018); and Abram Terz’s literary essays\, Strolls with Pushkin and Journey to the River Black (Columbia University Press\, 2016). In 2017 he published his literary essays in Ukrainian translation in the volume\, From Gogol to Andrukhovych: Selected Literary Essays (Piramida Publishers). He has also published a novel about the city of Lviv Seven Signs of the Lion (Glagoslav Publishers\, 2016)\, which also appeared in 2017 in Marianna Prokopovych’s Ukrainian translation under the title Sim znakiv leva (Piramida Publishers). He has received numerous prizes for his translations including the George S.N. Luckyj Award in Ukrainian Literature Translation from the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies in 2013. Olha TytarenkoShe received her BA and MA in English from Ivan Franko National University in Lviv\, Ukraine\, her MA from The Pennsylvania State University\, and her Ph.D. from the University of Toronto with a specialty in Russian literature. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice of Russian at the University of Nebraska. With Michael Naydan she has co-translated Iren Rozdobudko’s novel The Lost Button (Glagoslav Publishers)\, Abram Terz’s Strolls with Pushkin and Journey to the River Black (Columbia University Press)\, Maria Matios’ novel Sweet Darusya: A Tale of Two Villages\, and Yuri Vynnychuk’s novel Tango of Death (the latter two with Spuyten Duyvil). Bohumil Hrabal (Czech): Mr Kafka and Other Tales from the Time of the Cult; and All My CatsJan. 31\, 2021 at 04:30 PM (online) Join us for our first reading in 2021 on January 31. We will read two books by the Czech writer Bohumil Hrabal: Mr Kafka and Other Tales from the Time of the Cult; and All My Cats Paul Wilson\, the translator of these two books will join us for the discussion. Both books can be fond on Amazon Dreams and Stones\, by Magdalena Tulli with translator Bill JohnstonNov. 29\, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online)Register here to receive a zoom invite.  Join us for another engaging discussion of Eastern and Central European literature! We will talk about Magdalena Tulli's book "Dreams and Stones" with our special guest\, translator Bill Johnston.  About the book:"Dreams and Stones is a small masterpiece\, one of the most extraordinary works of literature to come out of Central and Eastern Europe since the fall of communism. In sculpted\, poetic prose reminiscent of Bruno Schulz\, it tells the story of the emergence of a great city. In Tulli’s hands myth\, metaphor\, history\, and narrative are combined to magical effect. Dreams and Stones is about the growth of a city\, and also about all cities; at the same time it is not about cities at all\, but about how worlds are created\, trans- formed\, and lost through words alone. A stunning debut by one of Europe’s finest new writers." (goodreads) About the translator:https://archipelagobooks.org/book_translator/johnston-bill/ You can find the book here. OR on Amazon.  Blinding/Orbitor by Mircea CărtărescuAug. 30\, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) On August 30\, at 11 a.m.PDT we’ll share our impressions of Blinding\, by Mircea Cărtărescu\, and joined by the book translator Sean Cotter.Sean Cotter's translation of Cărtărescu's Blinding was a finalist for The Best Translated Book Award in 2014. https://messybooker.wordpress.com/2014/04/23/blinding-mircea-cartarescu-translated-by-sean-cotter-best-translated-book-award-2014/The book is available as an e-book from the publisher directly:https://archipelagobooks.org/book/blinding-book-one/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Blinding-Mircea-Cartarescu/dp/193574484 Newcomers: Book Two by Lojze KovačičSept. 27\, 2020 at 11:00 (online)  Mark your calendars and plan to join us for an engaging discussion on Lojze Kovačič’ s Newcomers: Book Two\, with our special guest\, translator Michael Biggins. You can get the book in different formats from Archipelago Books: https://archipelagobooks.org/book/newcomers-book-two/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Newcomers-Book-Two-Lojze-Kovacic/dp/193981040X/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Biggins&qid=1597011540&s=books&sr=1-8"In this second part of the famous Slovenian writer’s autobiographical novel\, the narrator details the dangers and humiliations of his boyhood living in occupied Slovenia in the Second World War. The second part of Lojze Kovačič’s autobiographical novel\, considered by some to be the most important Slovenian novel of the 20th century\, describes his half-German family’s life in Ljubljana during the Second World War. The young protagonist Bubi is a perpetual outsider – exiled from Switzerland in 1938\, his family returns home to Ljubljana\, where their half-German background makes them stick out in local society. Reeling from the loss of his home in Switzerland\, and surrounded by a language he can’t quite master\, Bubi confronts the challenges and humiliations of growing up in a strange environment. Narrated with uncanny naïveté\, the novel flits between memories of tenderness and shocking violence as Bubi navigates friendship\, family\, and his burgeoning sexuality in a land under hostile occupation." (Archipelago Books)  Newcomers: Book Two by Lojze KovačičSept. 27\, 2020 at 11:00 (online)  Mark your calendars and plan to join us for an engaging discussion on Lojze Kovačič’ s Newcomers: Book Two\, with our special guest\, translator Michael Biggins. You can get the book in different formats from Archipelago Books: https://archipelagobooks.org/book/newcomers-book-two/Or from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Newcomers-Book-Two-Lojze-Kovacic/dp/193981040X/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Michael+Biggins&qid=1597011540&s=books&sr=1-8"In this second part of the famous Slovenian writer’s autobiographical novel\, the narrator details the dangers and humiliations of his boyhood living in occupied Slovenia in the Second World War. The second part of Lojze Kovačič’s autobiographical novel\, considered by some to be the most important Slovenian novel of the 20th century\, describes his half-German family’s life in Ljubljana during the Second World War. The young protagonist Bubi is a perpetual outsider – exiled from Switzerland in 1938\, his family returns home to Ljubljana\, where their half-German background makes them stick out in local society. Reeling from the loss of his home in Switzerland\, and surrounded by a language he can’t quite master\, Bubi confronts the challenges and humiliations of growing up in a strange environment. Narrated with uncanny naïveté\, the novel flits between memories of tenderness and shocking violence as Bubi navigates friendship\, family\, and his burgeoning sexuality in a land under hostile occupation." (Archipelago Books)  Fox\, by Dubravka UgrešićJuly 26\, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) On July 26\, at 11 a.m.PDT we’ll share our impressions of Fox\, by Dubravka Ugrešić\, and joined by the book translator Ellen Elias-Bursać. This book is available as an e-book from the publisher directly (Open Letter) https://www.openletterbooks.org/collections/dubravka-ugresic/products/fox Or from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Dubravka-Ugresic/dp/1940953766/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Ugresic+fox&qid=1593737396&sr=8-1 The Physics of Sorrow\, by Georgi GospodinovJune 28\, 2020 at 11:00 AM (online) Join us for an engaging discussion of Georgi Gospodinov's The Physics of Sorrow. We are thrilled to have his translator Angela Rodel as a special guest.You can get the e-book direct from the publisher. Here is a praiseful New Yorker review of the book.    The Land of Green Plums\, by Herta MüllerFeb. 8\, 2020 at 04:00 PM (online) You are cordially invited to join us for our second meeting of the new year\, on February 8! We will read The Land of Green Plums\, by Nobel laureate Herta Müller\, a Romanian-born German novelist\, poet\, essayist and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature.You can find the book on Amazon or at your local store: https://www.amazon.com/Land-Green-Plums-Novel/ URL:https://arcsproject.org/event/readings-from-the-heart-of-europe/ LOCATION:University of Washington\, 1410 NE Campus Pkwy\, Seattle\, WA\, 98195\, United States CATEGORIES:Literature ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://arcsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/265-Readings_-_cover_final__HTqDIe4.jpg.webp END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR