AGERPRES documentary "The Greater Union - 100 Years of Romania" premiers in presence of Crown Custodian Margareta

The AGERPRES documentary "The Greater Union - 100 Years of Romania" on Thursday ran for the first time in the presence of Custodian of the Romanian Crown Margareta and Princess Maria, at a screening hosted by the CinemaPro hall in Bucharest.

AGERPRES Director General Alexandru Giboi said before the screening that the film is "hundred percent about emotions."

"From my point of view, what we do tonight is not only new; it is also a memorable moment. We are at the beginning of 2018, the Year of the Centennial, and AGERPRES is marking this moment with eventful film, a film that defines a period of time, that helps the public better understand what happened a hundred years ago and not just a hundred years ago. You'll have a surprise during the film," he said.

Giboi said the documentary is one that "makes us think, in fact it makes us think about the future," because the past "teaches us how to evolve and steer our steps in the right direction."

"At AGERPRES it's about evolution. It's a word that almost obsesses me, I repeat it and I do not just utter it, I try to implement it in everything I have done in recent years," said Giboi.

He also spoke about the work behind the scenes. "This film, like other editorial projects that we have had and will continue to have this year for the Centennial, is basically a crowning achievement and I would like to thank those who have achieved it," Giboi added.

The documentary made for the centennial of the December 1, 1918 Greater Union depicts how this desideratum of Romanians came to pass.

The story starts from the international historical context, moving on to the experiences of ordinary people who wanted one thing: one country where the same language is spoken, the same garbs are worn, the same feelings are felt, with no boundaries.

The shooting took place in Romania, as well as Northern Bucovina and Basarabia. The historical strand, with precise facts, is kept in the documentary by the appearance of several historians who take on the role of narrators, while the dramatic, emotional side is reenacted by people who, through their testimonies, recreate the moments lived by their predecessors and even by themselves.

The film does more than marking the day of December 1, 1918, as it also remembers the actions that preceded the Greater Union. It also shows how Greater Romania was divided and what economic and cultural impact the division had, also in the daily life of Romanians from abroad.

It illustrates the drama of the 1940s and 1940s, including the breaking-up of borders, deportations, prison sentences, and the separation of families.

Some images come from historical archives, while others have been made at people's homes, in museums, through drones, using historical images, some from Romania's National Archives. The shooting and editing took one year to complete.

The documentary "The Greater Union - Romania at 100 Years" is made by Mihut Nastasache, Marilena Stanescu and Sergiu Olteanu, cinematography by Alfred Schupler, Sergiu Olteanu and Andrei Carlan. The reporting was done by Marilena Stanescu, Mihut Nastasache and Camelia Moise; design, soundtrack and editing by Andrei Carlan, technical assistant Alex Vintilescu.

At the end of the screening, the crew and some of the protagonists of the documentary mounted the stage. The crew spoke about the challenges of this project and how much they were moved by those who were the subject of the film. On the other hand, those featuring in the documentary talked about what links them to Romania and about the fact that, regardless of the historical context, they felt and would always feel Romanian.

In the foyer of the cinema hall the photo exhibition "Romania: Evolution" - special edition for the Centennial of the Greater Union was mounted. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Catalin Alexandru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)