Corneliu Porumboiu's 'La Gomera' is Romania's entry for 2020 Oscars

Corneliu Porumboiu's 'La Gomera' is Romania's entry for the best international feature film category at the 2020 Oscars, having received the majority of the votes at the meeting of the Romanian Film Selection Committee, a RollerCoaster release informs on Monday. The film, featuring Vlad Ivanov in the lead role, had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival competition, and will open in the Romanian movie theaters on September 13, being distributed by Ro Image and 42 KM FILM. 'La Gomera' is Corneliu Porumboiu's fifth feature and his first to have also been filmed abroad, in Spain and Singapore. It also joined the race for the nomination for the European Film Academy Awards ("European Oscars"), the release informs. The cast includes actors Catrinel Marlon (Menghia), Rodica Lazar, Sabin Tambrea, Julieta Szonyi, George Pistereanu, Istvan Teglas, Agusti Villaronga, Cristobal Pinto and Antonio Buíl. Vlad Ivanov plays Cristi, a corrupt Romanian policeman involved in a 30 million euro deal with the Mafia. He lands in the Spanish island La Gomera to learn the locals' ancient whistling language known as 'El Silbo'. The use of the coded language will help him free Zsolt (played by Sabin Tambrea), a trafficker imprisoned in Bucharest, who is the only one in the band who knows where the money is hidden. 'La Gomera' is written and directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, Tudor Mircea is the photography director, the set design was done by Simona Paduretu, the costume designer is Dana Paparuz, and Arantxa Etcheverria Porumboiu is the artistic director. 'La Gomera' is a 42 KM FILM co-production with Les Films du Worso (France) and Komplizen Film (Germany), made with the support of the National Center of Cinematography and Eurimages, Arte France Cinéma, Film i Väst, Filmgate Films (Sweden) and the Ministry of Culture's Cinematographic Creation Studio, in association with MK2 Films, Arte France and WDR. The producers are Marcela Mindru (Ursu) and Patricia Poienaru. Co-producers are Sylvie Pialat, Benoît Quainon, Janine Jackowski, Jonas Dornbach and Maren Ade, along with Sean Wheelan, Anthony Muir and Peter Possne. The five nominees for Oscar's international feature film category will be announced on January 13, 2020. The 92nd Academy Awards Gala will take place on February 9, 2020.AGERPRES(RO - Petronius Craiu, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Maria Voican)