It is said that love travels beyond time and space, but how can this be possible? I invite you, dear reader, in a journey of words, allowing you to discover the unique way in which the Romanians celebrate love. Unveil a tradition that started long ago and that’s still very popular nowadays.
Forget about Valentine’s Day, about the big red hearts, chocolate or fluffy toys. Take a moment and dive into more than 2000 years of traditions, legends and rituals. And who knows? Maybe, if you pay attention and respect the traditions exactly, you will (re)discover your special one this year!
Who is “Dragobete”?
24th of February is the day when Romanians celebrate Dragobete, a day filled with love and romance that brings in the new spring season. It is a symbol of youth and pristine love, of hope and new life cycles.
It is said that Dragobete is a Dacian God, similar to Cupid or Eros – the Greek God. He is the protector of love, joy and fertility and he is strongly connected to nature. He is linked to that special time of the year when birds build their nests and mate, when spring shows up and when nature restarts the life cycle – a time of rebirth for the entire nature and also a time for young love.
Traditions locked in time
In some parts of the country, single women used to wake up in the morning, gather some remaining snow and melt it down. If there was no snow left, they had to fill a pot with rainwater or from a nearby spring. The water obtained like this had magical powers – it was used for beauty treatments and for love rituals.
Young girls were taught to eat a piece of salty bread (baked by the eldest woman in the household), then place some basil under the pillow. During the night, they were supposed to see their future husband in their dreams.
So, what happened on Dragobete’s day? Boys and girls used to dress-up in their “Sunday clothes” (fancy clothing) and meet in front of the church. Then, they would go to the nearest woods or meadows, singing in groups and looking for spring flowers. After sitting and talking around a fire, the girls would run back to the village, each being followed by the boy who had fallen in love with her. If the boy caught the girl and if she liked him, he would steal a kiss in front of everybody. This wasn’t just a game, it was a vow of love for the whole year along with the opportunity to show their attachment in front of the community. The traditional saying is that “Dragobetele kisses the girls!” (Dragobetele pupă fete!), with each boy that stole a kiss becoming a “Dragobete”.
In the villages, there’s whispers and mumbles all over the alleys, wondering who loves whom. Young people believe that they should be happy and respectful on 24th of February, so that they can be in love the whole year.
What better reason do you need to sing, dance and kiss the girl you like, in this mystical day of Dragobete?
Director Alexander Nanau follows a crack team of investigators at the Romanian newspaper Sports Gazette as they try to uncover a vast health-care fraud that enriched moguls and politicians — and led to the deaths of innocent citizens
Alexander Nanau was born in Bucharest and studied directing at the German Film and Television Academy Berlin. He has directed the feature documentaries The World According to Ion B (10) and Toto and His Sisters (14).
In this innovative fiction debut from Chiara Malta, a director with epilepsy trying to make a film about the life of famed Romanian actor Elina Löwensohn discovers that her real-life subject bears little resemblance to the star she idolized.
Chiara Malta was born in Rome. Her past directorial credits
include the short films L’Isle (06), Waiting for a Woman (10), L’amour à trois
(10), The Eyes of a Fox (12), The Existence According to Gabriel (15), and
Stefano’s Story (17). Simple Women (19) is her debut feature.
The Whistlers / La Gomera (Romania, France, Germany, 2019)
A film by Corneliu Porumboiu.
In this neo-noir tale from Romanian auteur Corneliu Porumboiu (Police, Adjective, 12:08 East of Bucharest), a corrupt cop — under surveillance while participating in a mob plot in the Canary Islands — must communicate with his accomplices in an Indigenous language based on whistling.
Corneliu Porumboiu was born in Vaslui, Romania, and studied
directing at the National University of Drama and Film in Bucharest. Many of
his films have screened at the Festival, including his feature debut 12:08 East
of Bucharest (06), Police, Adjective (09), When Evening Falls on Bucharest or
Metabolism (13), and The Treasure (15).
The Toronto International Film Festival is the leading public film festival in the world, bringing the power of film to life each September by screening more than 300 films from 60+ countries, since 1976.
Alegerile pentru membrii din România în Parlamentul European se vor desfășura duminică, 26 mai 2019.
Referendumul național: La data de 26 mai 2019 va avea loc referendumul național convocat de Președintele României. Se poate vota la referendumul național în aceleași secții de votare organizate pentru desfășurarea alegerilor pentru Parlamentul European.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Secția de votare Nr. 43, Canada Pavillon Rotary, Salle foyer, Consulat Onorific (Dieppe/Moncton) Parc Rotary St. Anselme, Dippe, New Brunswick, E1A 0K2
QUEBEC
Secţiile de votare Nr. 46, Canada Consulatul General al României la Montreal 1010, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, bureau 610, etaj 6, H3A 2R7, Montreal, Québec
ONTARIO
Secţia de votare Nr. 42, Canada Ambasada României în Canada 655 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6A3
Secţiile de votare Nr. 47, CanadaAdresa:Consulatul General al României la Toronto 789 Don Mills Rd, unit 501, Toronto, ON, M3C 1T9, Canada
ALBERTA
Secția de votare Nr. 44, Canada CKE Community Hall Consulat Onorific 1015-73rd Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta, T2V 0R9
Humans of Toronto! Join us on November 4th at the Danforth Music Hall for our official record release party for “If I Had The Strength” – an event not to be missed!
The Lemon Bucket Orkestra “If I Had The Strength” Album Release with special guest Boogát
Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 7 PM
Two years in the making, the album once again draws its repertoire from folk traditions and styles from across Eastern Europe. But unlike our two previous albums (2015’s Moorka and 2012’s Lume, Lume), which were both just collections of individual songs, “If I Had The Strength” explores a singular narrative line to tell a much bigger story.
“If I Had the Strength is an album about coming home, about never being the same, about the parts of ourselves we lose, the parts we gain, and about the prisons we inhabit or that inhabit us,” says LBO ringleader, Mark Marczyk.
With IIHTS, we have created a song cycle inspired by a century old Slavic prison ballad that tells the story of a young rebel coming home after laying it all on the line. The work draws emotional weight from our band members’ personal experiences with the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but it also highlights our dozen strong ensemble’s party-punk roots and attitude, developed and honed while busking on the streets of Toronto and around the world.
The new album also features a compelling list of unexpected guests; from beloved Canadian soprano, Measha Brueggergosman, to Montreal-based Latino rapper, Boogát, to a triumphant-yet-tragic 60 strong reading of the late Adrienne Cooper’s Sholem by the mighty CHOIR CHOIR CHOIR Weaving in and out of the prison ballad theme, the work takes listeners on an emotional journey exploring trauma and tragedy through the lens of musical exploration and communal celebration.
We look forward to sharing this experience with you all!
The fascinating and catchy notes of Teo Milea’s compositions meet the fantastic lightscapes of Kurt Laurenz Theinert and the result is magical.
Do not miss this unique chance to step into a mesmerizing, wonderful world for the senses. Come to experience colors, shapes, and fantastic dancing visual effects embracing the beautiful piano melodies.
Usually you can say how a piano recital sounds like. Now you can say how it looks, too. Because this is an unusual recital.
Two composers.
A classical piano. A visual piano.
Music meets light.
Piano Lightscapes with Teo Milea & Laurenz Theinert
Sunday, October 29, 2017 at 7:00
918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media and Education
918 Bathurst St, Toronto
Teo Milea is a Toronto-based classical/crossover pianist and composer whose unique musical style speaks to the public in a cinematic way.
Teo Milea collaborated with The Opera of Vienna (Austria), he is the first pianist in the world invited to play his own music at the NATO headquarters (Brussels, Belgium) and even more, the first pianist to mount on the stage of The International Ballet Festival (Dortmund, Germany), interpreting his work.
Among his latest achievements, Teo Milea was the first solo piano artist to reach the Top 4 of the Searchlight 2016 contest on CBC Music Canada and the winner of the Popular Vote with his solo piano song ‘Irreversible’. He was also selected to give the Postludes performance after Ludovico Einaudi`s concert at the Koerner Hall, in Toronto.
Discovering Teo Milea`s music is love at first note. When you listen to his music, you`ll realize you have been listening to the perfect soundtrack of your life.
“Some very talented people can construct pseudo-narratives from music itself. Teo Milea has the rare ability to do all this with only the use of his piano… Milea has enough talent in him to become not only one of the next great piano players, but composers, too”.
– The Scene Magazine (Toronto)
Kurt Laurenz Theinert – live performing light & media artist, photographer (Stuttgart, Germany)
His „visual piano“ performances are shown all around the world in Sao Paulo, London, Sydney, Berlin, New York and Singapore.
With the aid of software developers Roland Blach and Philipp Rahlenbeck, he has created an ‘image instrument’ (visual piano) on a MIDI-keyboard basis, that allows him to translate his artistic intentions into live performances while configuring time with light.
He creates pure visual music – live, abstract and space filling by using 360° panorama projection. There is no technical link between sound and image to enable a spontaneous dialogue between him and the musician. In his compositions and improvisations, he pries open the static properties of his projection spaces in favour of only those spatial correlations that can be perceived in the dynamics.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2017 is screening the film “Soldiers. Story from Ferentari / Soldatii. Poveste din Ferentari” (Romania, Serbia, Belgium 2017) directed by Ivana Mladenovic as part of the Discovery programme.
Synopsis
Set within Bucharest’s impoverished ghetto Ferentari, Ivana Mladenovic’s intimate narrative debut navigates the unexpected relationship that blossoms between a young anthropologist named Adi and Roma guide Alberto.
Director
Ivana Mladenovic was born in Kladovo, Serbia, and studied at the National School of Film and Theatre, Bucharest. She has directed the short films Milky Way (07), Pizza Love (08), and Afterparty (09), and the documentary Turn Off The Lights (12). Soldiers. Story from Ferentari (17) is her latest film.
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – September 7-17, 2017
The Toronto International Film Festival is the leading public film festival in the world, bringing the power of film to life each September by screening more than 300 films from 60+ countries, since 1976.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2017 is screening the film “Ana, mon amour” (Romania, Germany, France 2017) directed by Calin Peter Netzer as part of the Contemporary World Cinema programme.
Synopsis
Following up his 2013 Golden Bear winner Child’s Pose with this Silver Bear–winning entry (for outstanding artistic contribution), Calin Peter Netzer’s latest, Ana, mon amour, delivers a deep analysis of relationships and the ties that bind… and the things that break them apart.
Director
Calin Peter Netzer was born in Petrosani, Romania. He studied filmmaking at the National University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest. He is the director of the features Maria (03), Medal of Honor (09) and Child’s Pose (13), which played the Festival. Ana, mon amour (17) is his latest film.
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – September 7-17, 2017
The Toronto International Film Festival is the leading public film festival in the world, bringing the power of film to life each September by screening more than 300 films from 60+ countries, since 1976.
TeodoraART Gallery is pleased to exhibit a new series of original paintings by Florin Eugen Zamfirescu: The Universe Vibrates, a narrative about the mysteries of the Universe and the artist’s attempt to understand and decipher them.
Florin-Eugen Zamfirescu: The Universe Vibrates
September 12th – 24th, 2017 (Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 6pm)
Opening Reception
Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 2 – 5 PM
TeodoraART Gallery
214 Avenue Road, Toronto
“The Universe Vibrates” – is a narrative about the mysteries of the universe and our struggle to understand and decipher them. The central character of the series is the “proto-scientist”, who I consider the real hero of our times. He does not possesses superpowers or magic tools. Humanity has never been saved by miracles. What we need is a never-ending curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and tools to help us understand and interpret the great unknown.
