The Dream

Country: Romania 2023 Director: Cătălin Saizescu Cast: Vlad Logigan, Georgina Saizescu, Gloria Gaitan Romanian Film Festival. A comedic drama based on a true story. Alex is a frustrated actor looking to stage a theatrical production. Just when he thinks his dream has evaporated, an opportunity arises to stage a version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with a group of uneducated and intimidating inmates who arrive highly motivated once they realize this production could be their ticket to freedom. Winner of the Best Actor award at the Red Rock Festival. 136 minutes, Romanian, Hebrew and English subtitles. The 2026 edition of the Romanian Film Festival in Israel brings everything on Romanians' minds today: what's happening at home and what's happening beyond the country's borders, what's happening within the family and within society itself — a strong focus on the present without forgetting the past, all set against stunning landscapes, a variety of genres, and characters of every age. This edition also lets festival audiences enjoy, for the first time, films by four young female directors who found their own original ways of telling a story. Opening film: "Katana" is the most colorful and stunning of all ten films in this edition, set in a small village in the Apuseni Mountains where the residents find a way to outwit the authorities — until the authorities surprise them right back (inspiration: a touch of Wes Anderson and Kusturica). "Only Us" is a gripping drama about the fate of children whose parents decide to work abroad for long periods, leaving the children to deal, in turn, with everything life throws at them — beautifully shot, with excellent performances from the children and teenagers in it. "Comitogen," winner of the Screenplay Award at the Gopo Awards ceremony (the Romanian Oscars), tells the story of a single mother who will do anything to save her teenage son from going to prison, with the full story revealed through four points of view from the four main characters. "The Heist of the Century," based on a true story with a screenplay written by Cristian Mungiu, tells of friends who find themselves furious at how "foreign" workers are treated by local residents in the Netherlands and decide to take revenge with a heist that shook all of Europe at the time. "Three Days in September" shows the aftermath of a story about infidelity revealed just moments before a wedding, which turns into a nocturnal journey full of dark humor, plenty of insight, and a continuous 78-minute shot. "Safe Place" begins as a quiet drama about a vacation shared by two families of friends on the Bulgarian coast, moves on to reflections on lost dreams, and takes a twist with a dramatic incident along the way. "The Law School Crew" follows a group of law students who discover the value of friendship, loyalty, and how the wheels of justice turn through helping a friend in need. Two guests will be attending the festival, and various events will take place around the films being screened. We look forward to seeing you — Iris Lekner, curator and director of the Romanian Film Festival in Israel.