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>>>he film industry will bring Romania tens of million of dollars this year, according to Vlad Paunescu, managing director of Castel Films, the Romanian producers for "Cold Mountain.">>>> "Free", and wealthier we're lead to believe. Just wonder whether this wealth reaches the people? (rhetorical question no doubt) To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: 'Cultural' Imperialism: Hollywood Invades Romania [WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK] Date sent: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 07:39:15 -0700 (PDT) Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK > --------------------------- > > Hollywood Invades Romanian Village > By Alison Mutler > Associated Press Writer > Tuesday, July 16, 2002; 11:49 PM > > [I ran into a Romanian in Chicago three weeks ago who > had just returned from his homeland. Positively > fuming, he said: "NATO is all over my country, buying > up and leasing all the choice land. People are > furious." Yes, but now the Romanian people are *free.* > Last week I heard a similiar report from a Kyrgyz > woman from Kazakhstan.] > > > > -Costs remain low here: The average monthly salary is > just 3.3 million lei � about $100 � substantially > lower than in the nearby Czech Republic or Hungary, > which have been popular with Western filmmakers > looking for low costs and stunning architecture. > -Romanian extras are paid about $10 a day, less than a > tenth what their Hollywood counterparts would make, > while a small medieval castle can be rented out for a > few hundred dollars a day. > -Romanian producers try to accommodate their movie > guests. Zeffirelli lived in a specially built lakeside > bungalow. Kidman will have her own ranch in > Transylvania. > > > > > POTIGRAFU, Romania �� The mayor of this > drought-stricken village has never seen a movie with > Nicole Kidman, but he'd like to make her an honorary > citizen. > Mayor Gheorghe Voicu calls it "a hand from heaven for > the locals" that "Cold Mountain," a big-budget movie > starring Kidman and Jude Law and adapted from Charles > Frazier's Civil War novel, is being filmed in the > village of 1,300 people. > Voicu has been busy this summer fixing up the > kindergarten and village school with income earned > from the Miramax-MGM film. > "Cold Mountain," which began filming Monday in > Potigrafu, marks Romania's entry into the market for > big Hollywood movies. > Costs remain low here: The average monthly salary is > just 3.3 million lei � about $100 � substantially > lower than in the nearby Czech Republic or Hungary, > which have been popular with Western filmmakers > looking for low costs and stunning architecture. > Anthony Minghella, who directed the Oscar-winning "The > English Patient," found the fields and virgin forests > of southern Romania a perfect setting for the $80 > million "Cold Mountain," which takes place in the > American South. Later scenes will be shot in the > mountainous region of Transylvania, in northern > Romania. > Western producers say the unspoiled and underdeveloped > Romanian countryside saves filmmakers the trouble and > expense of digitally removing signs of modern times, > such as buildings or power lines, that exist in the > U.S. countryside. > "Cold Mountain" tells the story of Inman, played by > Law, a wounded Confederate soldier on a perilous > journey back to his North Carolina home, where he > hopes to reunite with his sweetheart, Ada, played by > Kidman. > The movie's battle scenes will be thrashed out on > pastures where cattle usually graze; dozens of > villagers have helped set up wagons, watchtowers and > U.S. flags, and more than 100 cattle farmers have been > compensated about $300 a head for the inconvenience. > "I love my animals, so I bought them food with the > money," said Stelian Raducu, 71, who received about > $900 compensation for three cows. > Film producers have laid gravel on the road, the first > time it's been repaired in 60 years. > Romanian extras are paid about $10 a day, less than a > tenth what their Hollywood counterparts would make, > while a small medieval castle can be rented out for a > few hundred dollars a day. > In Potigrafu, some 25 miles north of the capital, > Bucharest, life hasn't changed much for centuries. > People draw water from wells along the street, and get > around mainly on horses and carts or bicycles. Farmers > till the soil by hand. The town is known in Romania > mainly for clay pots and rush mats. > Any cash is welcomed by residents, whose corn and > sunflower crops have been hurt by three years of > drought. > The film industry will bring Romania tens of million > of dollars this year, according to Vlad Paunescu, > managing director of Castel Films, the Romanian > producers for "Cold Mountain." > After communism ended in 1989, the country � known as > the home of Count Dracula � was the site of some > low-budget Western horror movies. Romanian film critic > Alex Leo Serban said movies shot in Romania in the > past two years � such as "Callas Forever," directed by > Franco Zeffirelli and starring Jeremy Irons, and Costa > Gavras' "Amen" � set the stage for "Cold Mountain." > Romanian producers try to accommodate their movie > guests. Zeffirelli lived in a specially built lakeside > bungalow. Kidman will have her own ranch in > Transylvania. > The actress' low-key presence has frustrated local > reporters, however, who have sneaked onto sets at > night and staked out her hotel and Transylvania > residence in mostly vain attempts to get a glimpse of > her. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes > http://autos.yahoo.com > > --------------------------- > ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST > > --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
