By Olivia Maria Hărşan
Florin Piersic is a highly respected Romanian theatre and film actor. Having contributed his talents to numerous theatre productions and over forty films, it is no surprise that he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Transilvanian Film Festival in 2009. A few months ago my grandmother, Silvia, wrote a letter of appreciation to Florin detailing her admiration towards his work and reputation as a renowned artist. She did not expect a response, however, about a week ago she received a letter in the mail. At first she did not quite know what to do with the letter so she placed it on the coffee table and sat beside it examining the writing on the envelope. After a while, my grandfather, Liviu, told her to "open it already" and reluctantly she did. I will not go on to dictate what was written, but let's just say Florin certainly has a way with words, an eloquent way of writing. I am so glad that he replied to my grandmother's letter because she is a woman who has devoted her life to learning and experiencing Romanian art and culture. Today is her birthday and I wish her to have the most beautiful day, la mulţi ani Tia.
Eastern European cinema is a diverse subject that has been scarcely regarded, especially compared to other world cinemas. From screen analysis to personal accounts, this blog is a meditation on Eastern European cultural values with emphasis on totalitarian iconography and other clandestine ciphers that have become motifs across the films of Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Russia, Czech Republic and East Germany.
