Black Sea begins shooting

by Stefan Dobroiu

15/05/2012 - Black Sea, Jorien van Nes's first feature, has started shooting in Romania, after eight days in the Netherlands and two in Austria. The film is produced by Circe Films (Netherlands) with HiFilm (Romania) as associate producer. It's the third collaboration of the two production companies, after The Happiest Girl in the World [trailer] and Everybody in our Family [trailer, film focus], both directed by Radu Jude.

Written by Lotje Ijzermans, Black Sea tells the story of Ward (Raymond Thiry, pictured), a 48-year-old man who has just lost his wife. He lives in an old house by the seaside and plans to renovate it with the help of Doru (Andi Vasluianu), a Romanian immigrant labourer who came to the Netherlands together with his nine-year-old son, Mihai (Victor Copariu). When Doru goes missing, Ward must decide what to do with the child...

As with The Happiest Girl in the World and Everybody in Our Family, which discovered young actresses Andreea Bosneag and Sofia Nicolaescu, the two production companies have found Victor Copariu after extensive casting in the schools of Bucharest. Other parts went to Ioana Flora (Hooked [trailer, film focus], Outbound [trailer]), Alina Berzunteanu (Daniele Luchetti's Our Life [trailer]), Maartje Remmers (Stella's War) and Kane van de Bovenkamp. The film's producer is Stienette Bosklopper (Circe Films).

The shoot began yesterday and, after two days at Cartisoara and Brasov, the team will move to Eforie Nord and Mamaia, both at the Black Sea shore, where they will spend approximately two weeks.

HiFilm is currently preparing the shooting of Radu Jude's new short film, Like the Shadow of a Cloud, and Roxanne, Valentin Hotea's first feature, is expected to shoot during autumn.