Sarah Nemțanu, outstanding French violinist, born from Romanian parents: “To me, the violin is like a voice. “
100% French on paper, Sarah bears a Romanian name – Nemțanu – and has a Romanian-beating heart especially when she visits Romania.
France
Alexandra Badea, writer and director: “I am interested in the way the wounds of history still have repercussions on today’s generations.”
Alexandra Badea’s story has it’s roots in a Romania that forever marked the generations raised under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s didctatorship and their children.
Eugen Jebeleanu and the triumph of humanity through art
Director Eugen Jebeleanu has been living in Paris for 11 years. There, along with his partner Yann Verburgh, he founded a theatre company – Compagnie des Ogres. Their shows are performed in cities all over France and get selected for some of the most reputable theatre festivals in Europe.
Mircea Cantor, artist: “Don’t let the void fill up your schedule. Do it now so you don’t have any regrets.”
Often asked whether he is Romanian or French, artist Mircea Cantor always gives the same answer, which has become part of the official biography included in all of his solo exhibitions: “Mircea Cantor was born in Romania and lives on Earth.”
Matei Vișniec, the Romanian knight of French theatre
Today, Matei Vișniec is one of the world’s leading playwrights, and his plays are performed in dozens of countries at the biggest festivals. Last year the President of France awarded him the title of Knight of the National Order of Merit, and in 2018 the French Ministry of Culture awarded him the title of Knight of Arts and Letters.
Cristian Măcelaru, the Romanian conductor who is rebuilding The French National Orchestra: “The essence of my happiness is music.”
At only 41, Cristian Măcelaru leads one of the world’s greatest orchestras and is the 3rd romanian winner of a Grammy award, following the conductor Christian Badea and the jazz piano player Marian Petrescu.
Anamaria Vartolomei, actress: “I could have chosen a French name, Annemarie, but I am Anamaria, I don’t need to change.”
On a spring day, on April 9th, Anamaria was born, the first child of a Romanian couple. Like more than 2 million other Romanians, the young parents, driven by the desire to give their daughter a better life, went to work abroad when Anamaria was merely 2 years old.
The creative friendship between Brâncuși and the composer Erik Satie
Brâncuși would call Satie – Socrates, and Satie, his younger sculptor friend – Plato.