Transylvania (2006)

Director:

Tony Gatlif

Writer:

Tony Gatlif (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 2006 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Zingarina arrives in Transylavania, accompanied by her close friend Marie and her guide and interpreter Luminitsa...

Plot Keywords:

Female Nudity | Gipsy | Birth Of A Baby Footage | Bear | Folk Music

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Asia Argento	...	Zingarina
Amira Casar	...	Marie
Birol Ünel	...	Tchangalo
Alexandra Beaujard	...	Luminitsa
Marco Castoldi	...	Milan Agustin
Bea Pálya	...	La chanteuse du cabaret (as Beata Palya)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marina Boldizsac	...	La chanteuse ukrainenne
Rares Budelaina	...	Le jeune musicien
Nicolae Cristache	...	Le passeur
Florin Estefan	...	Le chanteur d'opéra
Gabor	...	Gabor, le paysan au traîneau
Simion Lupu	...	Le chanteur d'opéra
Cornel Reileanu	...	Le bedeau
Mariana Rus	...	Vandana
Anton Tauf	...	Le pope

Directed by
Tony Gatlif

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tony Gatlif		writer

Original Music by
Tony Gatlif
Delphine Mantoulet

Cinematography by
Céline Bozon

Film Editing by
Monique Dartonne

Casting by
Ève Guillou

Production Design by
Brigitte Brassart

Costume Design by
Rose-Marie Melka

Makeup Department
Laurence Grosjean	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Luc Martinage	....	unit production manager
Doru Mitran	....	production manager
Christian Paumier	....	production manager
Guinal Riou	....	unit manager
Doru Stan	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hadrien Bichet	....	second assistant director
Sonia Larue	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Neda Florin	....	set dresser
Ludovic Garçon	....	assistant decorator
Marian Petre	....	property master

Sound Department
Olivier Busson	....	sound assistant
Philippe Escanecrabe	....	foley engineer
Dominique Gaborieau	....	sound mixer
Philippe Penot	....	foley artist
Seppe van Groeningen	....	boom operator
Philippe Welsh	....	sound
Adam Wolny	....	sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Pierre Bonnet	....	electrician
Dumitru Dragut	....	grip
Alexandre Gotkovski	....	electrician
Colin Houben	....	first assistant camera
Manuel Lopes	....	electrician
David Padilla	....	key grip
Benoît Rizzoti	....	first assistant camera (as Benoît Rizzotti)
Andra Tevy	....	second assistant camera

Editorial Department
Célia Lafitedupont	....	assistant editor
Charlotte Mazzinghi	....	color timer
Gerard Savary	....	color timer (as Gérard Savary)

Other crew
Andra Barbuica	....	script supervisor
Elodie Dussoulier	....	production assistant
Patricia Guyotte	....	script supervisor: France
Istvan Hegyi	....	production assistant
Nadia Le Corre-Kissarli	....	production administrator
Irina Mateu	....	production secretary
Mircea Cristian Nicolae	....	production assistant
Mihaela Pascaru	....	production secretary
Robert Schlockoff	....	press attache

Thanks
Filip Alexandru	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Princes Films
• Pyramide Productions (co-production)
• Canal+ (participation)
• TPS Star (participation)
• Soficinéma 2 (in association with)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (participation)

Distributors

• Amada Films/Aquelarre (2006) (Spain) (theatrical)
• ArtCam (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Aztec International Entertainment (2006) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Budapest Film (2006) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Cankariev Dom (2006) (Slovenia) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2008) (Spain) (DVD)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Gutek Film (2006) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Imagine Films Distribution (2006) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Inovision (2006) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Peccadillo Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Prorom Media-Trade (2006) (Romania) (theatrical)
• R Film (2006) (Turkey) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Auditel  editing studio
• CineCool  titles
• Ilson 4  sound equipment
• Locaflash  electrical equipment
• Panavision Alga  camera equipment provided by
• Tapages  sound equipment
• Télétota  editing
• Éclair Numérique  laboratory services

Runtime:

France:103 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Romanian | English | Hungarian | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | France:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Sighet, Maramures, Romania

Company:

Princes Films

Soundtrack:

I Love You

Asia Argento is Not a Vampire

I saw Tony Gatliff's film Transylvania in Melbourne, and, despite the presence of horror princess Asia Argento, the film has absolutely nothing to do with vampires. Part travelogue and part exploration of two masochistic lost souls, this incredibly strange, surreal, lonely, music-filled journey is unlike anything I can recall seeing before. If nothing else, it proves that cinema is not dead: not every film is manufactured in pitch meetings and script workshops. This is clearly a film not overly designed to appeal to any audience at all-perhaps explaining its practically nonexistent release outside of film festivals and special retrospectives since its Cannes debut in 2006-and, for better or worse, this is no doubt the film Tony Gatliff wanted to make, directorial flourishes and all.

Asia Argento . . . she's getting there. Though not a great actress, she's earned her place in history already, I think, by sheer measure of her persona and willingness to go places few would have the balls to explore, say french kissing a dog. In terms of physicality, she's incredibly skilled in the ways she's able to use her body. She can brandish it violently, smashing herself up against a wall in a moment of ecstasy and deep sorrow, or twist it painfully and quietly into a crumpled ball of limbs and self-induced isolation. Hurling herself full force into a musical cyclone and smashing dishes with the flick of a hand, Argento is able to bring the character to life.

It is in her line readings, during scenes that call her to sell the character in words rather than physical manifestations, that Argento never quite manages to reach the point of believability required of her. Her voice often settles into an off-putting monotone that, in quieter moments, can undermine the inner complications and emotions meant to come through in what she is saying.

Aided by often remarkable shots of a countryside not normally used in film and a truly impressive collection of folk music, Transylvania is not easy an easy film to recommend nor is it easy to dismiss as yet another self-indulgent festival film created by a director trying to force more of his vision into 100 minutes than it can support. I am unsure if the film works on every level, I suspect that it does not, but the ways in which the film both indulges in its own artistry and refuses to go out of it way to cater to the personal tastes of anyone other than its own makers are strangely admirable. Even if you don't like Transylvania, it's nice to know a film like it can be made at all.