Searching for Patrick / 2016
The film follows the myth of Certeze, a small town from Northern Romania, famous for the impressive palaces that were built by its citizens, after having worked in France and in other Western European countries.
Inspired by various news reports and by Petrut Calinescu's photographic project "Pride and concrete", the documentary tries to uncover the inner mechanisms that induced the need of constructing buildings of this sort, in an attempt to craft a psychological portrait of the Northern Romanian who has encountered "the West".
"Searching for Patrick" doesn't find "Patrick" (as Godot never shows up), since he is a collective character: Certeze itself. The research documentary focuses on the cultural loss that might have occurred in the last years and on the continued attitude of abandoning the traditional architecture of Oas region. It also questions the purpose of the new buildings and the future development of the town, having considered the fact that most of the people have already established themselves abroad (most of them in France).
running time: 98 minutes
year of release: 2016
a film by: Daniel Djamo and Oana Popan
director of photography: Daniel Djamo
sound editing: Daniel Djamo
editing: Daniel Djamo
English subtitles: Daniel Djamo
independently produced
sponsor and DCP: Cinelab Romania
special thanks: Mr. Remus Ilie Vârnav, Țara Oașului Museum from Negrești-Oaș, Ms. Delia Maria Pop, the school of Certeze, Ms. Laura Teodora Ghinea, Mr. Dorel Petrehuș, Mr. Iosif Kiraly, Ms. Tatevik Sahakyan, Schloss Plüschow Künstlerhaus, Institut Français, Ville de Paris, Bucharest National University of Arts, The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR)